# Bigg Boss Telugu winner warns commoners: expect Rs 1 lakh monthly social media cost 2026-08-25T07:20:39+00:00 | Entertainment | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Kaushal Manda, a former winner of Bigg Boss Telugu, has advised commoners aspiring to enter the upcoming Season 10 to budget heavily for social media promotion. In a video, he said the show pays contestants only Rs 15,000 to Rs 25,000, but maintaining a social media feed to stay visible costs at least Rs 1 lakh per month. He noted that pre-pandemic, such spending was unnecessary, he himself never paid for promotion, but now, without paid feeds, audiences struggle to recognise contestants. Manda warned that value inside the house comes only from winning the show. He pointed out that last season, many commoners entered but only the winner's name stayed with viewers. Those who leave without winning, he said, waste their effort and time. He urged aspiring contestants to focus on winning, not just participating. ## Indian Opinion Analysis This advice from a past winner lays bare the growing monetisation of reality TV participation. Contestants now effectively invest their own money, often lakhs, on social media promotion to stay visible, a cost that barely existed before Covid. Bigg Boss Telugu, produced by Endemol Shine India and aired on Star Maa, has run nine previous seasons, and the pool of commoner applicants has grown each year. The show's format, a variation of the Dutch Big Brother franchise, gives no guaranteed prize money beyond the final winner's reward. For a commoner without a pre-existing fan base, the arithmetic is stark: monthly social media spends of Rs 1 lakh or more may yield no return if they exit early. ## Coverage - deccanchronicle.com Leads with a former winner's critical financial advice to applicants, treating it as practical guidance rather than drama. This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: Bigg Boss Telugu, Endemol Shine India, Kaushal Manda, Star Maa Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/bigg-boss-telugu-winner-warns-commoners-expect-rs-1-lakh-monthly-social-media-cost/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/bigg-boss-telugu-winner-warns-commoners-expect-rs-1-lakh-monthly-social-media-cost/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes. How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/