30 Indian Reality Shows Which Became Popular And Successful In India

Reality shows stand out from regular shows because of their interesting concepts and innovative ideas.

Especially Indian reality shows are known worldwide for their good and original concept. Every day, new reality shows on TV are being introduced, giving the audience a wide range of choices.

Reality TV is a genre of television that presents unscripted events, or documents actual events. In India, reality shows is a success since it allows the audience to be the part of the show.

The reality show domain started in India with ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’, anchored by the legend Mr. Amitabh Bachchan.

The list of Indian reality shows is vast here’s a list of 30 Indian reality shows which became popular and successful in India which you might find interesting and entertaining. Enjoy!

1. Indian Idol

Let's start the list of Indian reality shows with the first music show of India, Indian Idol, which has a similar concept to that of American Idol.

In this show, contestants from various cities all over India sing songs to show their singing talent.

The contestants are selected by a panel of judges as well as the audience. Indian Idol is usually telecasted on Sony Entertainment Television.

2. Bigg Boss

Gauhar Khan - Big Boss Season 7 (2013) Winner

In this show, the contestants, also known as ‘housemates’ are isolated from the outside world and they live together in a house where live cameras monitor their every move.

They perform various tasks to avoid elimination and a winner is declared finally depending on the public votes.

Bigg Boss has been extended into seven languages and is internationally available through Voot and Disney+ Hotstar.

3. Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC)

A money-winning quiz show, hosted by Mr. Amitabh Bachchan. The concept of the show is based on that of a UK show ‘Who wants to be a Millionaire’.

Every episode consists of 10 contestants who play the ‘fastest finger first round and the one to win it reaches the hot seat for playing the quiz show.

Contestants are also helped with three lifelines. ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ is one famous TV show in India and around the world.

The show is aired on Sony entertainment television.

4. Roadies

Telecasted on MTV, the show is very popular in India among the youth.

In Roadies, contestants participate in various tasks that challenge their physical and mental strength. participants are selected via auditions from all over India.

Roadies is one of India’s longest-running reality shows.

5. MTV Splitsvilla

A reality show that airs on MTV India. The theme of the show is dating.

The show consists of several boys and girls who perform tasks are given to them and during this, the bonding becomes so strong and the couples fall in love with each other. The last surviving couple wins the show.

The show was earlier hosted by Nikhil Chinapa and now it’s being hosted by Rannvijay Singh and Sunny Leone!

6. Sa Re Ga Ma Pa

One of the oldest running reality shows in India. Sa Re Ga Ma Pa is an Indian musical reality show which was first aired on Zee TV in 1995.

The show also has multiple regional language versions like Bengali, Marathi, Kannada, Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu, Punjabi, and Malayalam.

7. Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Lil Champs

The Sub-series of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa. Aired on 8 July 2006 for the first time, the show is a musical reality show or a singing competition where talented young children across various cities participate.

The contestants are judged based on their performance and singing talent. Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Lil champs air on Zee TV.

8. Dance India Dance

One of the best dance shows in India to date. ‘Dance India dance’ is a dance reality show where dancers from various cities are put through auditions to test their ability.

At the end of the audition, the top 18 dancers compete in the main phase where they will perform solo, duet, and group dance.

Depending on audiences’ votes and judges’ decisions, some contestants are eliminated and the rest advances to the next stage. The show airs on Zee TV.

9. India's Got Talent

Based on the concept of the global British ‘Got talent’ franchise, India’s got talent is a talent show where contestants participate in an audition in front of three judges.

During the initial rounds, the judges decide whether the contestant should advance in the competition or not. And during the semi-final and finals, contestants will advance based on the audiences’ vote.

Seasons 1 to 8 aired on Colors TV and since season nine, the show was aired on Sony TV.

10. The Voice

Another Indian singing reality show is based on the concept of the original Dutch version of the program.

The show first aired on 6 June 2015 and went on for three seasons. In this show, a panel of four judges or mentors who are prominent musicians guides the contestants and helps them win the competition.

Later a junior version was aired after the show was a huge success.

11. Super Dancer

Another Indian dance reality show in the show where 12 dancers are selected from the auditions and each of them is paired with one choreographer.

These choreographers train them to perform. Their performances are then voted by the audience every weekend.

Based on the number of votes, each kid is eliminated every week. The show airs on Sony entertainment television.

12. MasterChef India

Shipra Khanna - MasterChef India Season 2 Winner

A cooking reality show based on the concept of ‘MasterChef Australia’.

In the selection round, many contestants from all over India participate by presenting a dish before the three judges to gain one of the 50 semifinalist spots.

After the semis, the final 12 contestants progress to the main stage of the show. MasterChef India aired on 16 October 2010 on Star Plus.

13. India's Best Dancer

Another dance reality show! The shooting of the show was halted due to the Covid-19 pandemic in India. It was first aired on 18 July 2020 on Star entertainment television.

In this show, dancers from all over India between the age group of 15 to 30 go through two rounds of auditions and the top 12 contestants will dance for the title of ‘India’s Best Dancer’.

The show has celebrity judges like Malaika Arora, Geeta Kapoor and Remo D’Souza, and Nora Fatehi as special judges.

14. Rising Stars

A reality singing competition which is the Indian version of the international franchise ‘Rising Star’.

This is probably the first show in India where the performance of the contestants is judged by a live audience pole.

The show features a cast of celebrity judges, Shankar Mahadevan, Diljit Dosanjh, and Monali Thakur, who was later replaced by Neeti Mohan.

The show premiered on 4 February 2017 on Colors TV for the first time.

15. Nach Baliye

A celebrity dance reality show where 10 celebrity couples compete against each other.

Each week one couple is eliminated based on their performance and public voting. The show aired on Star plus.

16. Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa

The love of dance in India is way too much, Jhalak Dikhla Jaa is another treat for dance and Bollywood lovers.

In Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, contestants are some famous faces of the Bollywood or Hindi Television industry. They perform on pre-recorded songs and are judged by both the judging panel and the audience.

The first four seasons were aired on Sony TV and from the fifth season it has been airing on colors TV.

17. Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi

An Indian reality show which has a similar concept to the US show, Fear Factor.

In this show, candidates are asked to perform difficult tasks to survive that are not easy at all. The show is famous among Indian viewers. Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi first aired on Sony TV and then sold to Colors TV.

The show has been hosted by celebrities like Akshay Kumar, Priyanka Chopra, Rohit Shetty, and Arjun Kapoor.

18. The Kapil Sharma Show

Hosted by Kapil Sharma, the show is a stand-up comedy and talk show aired by Sony Entertainment Television.

The show revolves around Kapil Sharma and a team of comedians who play residence of a housing society.

The show premiered on 23 April 2016 and was last aired on 30th January 2, 2021.

The new season of the show is currently being shot in Cape Town, South Africa, and will be aired at the end of the year.

19. MTV Supermodel Of The Year

An Indian reality show where the viewers get to see several women compete for the title of ‘Supermodel of the Year’.

The show provides all its contestants an opportunity to kickstart their careers in the modeling industry.

The show premiered on 22 December 2019 on MTV India. The audition for season 2 is now open on Voot.

20. MTV Stuntmania

India’s first stunt biking reality show. In this show, every contestant or stunner is provided with Bajaj Pulsar 2020 DTS bikes and asked to perform different stunts to advance to the next round.

In the end, the winner of the grand finale wins the competition and the title of ‘India’s best stunt-rider’.

The show aired on MTV for the first time on September 20, 2009, and was hosted by Rannvijay Singh.

21. Satyamev Jayate

Satyamev Jayate was one of the best talk shows in India hosted by Aamir Khan.

The show focuses on sensitive social issues in India and brings out the struggles and achievements of some people that often go unnoticed in the light. Satyamev Jayate premiered on 6 May 2012 and went on for three seasons.

The show aired on various channels within the star network and also was available in eight languages; Malayalam, Tamil, Marathi, Telugu, and Bengali to ensure maximum reach.

22. MTV Dropout Pvt Ltd

Another reality show on MTV India, which features a group of dropouts participating in various tasks that challenge their physical and mental strength.

The show was famous among the youth and was first aired in July 2017.

23. Comicstaan

An Indian stand-up comedy competition that brings together seven of the best stand-up comedians in India to find out the big next big name in the stand-up comedy community in India.

In this show, 10 contestants go through seven rounds of performance to secure a spot in the grand finale.

Season 1 premiered on 17 August 2018 on Amazon Prime Video.

24. Dance Plus

Another dance reality competition features contestants performing different styles of dance and competing for the grand prize. The auditions for dance plus are carried out in thirteen cities in India.

The show features Remo D’Souza, Dharmesh Yelande, Punit Pathak, Shakti Mohan, and many more as judges and mentors.

The show is hosted by Raghav Juyal. Dance Plus premiered on Star Plus on 26 July 2015 and has six seasons so far.

25. 10 Ka Dum

The Indian version of the popular international reality show ‘Power of 10’. The show was hosted by Salman Khan.

In this game, Salman asks questions to the contestants based on percentage, and a total of five questions needed to be answered correctly to win Rs. 10 Crore.

Celebrities also take part in this show as contestants. 10 Ka Dum aired on Sony Entertanment Televison.

26. Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tezz Hain?

A game show which is the Indian version of the famous American game show ‘Are you smarter than a fifth-grader?’

This game show is hosted by Shahrukh Khan and was first premiered on 25th April 20, 2008, and the last episode was aired on 27 July 2008 on Star plus.

27. India's Best Dramebaaz

Another Indian reality show where the contestants are children between the age of 4 to 15.

Unlike music and dance reality shows, this show is focused on acting.

India’s Best Dramebaaz is a talent search for kids who are good at acting by giving them a series of tasks to test their creativity and acting capabilities. It aired on Zee TV.

28. Just Dance

A dance reality show where 52 dancers were selected from all over India and the top 12 contestants dance it out to emerge as the winner.

The show was judged by Bollywood actor Hrithik Roshan, choreographer Vaibhavi Merchant, and director Farah Khan.

The show aired on Star Plus from 18 June 2011 until 1 October 2011.

29. Great India Laughter Challenge

Another reality stand-up comedy show where the comedians perform and entertain judges and the audience in the studio with their jokes and comedy skills.

The first four seasons aired on Star one from 2005 to 2008 and the fifth season was aired on Star plus in 2017 where Akshay Kumar was the judge.

30. Star Voice Of India

To end this list is another singing competition which aired on Star plus from 18 May 2007 to 24 November 2007 for just one season.

There are reality shows like these that come up with interesting concepts and innovative ideas, which makes them stand out from other shows.

So if you’re bored at home, or want to kill some time, here’s a list of the best Indian reality shows which became popular and successful in India.

Like and share this article with a friend or a family member and make sure they’re aware of these entertaining reality shows.

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