The internet has come under Gilli Nata’s rule, without hesitation, for sure, but as Bigg Boss Kannada Season 12 Grand Finale now arrives, so will the show. Once again, the 'Gilli for the Win' ad craze just swelled across social media -- from Instagram reels to YouTube shorts. But what sort of reaction would feed such wildly optimistic pro-Gilli flames? A few deep-dives on why Gilli Nata is the "People's Favorite" for fans. A reason his fans refuse to give up hope is that he will lift the trophy with a flourish.
Comparison to Hanumantha’s Legacy
The fever of that debate about Gilli is essentially an echo of another season’s “Hanumantha Phenomenon.” Gilli, like Hanumantha, is the son of the soil and very popular among the rural and middle-class people everywhere in Karnataka. For now this year, there is more to the campaign than the ballot; and it’s not limited to just this fans are staging local rallies and painting murals and actually passing out “Gilli Biryani” all over the state to show their solidarity.
The secret sauce: the humor, timing and authenticity
The house’s upstaged rivals include Ashwini, Rakshitha and Dhanush, but nobody has raised Gilli Nata to such heights. One reason provided generally by the audience is the following:
- Wit and timing: Gilli has established himself as the most entertaining contestant on the show, using sarcasm and humor in the meantime of a heated dispute. In what has been a season of high-voltage drama, he was a welcome comic relief.
- Direct Approach: Gilli is known for his “Straight Talk (Nera Maathu)” which sets him apart from many of us, who often play behind curtains. Whether he was speaking with Ashwini Gowda or having a fraught friendship with Kavya, he was outspoken about how he felt.
- Mass Appeal: His one-liners and distinctive Mandya-style dialect have been viral soundbites, and he commands a large following among people who haven’t regularly watched this show.
The Milestone: Million Followers
Number after number demonstrated his popularity. In the house, Gilli Nata had 1 Million followers on Instagram, even if very few contestants ever accomplished this in their time on the show. It’s a digital milestone that has allowed his “Fan Army” to organize massive voting drives, effectively recreating the finale as a storyline in which Gilli gets pitted against The Rest.
The Luck Factor of the Unknown Hands
But to hear from such a “hidden hand” or the so-called PR arm that might be responsible for this campaign (as some critics have pointed out) is to misunderstand it - it is nothing more than a real organic movement. Because in a game like Bigg Boss, when luck and the sentiment of the viewers are the ultimate criteria, Gilli hits the sweet spot of both. Not even Sandalwood superstars of a more than halfway decent credibility like Shivarajkumar have taken the opportunity not to reciprocate, since they like Gilli’s natural and unpretentious personality without professing that they love him.
Final Message: A Grand Conclusion
Whether this social media frenzy leads to the eventual trophy is another matter entirely. Bigg Boss does a lot of last-minute surprises and what the show calls "shocker" results. But one thing’s for sure win or lose Gilli Nata has already won the 2026 “popularity poll.”
