Bigg Boss 19 premiere: Gaurav Khanna opens up about color blindness and wins the room with humor

A candid reveal at the Bigg Boss 19 premiere

On the opening night of Bigg Boss 19, Gaurav Khanna did something most celebrities avoid in their grand entrance: he told millions he is color blind—and turned it into a punchline. As he walked in to greet host Salman Khan, the actor, best known for playing Anuj Kapadia on Anupama, leaned into the show’s “red flag versus green flag” theme and shared that traffic lights have been a challenge for him since forever. It broke the ice instantly. The stage laughed, but the moment felt bigger than a one-liner.

Salman, who welcomed Khanna with a cheeky “green flag” nod to his on-screen ideal-husband image, kept the banter going. During a light task where contestants sorted traits into red or green, Salman asked Khanna what kind of flag he’d assign to the host. Khanna’s reply—calling him evergreen—landed perfectly, warming up the room and setting the tone for his run inside the house.

Fans didn’t wait for the weekend to weigh in. Social media timelines turned into highlight reels of Khanna’s entry, with many calling him “winner material” on day one. Others drew lines back to Sidharth Shukla’s stronghold over season 13, wondering if Khanna could command the house with the same calm force. The early consensus: he’s genuine, balanced, and comfortable in the spotlight.

The reveal mattered because it was personal and public. Reality TV often thrives on bravado. Khanna chose vulnerability, and did it without asking for special treatment. That mix—poise, humor, and a straight answer about something most people hide—sharpened his image right away.

Why this moment matters: color blindness, representation, and the game ahead

Color blindness isn’t rare. Roughly 1 in 12 men and about 1 in 200 women experience some form of it. Most cases involve difficulty distinguishing reds and greens; some have trouble with blues and yellows. Many people only find out when a school test or a license exam flags it, and then spend life adapting—by position, shape, context, and habit—rather than by hue.

Khanna’s traffic light line wasn’t just a joke. It captured a real-world workaround many color-blind people rely on. Traffic signals are designed in a standard order—red at the top, green at the bottom—so drivers can read them by placement when color alone isn’t clear. In daily life, the same logic applies. People swap color cues for patterns, icons, brightness, labels, or memory. It’s less about seeing “less” and more about reading the world differently.

That’s where reality TV comes in. Bigg Boss loves color-coded challenges—buckets marked in bright hues, flags for teams, boards with red and green tags for yes/no tasks. For someone who can’t rely on those colors, a poorly designed task can be a setback. It doesn’t have to be. Production teams can make small adjustments that help everyone, without tilting the game for one person.

• Use symbols or patterns alongside colors (stripes, dots, check marks, X’s).
• Keep a standard placement for choices (left always means “reject,” right always means “accept”).
• Label props clearly with words or numbers.
• Avoid red/green pairings when the stakes are high; choose high-contrast pairs like blue/orange or black/white.

None of that reduces difficulty. It removes a hidden handicap. In a house where a five-second delay can cost you a task, clarity is game balance, not charity.

Khanna’s entry also adds to a newer trend on Indian reality TV—contestants speaking openly about health and accessibility. We’ve seen people talk about anxiety, asthma, diabetes, and injuries. Color blindness joins that list. It’s not a disability in the way many imagine; most people with it have normal vision, just a different response to wavelengths of light. But because so much of TV is painted in bright, competing colors, acknowledging the difference helps the audience read the game fairly.

As for strategy, Khanna’s strengths are already visible. He’s quick with words, but not reckless. He can make a room laugh without making enemies. He can self-deprecate without shrinking himself. On Bigg Boss, where early impressions harden into alliances, that mix is gold. A contestant who can soften tense moments and show vulnerability tends to gain goodwill—especially when the weekend dressing-downs arrive.

There’s a practical layer to watch. If tasks lean heavily on color signals, watch how Khanna adapts. He might double down on position and labels, or form quick partnerships to cross-check cues. In social games, asking for help can backfire if it reads as weakness, but it can also deepen trust if done right. Framed as teamwork—not dependence—it can draw allies, not predators.

Then there’s perception outside the house. Fans love a redemption arc, but they also love competence. Khanna starting with transparency sets up both. If he stumbles in a color-coded task, it will be understood. If he then outplays a complex social challenge, it will feel earned. That arc writes itself if the season gives him time.

Will this affect nominations? Possibly. Early episodes are often decided by noise—who’s loud, who’s smug, who grabs camera space. Khanna’s vibe is steady, not shouty. That can be a double-edged sword. He may avoid conflict-driven nomination traps, but he also has to claim space in a house that rewards volume. Expect him to pick his battles and use humor as his first move, not his last.

There’s also the messaging impact. A prime-time reveal like this ripples beyond one episode. Teachers, coaches, and managers watching at home might rethink using red/green-only instructions in classrooms, offices, and tournaments. Designers and producers might lean into symbols and labels over color alone. None of that requires a committee; it’s just better design.

For viewers who came for drama, don’t worry—the show won’t go soft. Bigg Boss thrives on friction. The house is built to press nerves: limited privacy, limited time, limited resources. But the best seasons give you both—the chaos and the character. A moment like Khanna’s confession helps the audience invest before the chaos hits.

By the end of premiere night, two things felt true. One, Gaurav Khanna understands how to work a room. Two, he’s not hiding the parts of himself that are easy to hide. That’s a strong opening line in a game where identity is currency. If the tasks stay fair and the house stays loud, he’ll have enough oxygen to show what he can do.

The cameras are rolling. The jokes landed. The problem—color, not character—is on the table. From here, it’s about how he plays the long game: clear asks, clean alliances, and a calm center when the weekend questions come firing.