The Bigg Boss Telugu 10 house is finally full. After a parade of anchors, comedians and reality-show regulars walked in over the grand launch, the season closed its contestant list with three names that don't quite fit the usual mould — Krishnudu, Varshini Sounderarajan and Mukesh Gowda.

Krishnudu went in as the thirteenth contestant, and he wasted no time setting the tone. "This is not a comeback, it's a statement," he said, which is a big line for a man who's spent almost two decades in the industry doing a bit of everything. He trained at a film institute, worked as an assistant director, ran his own photography studio in Mumbai under a fashion photographer called Subi Samuel, and somewhere in between became a hero. His 2008 film Vinayakudu, made with a lead role that broke from the standard commercial mould, is still what people remember him for. He followed that with Village Lo Vinayakudu, Snehageetham and Pappu, then swung back to character roles in Arya 2, Ye Maya Chesave, Mr Perfect and Manam. An accident during his early career, he said in his introduction video, changed the course of things. He's also given up sweets for the house, which he mentioned like it actually pains him.

Varshini Sounderarajan followed as contestant number fourteen. Born in Hyderabad to a Tamil family, she went from Osmania University graduate to model to television anchor, hosting Patas, Comedy Stars and Jabardasth, and picked up a Most Desirable Woman of Television tag from Hyderabad Times back in 2017. Her film run includes Chandamama Kathalu, Lovers, Best Actors and Sakuntalam among others, and she also acted opposite Bigg Boss winner Abhijeet in the web series Pelli Gola. She admitted the offer caught her off guard. "I didn't think I'd fit in here," she said, describing nights spent deciding whether to say yes before finally committing. Before she went in, host Nagarjuna had her draw cards naming the other contestants, Sudheer as enemy, Aman as best friend, Debjani as attraction, Chaitra as competition, Charan as beware.

The last man in was Mukesh Gowda, of Guppedantha Manasu fame, and he came in carrying more emotional weight than the introduction reels usually manage. "Not everyone likes me, and I'm okay with that. Telugu industry has fed me, and I can never repay that debt," he said, asking the house to forgive him if his Telugu slips. Born in Mysuru, he built a following through modelling and Kannada TV before Guppedantha Manasu turned him into a household name here, earning him the fan nickname Rishidhara after his character. He'd turned down Bigg Boss offers from both the Telugu and Kannada versions before this, partly because he didn't get the show's format, partly because he was busy. He also spoke about losing his father three years ago after a long illness, calling it the biggest gap in his life.

With all sixteen contestants now inside, the house has its full mix. A hero-turned-character-actor with a chip on his shoulder, an anchor rebuilding her run, and a Kannada crossover star finally saying yes. What Nagarjuna does with that combination through the first week is the next thing to watch.