Bigg Boss 4 marked a genuine turning point for the franchise — Salman Khan’s very first season as host, a role he’s held ever since — and closed out with television’s favorite on-screen “bahu” becoming the show’s first-ever female winner. Here’s the complete breakdown.
Season 4 at a Glance
The season premiered October 3, 2010, on Colors TV, and concluded January 8, 2011, running 97 days (14 weeks) with 16 housemates — making it longer than its predecessor. This was Salman Khan’s debut as host, a role he has continued in every season since. Amitabh Bachchan, who had hosted Season 3, announced his departure ahead of this run, with actress Sara Khan initially brought in as an early host before Khan took over.
Who Won Bigg Boss 4?
Shweta Tiwari, best known for playing Prerna in Kasautii Zindagii Kay, was crowned the winner — becoming the first woman to ever win the show. She took home the trophy and a cash prize reported at ₹1 crore (with sources also expressing this as ₹10 million, an equivalent figure). Tiwari had been nominated for elimination an extraordinary 12 times over the course of the season but was saved by audience votes each time, and was widely praised for her patience and diplomacy, particularly through a prolonged, headline-generating conflict with fellow contestant Dolly Bindra. She later said she planned to use the prize money to secure her daughter Palak’s future, and firmly rejected suggestions from other contestants that she’d used her status as a single mother to win sympathy votes.
Runner-Up and Top Finishers
WWE wrestler The Great Khali (Dalip Singh Rana) finished as first runner-up, praising Tiwari warmly after the result was announced. Actor Ashmit Patel placed as second runner-up, having supported Tiwari through her conflict with Bindra during the season. Dolly Bindra — known for her volatile, headline-grabbing behavior throughout — rounded out the finale as third runner-up. All three runners-up received a bike each as a consolation prize.
Notable Contestants
Season 4’s cast mixed television actors, a WWE star, and a notable Pakistani crossover entrant:
- Shweta Tiwari — Actress (Kasautii Zindagii Kay) — Winner
- The Great Khali (Dalip Singh Rana) — WWE wrestler — Runner-up
- Ashmit Patel — Actor — Second runner-up
- Dolly Bindra — Contestant, known for combative behavior — Third runner-up
- Veena Malik — Pakistani actress and model
- Sara Khan — Actress, notably married co-contestant Ali Merchant inside the house
- Samir Soni — Actor-model, received a special “boldest and most stylish” prize
- Manoj Tiwari — Singer, politician
- Aanchal Kumar — Model
- Rahul Bhatt — Fitness trainer, contestant
Hosting and Grand Finale
Salman Khan hosted his very first season at the grand finale in Lonavala, with several eliminated housemates returning for performances — Veena Malik danced to “Sheila Ki Jawaani,” and Sara Khan performed to “Zor Ka Jhatka.” Former winners Rahul Roy, Ashutosh Kaushik, and Vindu Dara Singh were also present at the event.
Final Thoughts
Bigg Boss 4 is a genuine landmark season for the franchise on two fronts: it introduced Salman Khan as host — a role that’s now synonymous with the show — and it produced the first female champion in Shweta Tiwari, whose calm, dignified handling of a genuinely difficult season set a template that several subsequent female winners would go on to follow. The season’s high-profile rivalries, particularly the Tiwari-Bindra clashes, also remain some of the most frequently referenced moments from the franchise’s early years.