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India to get 'chaste' Big Brother

An Indian version of Celebrity Big Brother will come with a ban on "hanky panky," producers say.

"Participants will be told to keep their hands to themselves," a spokeswoman for production company Endemol India told BBC News.

"India is a conservative society and is not ready for the raunchy scenes that so characterise the programmes in the West," she continued.

Up to 12 contestants will take part in the programme at the end of the year.

The show's producers say they want to attract celebrities from Bollywood, cricket and Indian TV to live in the Big Brother house for three months.

'Multi-faith contestants'

Both Muslims and Hindus could be chosen but issues between religions would not be discussed on the programme, said managing director of Endemol India, Rajesh Kamat.

Unlike other versions of Big Brother, the Indian incarnation will not broadcast live, in order to avoid untoward scenes being shown.

India is still a relatively conservative society. Very few couples live together before marriage, and intimate acts, such as kissing, are never seen on TV screens.

However, soaps regularly feature storylines about infidelity and pregnancy out of wedlock.

Big Brother was created in the Netherlands in 1999 and has since been marketed in dozens of countries throughout the world.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/5196018.stm