Art director Omung Kumar, who has been designing the set for the reality show Bigg Boss for years now, decided to go plastic-free for the 13th season. This decision comes at a time when the government is trying to do away with plastic all over the country.

Talking about the same at a promotional event of Bigg Boss 13, Omung Kumar said: “Basically, because of pollution, we have tried to avoid plastic as much as possible. Instead, we have used fibre, POP etc. Even though plastic and thermocol were easier, simpler, lighter and cheaper, but then as an Indian citizen, we have to think about these concerns. So, we have started reducing the use of plastic even though it leads to a higher cost. So, we are reversing to the times when plastic was not used. That’s why we are using POP and fibre, which are long-lasting. We are not just disposing off and throwing stuff. So, we are changing ourselves and hope people will follow us.”

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This year, the set of Bigg Boss has moved from its regular location in Lonavala to Mumbai’s Goregaon film city. Omung claims that film city has offered him a bigger space for creating the set. He shared, “This one is bigger than there. It is 18500 sq ft area. It is bigger than what Lonavala was.”

The art director, who follows a certain theme for designing the set each year, also elaborated on this year’s theme which he calls the “museum”. He said, “This time the set is very young and colourful. Generally, we have a theme, like we have done underwater, trees and beach in the past. This time I wanted to make it young and vibrant, keeping in mind the country’s youth. This time, while designing the set we created so many colourful installations that we decided to call it a museum. Welcome to Bigg Boss Museum is this year’s theme. The participant is also a character of the museum.”

Omung revealed that around 500-600 workers have been working for six months to build the infrastructure and to get the floor right, while he took around sixty days to finish it.

While the Bigg Boss 13 set looks extremely vibrant, the kitchen looks relatively less colourful as compared to the rest of the house. Omung explained, “I have kept the kitchen very sober this time so that the contestants can bring colour to it. I know utensils will be broken over there and a lot of tandav is going to happen. Kitchen is the place where their own colours will come out. This way, we play with the minds of the contestants. That is how a reality show works.”

A lot of pictures of animals and insects can be seen in the “museum” themed house. Omung Kumar revealed that there is a reason why he has done it. He said, “Which animal are you? Which animal do you represent? We often ask this question to ourselves. Even when we are acting, we think about animals, for example, an actor might think I will behave like a jackal for this character. That is method acting. While you are in the house, which animal will come out from within you? So, we have kept so many paintings of animals.”

‘Dear Karma, I have a list of people that you missed,’ reads a line on one of the walls of the Bigg Boss 13 house. This year, a total of 93 cameras have been installed to keep a watch on the contestants’ every move. The bedroom houses 14 beds, with some being double beds, one triple bed and a single bed in the corner. The confession room has a huge diwan. There are thick ropes hanging down from the ceiling giving the dimly lit room a creepy vibe. The garden at the entrance is very attractive, especially a bed made of grass.

During a tour of the house, we could not find the jail! When asked about it, Omung Kumar smiled mysteriously and replied, “Surprise! Surprise!”

Bigg Boss 13 hosted by Salman Khan, will go on air from September 29.