KBC crorepati Sushil Kumar didn't want to look ‘jobless’ in front of media: 'I started investing in various businesses'

The winner of Amitabh Bachchan-hosted TV show, Kaun Banega Crorepati, Sushil Kumar has talked about the aftermath of winning ₹5 crore at the show. He also recalled being in the constant focus of media for 4-5 years.

Sushil Kumar, the first contestant to win big at Amitabh Bachchan-hosted Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) season 5, said his life changed after the show. In 2011, Sushil, an IAS aspirant, won ₹5 crore and rose to fame overnight. Talking about becoming a winner at the show changed his life, he recently said that he lost focus in his studies as he was exposed to media.

Sushil Kumar became the first contestant in Amitabh Bachchan's show Banega Crorepati to win ₹5 crore in 2011.

In 2020, Sushil had shared in a Facebook post that he became a local celebrity after winning in Kaun Banega Crorepati. In a long post, he called 2015-2016 the most challenging time. He said, “I became a local celebrity and was invited for multiple events across Bihar for 10-15 days every month. Because of the same, my education took a back seat. Also, I used to take the media very seriously back then. And to avoid being taken as jobless whenever they called me, I started investing in various businesses.”

Talking about the bitter-sweet reality of fame, Sushil Kumar recently told ETimes that he went to the show because he was staying in a rented place. “Of course, I am also a huge fan of Big B. I was preparing for my Civil Services exam then, so things happened. But after that, the media exposure started to irritate me. They were too interested in my personal life. So my behaviour also got influenced in a way. My decisions were impacted considering, ‘Media kya kahegi?(What will media report?)’” he said.

“Studying is something that you do in solace. As I was exposed to the media, I couldn’t really focus on my studies as there was always a distraction. I was constantly written about. I had to give clarification when false stories were published. This went on for 4-5 years,” he added. Sushil also added that focusing on sob stories is not a healthy practice for reality shows.

Earlier this month, Amitabh Bachchan announced that season 14 of Kaun Banega Crorepati will soon return to Sony Entertainment Television.