Bigg Boss 19: Gaurav Khanna, Amaal Mallik, Tanya Mittal; where have you seen these 16 contestants before?

Sunday night marked the grand premiere of Bigg Boss 19. Like all years, this year too has celebrity contestants inside the house, each of them coming from different walks of life, but all mostly connected to the world of showbiz. From popular TV faces to musicians to influencers and a stand-up comedian, Bigg Boss 19 contestants are varied. They are all famous in their own right. Here’s more about them

Where have you seen her: You have seen her as a child actor in numerous shows like Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai, Na Bole Tum Na Maine Kuch Kaha. She has also played bit roles in films like Sanju and Mannmarziyaan. At 21, she is the youngest participant inside the Bigg Boss 19 house.

Where have you seen him: He played Definite in the film Gangs Of Wasseypur, which Zeishan Quadri also wrote with director Anurag Kashyap. The actor, director, and writer is also credited for writing films like Halahal and directing Meeruthiya Gangster.

Claim to fame: Tanya is a social media influencer and calls herself a spiritual storyteller. The former Miss Asia 2018, is also an entrepreneur who has founded the lifestyle brand Handmade with Love by Tanya, which makes handbags, handcuffs, and sarees. The influencer has built a strong online presence where she often shares motivational posts, spiritual insights, and glimpses of her entrepreneurial journey.

Where have you seen them: If you are on social media, you must have come across dance videos of Awez Darbar and Nagma Mirajkar. The couple are one of the most popular influencers on social media with a collective following of over 38 million. Awez is also the composer Ismail Darbar's son and former Bigg Boss contestant Gauahar Khan’s brother-in-law.

Claim to fame: Nehal is a model and fitness consultant and as Miss Diva Universe 2018 represented India at the Miss Universe 2018 pageant. She has also featured in web series like The Holiday (2019) and Tu Zakhm Hai (2022).

Where have you seen him: Abhishek Bajaj featured in a supporting role in Puneet Malhotra’s Student of The Year 2, which co-starred Tiger Shroff and Ananya Panday. The actor has also featured in numerous TV shows like Silsila Pyaar Ka, Jubilee Talkies, and Parvarrish.

Where have you seen him: Baseer is not new to reality television and has previously featured in MTV Roadies Rising and Splitsvilla 10, which he won along with his partner Naina Singh. He played the host of Spiltsvilla 11 the next year. He has also played a prominent role in Zee TV’s popular show Kundali Bhagya.

Where have you seen him: One of the top actors on Indian Television at present, Gaurav Khanna has featured in several shows on TV over the years. However, his portrayal of Anuj Kapadia in the hit TV series Anupamaa catapulted him to stardom. Khanna also won Celebrity Master Chef India a few months back.

Claim to fame: The Polish actor is the only international contestant on Bigg Boss 19 so far. Natalia is an actor, model, singer, and author. The actress has featured in a few Bollywood films and even been part of Netflix's global hit 365 Days.

Claim to fame: You may not have seen him, but definitely heard him. Pranit More is not only a stand-up comedian but also an RJ. Pranit was in the news earlier this year after cracking a joke on actor Veer Pahariya during one of his sets, which did not sit well with the actor’s fans. More was attacked by a group of 12 people who warned him not to crack such jokes. The incident occurred in Solapur, Maharashtra, leaving Pranit seriously injured and causing significant damage to the venue. Pahariya had condemned the attack and extended support to the comedian.

Claim to fame: The Kashmiri model, actress calls herself a peace activist. She has worked in a few Bollywood films like Notebook (2019) which was incidentally backed by Salman Khan as a producer and also featured Laila Majnu.

Claim to fame: The actress is a Bhojpuri film and TV actress who has a huge fan following among the Bhojpuri audience. Currently considered one of the most popular stars in Bhojpuri cinema, Neelam hopes to gain more fan following nationally with her stint at Bigg Boss.

Where have you seen her: Kunickaa Sadabnand was a common name on television and cinema in the 1980s and 1990s. The actress has been part of iconic shows like Swabhimaan, Kabrastaan, and films like Gumraah, Hum Saath Saath Hai, among others. Kunickaa studied law, has been an activist for AIDS awareness, and is also an entrepreneur.

Claim to fame: He was the only contestant who was chosen by the votes of the audience. He beat Punjabi actor influencer Shehbaz to get entry into the show. Hailing from Etawah, Uttar Pradesh, and now settled in Noida, Mridul has over 4.5 million Instagram followers and 19 million YouTube subscribers, whom he entertains with skits, packed with local dialects, quick wit, and relatable humour.

Where have you seen him: Son of actor-composer Daboo Mallik and nephew of Annu Mallik, Amaal is a popular singer composer who has created several hits songs in Bollywood films. Amaal was recently in news for announcing his decision of cutting ties with his family.