From selling soda bottles for pocket money to his love for luxurious cars: A look at Shalin Bhanot’s lesser-known facts

Shalin Bhanot has had his fair share of highs and lows in his two-decade career in television. Since his entry into the Bigg Boss 16 house this season, the actor's name has made a comeback. Shalin Bhanot's fandom is growing by the day, thanks to his fabulous transition at almost 40, flamboyance, love of chicken, and candid conversations.

Let’s take a look at some of Bigg Boss 16 Shalin Bhanot’s lesser-known facts:

Don't be tricked by his style and charisma; Shalin is a small-town boy from Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. As Shalin finished his education, he began selling soda bottles for pocket money in order to obtain a job in sales. Shalin comes from a well-known business family and has two siblings. He took a different path and has appeared in over 30 shows, both fiction and non-fiction.

Shalin had no intention of becoming an actor until he entered the 'Sunshine Face of the Year' pageant, which was judged by Ekta Kapoor. Shalin's first television appearance was on MTV Roadies, where he auditioned solely for the prize, a sports bike. Kulvaddhu, Grihasti, Saat Phere: Saloni Ka Safar, and Naagin 4: Bhagya Ka Zehreela Khel were among the shows in which he appeared. He appeared in a cameo in Kaajjal and starred in Grihasti.

Many individuals don't know that the actor made his Bollywood debut with Vivek Oberoi, Esha Deol, and Amrita Rao in Pyare Mohan. The actor has been in the entertainment business for nearly two decades and has experienced many ups and downs.

In 2008, he appeared on the reality show "Nach Baliye Season 4" with his then wife, Bollywood actress Daljiet Kaur. For the two, life was a fairy tale until they hit a difficult period years after their wedding. The actor was accused of domestic violence. Even so, after a bitter end, the couple were spotted together again in 2021. Shah Rukh Khan presented them with a trophy and a cheque for Rs. 50 lakh for this show. The couple, who is now divorced, also has a son Jaydon.

Shalin enjoys expensive cars and motorcycles. He is the proud owner of many luxury cars and motorcycles, including Audi, BMW, and others. Shalin is a fitness fanatic who strives to keep his body in good shape at all times. Apart from that, the actor loves to cook and makes really delicious food. He usually loves to eat chicken as it's his favourite kind of protein and dish. Shalin also loves to travel to new places, especially the mountains.

Shalin has got a big fan base on his Instagram and after participating in Bigg Boss 16 his followers have increased on his Instagram handle. Lately, he has got 483 K followers on his account.

Shalin is an animal lover and loves to spend some quality time with his pet dog Swag. Shalin has always supported and showered his love for animals. Earlier Shalin had shared that every Sunday he tries to spend some fun time with his pet dog Swag. Today (November 15), Shalin's team shared a post of the actor celebrating his birthday with his dog Swag before entering the house. He also says that it's also his dog's birthday which is in the coming week. Earlier Shalin used to be a pure vegetarian but due to his severe health issues he had to switch to eating non-vegetarian food like chicken and meat. He had also revealed this in a Bigg Boss 16 Weekend Ka Vaar episode when Salman Khan asked him about his health situation.