Reality bites: What happens to reality show winners?

Indian TV is currently flooded with reality shows, many with seasons coming up each year. With their interesting tasks and concepts, these shows give the much needed masala to the viewers while some claim to change the life of the contestants overnight. But what happens next? Do the middle-class-reality-show-winners really wake up as stars the next morning? Here’s what some of the reality show winners are now doing in real life...

Kapil Sharma
Who doesn’t know about Kapil Sharma? The comedian has taken the comedy scene on Indian television to a new level with his comic timing in his show Comedy Nights with Kapil Sharma. But few remember that Kapil marked his presence on TV when he won the third season of the show Great Indian Laughter Challenge in 2007 and rest as they say is history. He’s soon going to make his Bollywood debut in Abbas Mastan’s film Kis Kisko Pyaar Karu.

Ayushmann Khurrana

Ayushmann doesn’t need an introduction. This multi-talented 30 year old came to fame when he won Roadies Season 2, after which he tried his hands on being an RJ, VJ, singer and TV presenter all with an ultimate aim of being in Bollywood. Now and actor and writer, he’s given hits like Vicky Donor and Dum Laga Ke Haisha.

Elesh Parujanwala
Canada-based businessman Elesh Parujanwala’s journey to fame and back was too quick for people to register. He emerged a winner among many other guys to win over controversial queen Rakhi Sawant’s heart in the reality show Rakhi Ka Swayamvar! According to the original format, the couple were set to get married at the end but Rakhi instead insisted for an engagement. Elesh and Rakhi then went on to participate in another reality show Pati Patni Aur Woh in 2009 wherein the couple started having nasty arguments. They eventually broke off—Rakhi created another controversy and was in the news while Elesh got the masses’ sympathy. Six years on, there’s no news of Elesh on the Indian entertainment scene. Looks like he has moved on in life!

Shweta Tiwari
Bigg Boss season 4 winner Shweta Tiwari first rose to fame courtesy her debut TV serial Kasauti Zindagi Kay and thanks to the reality show in 2011, people came to know the real Shweta. The actress was then going through a divorce with ex-husband Raja Choudhary at that time, who is infamous for having a bad temper, and with the real life rivalry seen on national television with fellow contestant Dolly Bindra in the house, the season was surely high on its TRP. Shweta emerged as a winner, both personally and professionally, and the show helped her connect with the audience. She’s now married to Abhinav Kohli; work wise she is seen on the show Begusarai!

Rannvijay Singh Singha

MTV Roadies Season 1 winner Rannvijay Singh Singha won the adventure-based reality show in the year 2003 and he later went on to be associated with the channel as an anchor. Subsequently he has also tried his hands on acting in movies which didn’t do well at the box office, but Rannvijay has surely made his mark felt in the television industry.

Dimpy Ganguly
Swayamvvar came back with a bang in season two in 2009, this time with Rahul Mahajan as the groom in search of his bride in Dulhan Hum Le Jayenge. Model Dimpy Mahajan won Rahul’s love and the couple made history by marrying on Indian television. The couple then appeared in a many reality shows, including Nach Baliye 5 in 2012 and Bigg Boss season 8 of where Dimpy was a contestant while Rahul had a guest appearance. Alas! The TV tamasha didn’t last long as soon after the honeymoon period got over, there were reports of things not going well between Dimpy and Rahul. Dimpy and Rahul finally got divorced in February this year. Dimpy is now a known name and socialite. What’s more, buzz is that she is already dating a Dubai-based business man and is engaged to him!

Gauhar Khan
Model-turned-TV actress Gauhar Khan was earlier seen in small roles in movies and was known through her show The Khan Sisters, which she hosted along with her sister Nigaar Khan. Gauhar then participated in the seventh season of the reality show Bigg Boss where she emerged as a winner. What’s more, not only did she win the show she also came out of the house with a new found love in fellow contestant Kushal Tandon but unfortunately the relationship did not survive the life outside the Bigg Boss house for long. After winning the reality show Gauhar participated in the adventure-based reality show Khatron Ke Khiladi along with then beau Kushal. She also hosted the India’s Raw Star wherein she got into a controversy when a man from the audience slapped her while she was hosting the show; this came as a rude shock to everyone in the entertainment industry. Gauhar is a known name in the TV scene and the girl surely knows how to take things in her stride!

Vindu Dara Singh
Bigg Boss season 3 winner Vindu Dara Singh had acted in TV shows and had done a few side roles in movies earlier, but it was his victory in the show which brought him fame and recognition. Vindu was known as Dara Singh’s son but thanks to Bigg Boss he has now carved his niche. He is seen on the screen and in news more often post Bigg Boss.

Gautam Gulati
Bigg Boss season 8 winner Gautam Gulati was a popular TV face before entering the Bigg Boss house courtesy his role in the show Diya Aur Baati Hum. He was also frequently seen in other TV shows but looks like winning the reality show changed his life for better. News is that Gautam recently opted out of the movie Udanchoo, which was supposed to mark his debut in Bollywood, to sign Ekta Kapoor’s film Azhar. He also has a few other films in his kitty now, though it isn’t sure as to which one would release first. Well whichever comes first, Gautam sure has his kitty full of offers!

Ashutosh Kaushik
Roadies 5 and Bigg Boss season 2 winner Ashutosh won the two reality shows consecutively. The Jat boy used to work in a dhaba before destiny took its turn and he became a known face on television within a few months. Currently, he still continues to own the dhaba in Saharanpur, UP while juggling his budding acting career in Mumbai and UP. He was seen in Bollywood films including Zila Ghaziabad, Kismat Love Paisa Dilli along with a few regional films. Ashutosh was also seen on and off on the small screen, in shows like Comedy Circus- Chinchpokli to China, Rahul Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, Desi Girls, Kitchen Champion Season-2 though he is yet to make it big on TV.

Nauman Sait
Soon after winning Roadies 6, Nauman Sait was seen on the reality show MTV connected which he lost. In an earlier interview to Santabanta.com he had said, “I am flooded with offers of South Indian films, endorsements, music videos but I haven't taken any. I want to take it slow, so as to begin with some quality work.” He’s a cricket-buff and in 2014 he was a part of the Bangalore team in Box Cricket League. Looks like Nauman is indeed taking it slow in the TV scene.

Anchal Khurana
Delhi girl Anchal Khurana went on to become the second female Roadies winner, after Parul. Anchal won Roadies season 8 after which she kick-started her acting career in the show ‘Sapne Suhane Ladakpan Ke’ where she played a negative role. Anchal is now a known name on Indian TV.

Anthony Yeh

Anthony was just 20, studying in second year of St Xavier’s College in Calcutta, when he won Roadies 4 in 2007. In an earlier interview he had said that he wouldn’t take up projects if they would hamper his studies. With no news about him, looks like Anthony is out of the entertainment scene.

Shakti Mohan
Dance India Dance season 2 winner Shakti Mohan was an aspiring IAS officer but winning the show changed her life, for good! The victory was followed by television show offers and popular dance numbers in Bollywood films along with an upcoming dance tour!

Abhijeet Sawant
After winning the first ever Indian Idol, Mumbai-boy Abhijeet became every common man’s idol in a just a few months in 2005. He then went on to release his first album ‘Aap Ka Abhijeet’ which was a hit followed by a few reality shows, playback singing assignments for a few Bollywood films and acting in a Bollywood film too—all of which sadly didn’t do so well. Ten years on, Abhijeet was last seen on the reality TV series Box Cricket League last year and he has recently bagged an offer to sing for a Marathi film.

Anwar Syed
Roadies winner Anwar Syed was an MBA student studying in XLRI when he won the seventh season of the reality show. In an interview to The Times of India he had revealed that he shifted to Mumbai for his job after completing his studies and would consider working in television if he gets a good project. Now in 2015, there is no news of Anwar being on TV.

Salman Yusuff Khan
Dance- turned-choreographer and actor Salman Yusuff Khan became a household name all thanks to winning the dance reality show Dance India Dance’s (DID) first season. Soon after the show ended, he was flooded with offers for television but he chose to work in movies instead. What more, he debuted in Remo’s dance film ABCD and would soon be seen in ABCD 2 and Freedom, while he’s a common face to be seen on TV today—courtesy DID!

Urvashi Dholakia
Bigg Boss season 6 winner Urvashi Dholakia created a hat-trick of three women winning the reality show consecutively. Before Bigg Boss, Urvashi was known for her famous on-screen negative character in Kasautii Zindagii Kay. Post winning the 6th season of Bigg Boss, Urvashi participated in the comedy show Nautanki the Comedy Theatre in 2013 but since then the actress is currently out of the television scene.

Parul Shahi

Roadies 3 winner and the first woman to win the physically demanding reality show, Parul Shahi made the fairer-sex proud in 2005. Now a decade after winning the show, the Roadie is nowhere in the news scene.

Abhinav Sharma
Swayamvvar season 3, Ratan Ka Rishta, winner Abhinav Sharma is a Software Engineer from Delhi. He got famous through the show wherein the couple got engaged on national television. But just Rakhi Sawant, Ratan too took a u-turn by calling off her relationship off with Abhinav in 2014. Though Ratan’s side of the story for the break-up is known, there is no news of Abhinav.

Rahul Roy
Rahul Roy made a successful debut in Bollywood with his film Aashiqui but with a series of lukewarm performances at the BoxOffice that followed it, he was unable to set his foot in the industry. After a sabbatical for seven years, the actor participated and won the first season of Bigg Boss but sadly the win couldn’t help him re-establish himself.. Currently, he’s seen doing side roles in a few films here and there.

Rajasmita Kar
She was a perfect example of a small town girl rising to fame! Following her win in Dance India Dance season 3, Rajasmita made her hometown Rourkela proud. But now in 2015, the only news we heard of her was of a live performance sometime in last year while she's nowhere in the entertainment scene. Sad!

Juhi Parmar
Just after Shweta Tiwari became the first female to win the reality show Bigg Boss, Juhi Parmar became the second TV actress in a succession to win Season 5 of the show. Juhi was till then popular with her on-screen name Kumkum. After winning the show in 2012 Juhi is now on a sabbatical from the small screen as she embraced motherhood in 2013.

Shyam Yadav
17 year old Mumbai boy Shyam Yadav won the 4th season of Dance India Dance and soon after he signed a three year contract with Zee Tv which airs the show! With an aim to turn a choreographer in Bollywood, he was also seen in Salman Khan’s song ‘Humka peeni hai’ from Dabangg 2. Atta boy, way to go!

Sandeep Acharya
Indian Idol season 2 winner Sandeep appeared to be a promising new singing sensation but the youngster passed away untimely in December 2013 due to Jaundice. He is survived by his wife, a daughter, parents and a younger brother.

Sunil Pal
His is a story of rags to riches-- Sunil Pal used to work as a waiter at a tea stall before he won the Great Indian Laughter Challenge season 1! Following the win, he's acted in seven films so far apart from making appearances on TV shows. TV has surely brought fame to him.

Rauf Lala
Great Indian Laughter Challenge 2 winner and Pakistani actor Rauf Lala is now a known face on Indian TV too. Along with comic-actor veterans Satish Kaushik and Archana Puran Singh, Rauf is now seen in the comedy show The Great Indian Family Drama which started earlier this year.

Suresh Albela
The Great Indian Laughter Challenge 4 winner Suresh Albela had very humble beginnings. Post his win in the Laughter Challenge he now does live performances along with occasional TV appearances.

Prashant Tamang
He was 27 when he became the third winner of the Indian Idol series in 2007. A sepoy for the West Bengal Police, Prashant soon launched his maiden album consisting of Nepali and Hindi songs, followed by world tours for his concerts post his victory in the reality show. Prashant continues to work for the West Bengal Police while acting as the main lead in Nepali movies side by side. His fourth Nepali movie is currently under-production.

Sourabhee Debbarma

India’s first female Indian Idol winner, the chirpy Sourabhee became a household name as she won the 4th season of the singing reality show which is a remake of the hit American reality series Pop Idol. Post her win, the glamorous Sourabhee went on to release her album followed by concerts all over the world. Last heard, she performed in a live show in Nepal in 2014.

Sreeram Chandra Mynampati

Indian idol 5 winner Sreeram was already in Telugu film music scene when he participated in the reality show. And by winning it he just got lucky, as Sreeram not only bagged Telugu film offers for acting but he also ended up singing some hit Bollywood songs including Balma and for Salman Khan’s Kick!

Vipul Mehta
He won the 6th Indian Idol season and since then he’s been busy with his own album and live concerts. The latest news is that Vipul released his new single Vande Mataram to commemorate the 66th Republic Day.