Bigg Boss 20 has barely begun, but there is already a strange sense of déjà vu inside the house. Every season of Bigg Boss promises a fresh set of personalities, but this time, many contestants seem oddly familiar. Not necessarily because they are copying former housemates, but because their personalities, mannerisms, conflicts and approaches to the game appear to echo contestants viewers have already watched in previous seasons.
It almost feels as if we have seen some of these characters before, just in different faces. A look at which Bigg Boss 20 contestant reminds us of which previous BB housemates.
Qazi Touqeer: A mix of Tanya Mittal and Shalini Bhanot
Qazi is already emerging as one of the more noticeable personalities in the house, but his behaviour is also giving viewers a sense of déjà vu. His tendency to put himself at the centre of conversations and constantly talk about his achievements is reminiscent of Tanya Mittal. In a video from the live feed, Qazi was seen sitting with a group of contestants and telling them that he had built a special “coffee tanki” at his home in Kashmir, similar to a water tank, simply because he is a coffee lover. In another video doing the rounds on social media, he claimed that he is a commando and can do 20 push-ups in five minutes.
The behaviour brings back memories of how Tanya grabbed attention during the first week of Bigg Boss 19 by repeatedly talking about her luxurious lifestyle, which eventually rubbed some of her fellow contestants the wrong way. While the BB 19 housemates were quick to label Tanya “weird”, the BB 20 contestants have already started using the same word for Qazi.
Qazi also appears to have shades of Shalin Bhanot in him. Shalin was known for his larger-than-life behaviour in the house, as well as his dramatic reactions to even minor situations. Qazi seemed to display a similar side on the very first episode. He teased Arishfa before later trying to downplay Yung DSA’s mistake. The situation eventually escalated into an argument between the two. Although the rapper had not even mentioned Qazi’s parents, Qazi was heard saying, “baap pe mat jana (don’t bring my father in between).”
Later, when Bigg Boss announced Qazi as the sanchalak for the task, his visibly over-the-top excitement left the other contestants amused. If this is only the beginning, Qazi’s mix of self-confidence, bragging and dramatic reactions could make him one of the season’s more entertaining personalities, and perhaps one of its biggest talking points.
Mahhi Vij: A mix of Kunickaa Sadanand, Shilpa Shinde and Pooja Bhatt
Mahhi appears to be a combination of several familiar Bigg Boss personalities, with her interactions and the way she asserts herself in the house already reminding viewers of contestants from previous seasons.
Her approach has shades of Kunickaa Sadanand, particularly in the way she seems comfortable telling others what they should be doing. In the first episode, she was seen making remarks such as, “Tum toh ladkiyan ho chai banani aani chahiye (You are girls, you should know how to make tea),” while asking Arishfa, Love Gill and Isha Rikhi to make tea for her. In season 19, even Kunicka had made such remarks for the girls in the house and expected them to work.
At the same time, her confidence and occasional arrogance can remind viewers of Shilpa Shinde and Pooja Bhatt. Mahhi often comes across as someone who believes she knows what is best for the house. She was seen ordering Aman Gandhi to pick up her bags from the storeroom and, when he asked her to request him politely, she refused, saying, “Tujhe please bolungi? (I’ll request you?)” The moment had shades of the superiority complex that Pooja often displayed during her stint on the show.
Mahhi has also shown a tendency to poke contestants and push their buttons to get a reaction, something Shilpa was particularly good at. She was seen doing it with Arishfa and later with Isha and Mary as well, repeatedly bringing up subjects that could provoke a response.
Interestingly, Mahhi had claimed in an interview that the Bigg Boss team felt her personality was similar to Gauahar Khan. But based on what she has shown in the house so far, that comparison seems difficult to make. If anything, Mahhi appears to be a mix of personality traits that Bigg Boss viewers have already seen before — the assertiveness of Kunickaa, the confidence and superiority of Pooja, and the tendency to poke others that made Shilpa such a formidable player.
Kanika Mann: A mix of Tejasswi Prakash and Jasmin Bhasin
Kanika Mann is giving a mix of Tejasswi and Jasmin vibes this season. There is a similar combination of being expressive, emotional and capable of switching from light-hearted moments to intense confrontations. While she is quite clear with her thoughts like Tejasswi, she seems to be a little emotional like Jasmin and not as strong as Tejasswi. Either she could win hearts and take the trophy or go the Jasmine route and become the villain of the house.
Amrapali Dubey: Rashami Desai
Amrapali Dubey brings a different kind of familiarity. Her emotional intensity and the way she handles interpersonal situations are reminiscent of Rashami Desai. Another incident that reminded me of Rashmi after watching the episode was Amrapali keeping her opinions forward strongly, roasting others and maybe just a little bullying too, like Rashmi did to Shehnaaz.
Love Gill: Mahira Sharma rather than Shehnaaz Gill
Love Gill has already attracted comparisons with Shehnaaz Gill among fans, but there is another Bigg Boss personality she seems closer to: Mahira Sharma. Rather than simply being the bubbly, entertaining personality viewers associate with Shehnaaz, Love appears to have a more outspoken and reactive side that can remind one of Mahira’s stint on the show.
Yung DSA: MC Stan, but with an active side
Yung DSA is perhaps the closest comparison to MC Stan this season, although with a noticeably more fun and easy-going energy. Both have the rapper/influencer identity and a distinctly Gen Z presence, but Yung DSA appears to bring more humour and playfulness to the house. While MC Stan was largely inactive in the house and still won the trophy, Yung DSA is quite active and has stolen the show in the first episode itself. However, it’s yet to be seen if he can carry this forward or he’ll walk in Stan’s footsteps.
Gullu takes the Elvish Yadav way
Gullu’s personality is reminiscent of Elvish Yadav’s early Bigg Boss stint or, more accurately, Elvish’s seemingly effortless approach to the game. He does not appear overly concerned with manufacturing a strategy and instead seems happy to enjoy himself, interact with others and entertain the house. Sometimes, doing very little strategically can itself become a strategy, especially when the contestant has enough personality to keep viewers interested.
In Bigg Boss OTT 2, Elvish entered as a wildcard, but he didn’t make any specific effort in the game and was just himself. He didn’t pick fights until someone else poked him. He was fun, sarcastic and later lifted the trophy.
Arishfa Khan gives Isha Malviya vibes
Arishfa Khan is the classic “chhota packet, bada dhamaka” of the season. Like Isha Malviya, who was among the younger contestants in her season but never allowed that to make her a passive participant, Arishfa has already shown that she is willing to stand her ground. In the very first episode, she picked a fight with Qazi Touqeer and also gave it back to Mahhi when she felt Mahhi was trying to order her around. Her willingness to confront bigger personalities could make her one of the season’s unexpected players.
Uditi Singh gives Nehal Chudasama vibes
Uditi Singh, meanwhile, is giving Nehal Chudasama vibes with her tendency to pick up on seemingly small issues and turn them into house conversations. Her confrontation over a dirty toilet seat is the kind of everyday Bigg Boss issue that can quickly become a full-blown argument — something viewers may remember from Nehal’s stint on Bigg Boss 19. Uditi and Aman Gandhi might just be the Baseer-Nehal of this season.
ScoutOp: Mridul Tiwari meets Abhishek Bajaj
ScoutOp seems to be another interesting combination. His personality has shades of Mridul Tiwari, particularly in his creator/influencer persona and relatively casual approach, mixed with some of Abhishek Bajaj’s energy and anger. It will be interesting to see whether he remains the laid-back contestant or eventually gets pulled into the bigger conflicts of the house.
This might or might not be Bigg Boss 20 makers’ deliberate strategy to recreate personalities from previous seasons. But watching these contestants through the lens of familiar Bigg Boss archetypes does make the season feel strangely recognisable. The bigger question is whether these parallels will continue as the game gets more intense or whether these contestants will eventually carve out personalities and strategies that are entirely their own.
