Kamal Haasan to Chiranjeevi: South Stars Who Have Turned Hosts

Hosting is no longer unfamiliar territory for South Indian stars. Several actors have taken charge of reality shows, quiz programmes and celebrity chat shows over the years. From long-running associations with “Bigg Boss” to newer ventures, here are the stars who have made their mark as successful hosts in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada languages.

Chiranjeevi

Chiranjeevi is exploring another side of his career as he returns to hosting with “Chiranjeevi’s MegaVerse.” Announced on October 29, the upcoming show will feature candid conversations and stories from the film industry. However, this is not the actor’s first experience as a host. He previously hosted “Meelo Evaru Koteeswarudu,” the Telugu version of the popular quiz show “Kaun Banega Crorepati.”

Teja Sajja

Teja Sajja ventured into reality television with “The Traitors Telugu.” The actor made his hosting debut with the Telugu adaptation of the international format, which premiered on October 15, 2026. During an interview with Variety India, he cited Karan Johar, Nagarjuna and Salman Khan as inspirations for his hosting style.

Jr NTR

Jr NTR made his television hosting debut with the first season of “Bigg Boss Telugu” in 2017. His association with the show was limited to its inaugural season, after which Nani took over the hosting duties for Season 2. Jr NTR's stint also helped introduce the popular reality format to Telugu television audiences. The actor was also associated with “Evaru Meelo Koteeswarulu,” a Telugu quiz show based on “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?”

Nani

Nani made his television hosting debut with the second season of “Bigg Boss Telugu” in 2018. He took over from Jr NTR, who had hosted the inaugural season of the reality show. However, his association with the show lasted only one season as Nagarjuna took over as the host from Season 3 in 2019.

Nagarjuna

Nagarjuna became the face of “Bigg Boss Telugu” in its third season in 2019, following Jr NTR and Nani, who hosted the first two seasons, respectively. He has continued to host the reality show in subsequent seasons. He has also hosted “Bigg Boss Non-Stop,” a digital spin-off of the show.

Samantha Ruth Prabhu

Samantha Ruth Prabhu added hosting to her career when she stepped in as the host of “Bigg Boss Telugu 4” in 2020. She took over the weekend episodes while regular host Nagarjuna was away. The same year, she made her talk show debut with “Sam Jam.” The show featured candid conversations with celebrities, including Chiranjeevi, Allu Arjun, Tamannaah Bhatia and Rashmika Mandanna. She also hosted “Celebrity MasterChef Tamil” alongside RJ Vijay.

Tamannaah Bhatia

Tamannaah Bhatia made her television hosting debut with “MasterChef India Telugu” in 2021. She was a part of the first 16 episodes before Anasuya Bharadwaj took over.

Rana Daggubati

Rana Daggubati brought his conversational side to television with “No. 1 Yaari with Rana.” The Telugu talk show featured the actor interacting with celebrities and friends from the entertainment industry in a relaxed setting. Rana hosted three seasons of the show, which premiered in 2017, with subsequent seasons airing in 2018 and 2021. He has also been associated with the unscripted talk show, “The Rana Daggubati Show.”

Suriya and Prakash Raj

Suriya and Prakash Raj have both hosted “Neengalum Vellalam Oru Kodi,” the Tamil adaptation of the international quiz show “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” Suriya presented the first season, which premiered in February 2012. He was succeeded by Prakash Raj, who took over as the host for the second season in March 2013.

Kamal Haasan

When “Bigg Boss Tamil” premiered in 2017, Kamal Haasan stepped in as its host and continued in the role for seven seasons. Vijay Sethupathi took over as host from Season 8. Haasan also hosted the first season of the show's OTT spin-off, “Bigg Boss Ultimate” in 2022. He stepped away after three weeks due to filming commitments for Lokesh Kanagaraj's “Vikram.”

Vijay Sethupathi

Vijay Sethupathi has explored different formats as a television host over the years. He hosted the first season of “MasterChef Tamil” in 2021. He also presented “Namma Ooru Hero,” a programme that highlighted people making a difference in society. In 2024, he took over as the host of “Bigg Boss Tamil” from Kamal Haasan, beginning with its eighth season.

Silambarasan TR (Simbu)

Silambarasan TR, popularly known as Simbu, made his television hosting debut with “Bigg Boss Ultimate” in 2022. The actor stepped in after Kamal Haasan exited the first season of the digital spin-off due to his film commitments. Simbu took over from the fourth week and hosted the remaining episodes of the show.

Ramya Krishnan

Ramya Krishnan has stepped into the hosting space on more than one occasion with “Bigg Boss.” She first guest-hosted the Telugu edition in 2019 and later took over the weekend episodes of “Bigg Boss Tamil 5” in 2021 when Kamal Haasan was unavailable. In October 2026, the actor returned to the format as a guest host for the weekend episodes of “Bigg Boss Tamil 10,” stepping in for Vijay Sethupathi.

Mohanlal

Mohanlal has hosted “Bigg Boss Malayalam” since its launch in 2018, returning for every season of the reality show. His weekend appearances see him interact with contestants and discuss conflicts inside the house.

Kiccha Sudeep

Kiccha Sudeep has hosted “Bigg Boss Kannada” since its launch in 2013, returning for every season of the reality show. Over the years, he has become one of the longest-serving hosts in the Indian franchise. He was also the co-host for the first two seasons of “Pyaate Hudugir Halli Lifu” which placed urban women in rural villages for weeks without modern amenities.