Gaurav Khanna recalls being labelled ‘panauti, unlucky’, losing work after shows flopped: ‘That's my fear even today'

After years of struggle, Gaurav Khanna, who gained fame from Anupamaa, shared his anxiety about being seen as unlucky in showbiz.

After winning two reality shows, Celebrity MasterChef and Bigg Boss 19, television actor Gaurav Khanna is now facing his fears on Rohit Shetty's reality show Khatron Ke Khiladi 15. In a new promo for the show, the actor opened up about one of his personal fears, recalling how he was labelled unlucky after some of his shows flopped.

Gaurav Khanna says he fears being labelled unlucky again.

Gaurav Khanna on being labelled unlucky

In the new promo of Khatron Ke Khiladi, Gaurav said, "Ek tag lag gaya tha mere pe ki Gaurav ke shows nahi chalte. It's a very heavy tag for an actor. Gaurav is unlucky; Gaurav panauti hai isse mat lo. Ek ladka apna sab kuch chodhke Mumbai mein reh raha hai, kaam dhoondh raha hai (I had this tag attached to me that Gaurav’s shows don’t work. It’s a very heavy tag for an actor. ‘Gaurav is unlucky, Gaurav is jinxed, don’t cast him.’ A guy leaves everything behind and lives in Mumbai, looking for work)."

He added, "Jo bhi reason tha, jab bhi show chalte the toh it was the credit of everybody else and when the shows tanked, it was always like Gaurav is unlucky, panuati hai. Woh mera fear hai, main koi bhi audition deta hoon mujhe aaj bhi lagta hai ki yaar, agar yeh show nahi chala toh again that medal they will give me ki yaar iske shows nahi chalte (Whatever the reason, whenever a show worked, the credit always went to everyone else, but when a show tanked, it was always, ‘Gaurav is unlucky, he’s jinxed.’ That’s my fear, even today, whenever I audition for something, I think, ‘What if this show doesn’t work? They’ll put that medal on me again — that Gaurav’s shows don’t work’)."

Fans cheered for Gaurav, with one writing, "You are not panauti, you are the true inspiration." Another wrote, "Right now you are walking TRP wherever you go man. Hats off to you." Another comment read, "You are superstar of Indian television, you are meant for bigger things."

About Gaurav Khanna

After making his acting debut in the early 2000s, Gaurav worked across several television shows, including Bhabhi, Kumkum, Love Ne Mila Di Jodi and CID. He rose to prominence with shows such as Jeevan Saathi, Yeh Pyar Na Hoga Kam and Tere Bin.

Gaurav has spoken openly about the difficult phases of his career, recalling that during his early years, he often took on multiple shows and even slept in his car due to his hectic schedule.

His biggest breakthrough came with Anupamaa, in which he played Anuj Kapadia opposite Rupali Ganguly. The role transformed his career, giving him widespread popularity and a strong fan following.