A filmmaker who was made to apologise to viewers for saying he beat his wife has won the fifth season of reality show Bigg Boss Malayalam.
Akhil Marar, who works in the Kerala film industry, beat 20 other contestants to be named the winner on Sunday. He walked away with 5 million rupees ($61,000) in cash, as well as a brand new Maruti Suzuki car.
Bigg Boss Malayalam is a localised version of the hugely successful Bigg Boss reality series in India. A spin-off of the global Big Brother reality series, the show had 21 contestants spend 100 days in a custom-built house shut off from the world, where their every move is watched by a live audience. The "housemates" are then eliminated every week via audience votes with the last one standing declared the winner.
The Malayalam version, hosted by superstar Mohanlal, has the biggest cash prize pool among all other Indian versions.
Marar, who was a favourite to win the show, proved his staying power in the house thanks to his sense of humour, funny antics and gaming skills. But he also received criticism for his alleged misogynistic views and anger issues.
During one of their private conversations, housemate Sobha confided in Marar that she was a victim of domestic abuse. The latter then admitted to her that he beat his wife and told Sobha that it was the story of every woman. The filmmaker was chastised by host Mohanlal and made to apologise.
The backlash even prompted Marar's wife, Rajalekshmi Akhil, to defend him on social media.
"Just like any couple, we also had certain differences of opinion and petty quarrels. He is the best husband in the world. We respect each other and our individual freedoms too," she wrote in Malayalam on Facebook.
Marar also received several warnings for his derogatory comments aimed at Sobha. He suggested that Sobha, a fashion designer, "buttered" people to run her business, received complaints from Kerala's State Commission for Women. The filmmaker was again forced to apologise.
But the voting audience seemed to clearly have warmed to Marar who, along with actress Reneesha Rehman, were the last two housemates remaining at the beginning of Sunday's finale before he was named the winner.
"Thank you my dear friends, who pushed me to this trophy. Thank you for believing in me when no one stood by my side. I dedicate this trophy to my friends," he said following his win.
