STR in Bigg Boss Ultimate 
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Watch: Bigg Boss Ultimate introduces Simbu as its new host

Kamal Haasan earlier announced that he is quitting as the host of Tamil reality show ‘Bigg Boss Ultimate’ due to clash in dates with his upcoming film ‘Vikram’.

Written by : TNM Staff

Streaming platform Disney Plus Hotstar took to social media on Thursday, February 24 to announce that actor Simbu will be replacing Kamal Haasan as the host of Bigg Boss Ultimate, the Over-the-Top (OTT) version of the Tamil reality show Bigg Boss. A promo video of Silambarasan or STR was also unveiled. “Edhurpakala illa? (you did not expect this right?) Naanae Edhurpakala (I myself did not expect this),” Simbu says towards the end of the video. 

Kamal Haasan, who was on board as the host of the show, announced on February 20 that he is quitting the show to shoot for Vikram. He however, promised to be back as the host for Bigg Boss Tamil season 6. He cited the clash in dates with director Lokesh Kanagaraj’s upcoming film Vikram, in which he is set to star alongside Fahadh Faasil and Vijay Sethupathi, as the reason behind stepping down. 

“We had so far meticulously planned to ensure that the production schedule of Vikram does not affect my commitments to Bigg Boss, a show that is very close to my heart. So much so, I did not let any personal discomfort I might have had after I was personally down with Covid (to affect the shooting). The rescheduling of the production activities for Vikram that were forced on account of lockdowns and restrictions imposed have unavoidably resulted in overlap of dates required to be allotted for Bigg Boss Ultimate,” Kamal wrote in the statement.

The OTT exclusive season of Bigg Boss has contestants from the past seasons, fighting for the title once again. The show has a 24-hour feed allowing viewers to watch the show throughout the day. Commenting on the development, Kamal Haasan had said in a press statement in January: "I'm extremely excited to continue staying in touch with you by hosting the OTT version as well. The new format is now available 24/7 to engage and entertain you more. I am 100 per cent confident that you will find this whole new experience refreshing and interesting." The spinoff to Bigg Boss Tamil started streaming from January 30 this year. 

Simbu was last seen in time-loop based political thriller Maanaadu helmed by director Venkat Prabhu. He is currently working on Gautham Menon directorial Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu.