Big Brother retools 'Big Brother'

World Brief

By BRYAN PEARSON

NEW DELHI -- It's being promoted as "Big Brother," but India's version of Endemol's reality show will seem tame to western audiences used to the sexy shenanigans that go on among the six male and six female contestants in the house.

First of all, there will be a strict no-touching rule and no semi-naked frolicking in hot tubs. In conservative India, sex outside marriage is frowned upon and few couples live together out of wedlock.

"Explicit physical stuff is not acceptable to Indian audiences," says Rajesh Kamat, managing director of 7-month-old Endemol India, which is making the show for Sony Entertainment Television.

"Putting together people willing to give up their personal life or privacy would in itself be something that would get us into a controversy here," he adds.

Both Muslims and Hindus were eligible to enter the Mumbai house, but issues between religions will not be discussed on the program, Kamat says.

The producers, he adds, are receiving a strong response from the 18- to 40-year-olds they have approached to take part in the show, which will air on paybox SET this year.