Commenced in 2000, ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ was modeled after the British show ‘Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?’ Since its very first season, ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ has been a national favorite show with soaring-high TRPs year after year.
All thanks to the legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan’s natural charm and fan following that ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ is loved so much even after 11 seasons. The format of the show allows the contestants to answer 15 questions correctly to get to win a hefty amount after every correct answer.
The new edition of the 16th question made things interesting the winning price increased by 7 times. Yes, while the earlier seasons awarded 1 crore maximum, the last few seasons have had the 16th question worth Rs 7 Crores. The 13th season of the show is being currently aired on Sony TV from Monday to Friday at 9 pm.
Talking about the winners, the 14 seasons’ of ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ started in Aug, 2022.
Harshvardhan Nawathe (2000)
On the list of Kaun Banega Crorepati winners, Harshvardhan Nawathe became the very first winner of season 1 in the year 2000. He was preparing for the Indian Civil Services examination but after winning the prize money, he didn’t study for the civils. Harshvardhan went to a reputed University in the UK to get an MBA degree. The father of two little kids is currently employed with Mahindra & Mahindra.
Ravi Mohan Saini (2001)
The first-ever KBC Junior aired in 2001 got a clear winner in Ravi Mohan Saini. The 14-year-old boy, studying in class 11 played like a true gentleman and won the big prize money. Later on, the boy got an MBBS degree after he successfully cleared the Civil Services Examination. He has set a great example before the entire nation.
Saini was in Class 10 at that time, now an IPS officer, a topper student wanted to meet Amitabh Bachchan, so came to KBC Junior in 2001, won 1 Crore prize money.
Brijesh Dwivedi (2005)
KBC re-entered the Indian Television scene after a gap of four years. While Brijesh’s whereabouts are unknown, we believe he is well-settled somewhere in the country. The same season also aired a special episode for Bollywood’s favorite Jodi, Ajay Devgn, and Kajol who won another Rs 1 crore.
Rahat Taslim (2010)
The Season 3 of KBC was hosted by King of Bollywood, Shahrukh Khan due to Amitabh Bachchan’s illness. The fourth season had the first female millionaire winner, Rahat Taslim. Rahat was preparing for medical examinations when she was married off. She proved her academic excellence to everyone after bagging the KBC 4’s winner prize of Rs 1 crore.
Sushil Kumar (2011)
The KBC season 5’s winner Sushil Kumar was the first one to bag Rs 5 crore as the winning prize. Sushil Kumar utilized the amount to re-build his house and buy a piece of land in his hometown. Sushil invested the money in the cabs business with a friend in Delhi and also provided financial help to friends and family.
Manoj Kumar Raina & Sunmeet Kaur Sawhney (2012)
Sunmeet Kaur was an aspiring fashion designer who had to give up her dream because of family pressure. The hardworking woman did not lose hope; she instead set up a tiffin center which eventually failed. She, later on, started coaching students which boosted her confidence and morale.
On the other hand, Sunmeet’s husband Manmeet Singh is an established actor who has films like ‘Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi’ in his kitty. Manoj Kumar hails from Srinagar but is posted in Jammu due to his Northern Railway service. He used the amount of Rs 1 crore for rebuilding his family home and community service.
Taj Mohammad Rangrez & Firoz Fatima (2013)
Mohammad was a well-educated history teacher who managed to bag Rs 1 crore in season 7 of KBC. Taj used the money to provide partial vision impairment treatment for his little daughter. He spent the rest of the money to marry off two orphan girls and build a family home.
Firoz Fatima, a young Muslim woman from Uttar Pradesh belonged to a conservative family. She had quit studying due to a financial crisis in the family. Firoz Fatima used the winning prize to pay for her father’s ailment that cost Rs 12 crore. Fatima had plans of owning modern machinery that could be used to plow her existing farmland in UP.
Achin & Sarthak Narula and Megha Patil (2014)
The talented duo from Delhi was the first one to answer all 16th questions correctly to win Rs 7 crore. The duo used the prize money to set up a business in Delhi and used most of it to pay for their mother’s cancer treatment.
Megha Patil is a housewife who won the KBC Season 8. She used the prize money to pay for her cancer treatment and children’s future investment and education. She is currently living with her family in her hometown.
Anamika Majumdar (2017)
Anamika Majumdar is a homemaker and NGO worker from Jamshedpur is a commerce graduate and runs her own NGO called ‘Faith in India’. She quit the show before answering the 16th question worth Rs 7 crore as she didn’t want to risk her chances of losing the amount she had already won.
Binita Jain (2018)
The KBC Season 10 saw yet another woman as the winner. Not only did she win the money but also drove home a Mahindra Marazzo. Binita’s life was full of struggles before she entered KBC as her husband once traveled to Guwahati, Assam for work but never returned. She started tutoring with only 7 students and today she teaches about 125 students every day.
Gautam Kumar Jha, Sanoj Raj, Babita Tade, & Ajeet Kumar (2019)
KBC Season 11 has had three winners so far. The latest winner, Gautam Kumar Jha is a senior section engineer with the Indian Railways who hails from Madhubani district, Bihar.
The second winner, Sanoj Raj is an aspiring IAS aspirant who’s been preparing for the civil services exams. His interest lies in formulating health and environmental policies for the betterment of the nation.
Babita Tade became the third one to grab the winning price by answering the 15th question directly. Jail Superintendent Ajeet Kumar was one of the four contestants who won 1 Crore in KBC season 9th.
Nazia Nasim and Mohita Sharma (2020)
Nazia Nasim was the first Crorepati of season 12, a Delhi-based working woman who was trying hard for the years since it started, works as a communication manager with Royal Enfield, she won 1 Crore after answering 15 questions.
Bari Brahmana, J&K posted IPS officer Mohita Sharma won RS 1 Crore and countless hearts from the audiences, she is married to an IFS officer.
Himani Bundela, Sahil Ahirwar & Geeta gaur (2021)
KBC Season 13 gots its three Crorepati (Millionaire).
Kaun Banega Crorepati started in August, 2021 hosted by the great Amitabh Bachchan, got its first Crorepati winner in Agra’s Himani Bundela who answered 15 questions and won 1 Crore, didn’t play for Rs 7 Crore, first blind contestant won the show.
Madhya Pradesh’s Chhatarpur resident Sahil Aditya Ahirwar, a IAS officer aspirant and son of a security guard became 2nd winner in the season.
Geeta Singh Gaur was the 3rd winner of the season, from Gwalior, 53-year-old home maker won in style.
Kavita Chawla (2022)
Maharashtra’s Kolhapur woman Kavita Chawla is the first and only one winner till date this season, she is a home maker who dreamt to come on the show for last 22 years. Another contestant Shashwat Goel reached and attempted 17th question but failed to answer and took home prize money 75 lakhs.
The iconic show of ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ has entertained generations for the last decade or so. The show lost its charm when SRK had to fill in for Amitabh Bachchan when he fell sick.
