“It feels surreal,” says Gaurav Khanna after winning Bigg Boss Season 19. “All I’ve ever wanted is to give my hundred percent to whatever I do. I wanted to prove to the world that you can win a show like Bigg Boss by keeping your integrity, by just being yourself and not abusing or crossing any line,” says the 43-year-old, who was accused of wearing a façade in the house.
He adds, “I wanted to play the game fair and very clean. I didn’t want to be questioned or cornered later about why I did something. I wanted to come out with my head held high. This show is a mind game; if you’re not triggered, you won’t react, and that worked in my favour.” Recalling the winning moment, he shares, “When Salman Sir took my name, I was teary-eyed. It’s a dream for every television viewer. It’s like checking off one of those ‘been there, done that’ moments in life. For a few seconds I was dumbfounded, and then for him to say, ‘He wants to work with me,’ that was another achievement.”
The actor, who has been in show-business for more than two decades, says this feels like a second innings. “Anupamaa brought me back. I played Anuj Kapadia, and the rest is history. It’s not like I haven’t done anythinf like Anuj before or haven’t put the same amount of effort in roles before, sometimes certain things are destined for you. I truly believe nothing comes before its time. Anuj Kapadia gave me stability, MasterChef made me famous as ‘GK’, and now Bigg Boss has taken me to a different level altogether.”
Gaurav agrees that he was hurt with Farrhana Bhatt’s TV remark, which hurt him not because it was aimed at him but because it targeted the platform that has shaped his career. “There will be people who don’t know you, and that’s fine. What hurt was what she was saying about the platform.”
{{/usCountry}}Gaurav agrees that he was hurt with Farrhana Bhatt’s TV remark, which hurt him not because it was aimed at him but because it targeted the platform that has shaped his career. “There will be people who don’t know you, and that’s fine. What hurt was what she was saying about the platform.”
{{/usCountry}}He concludes, “This has not been an easy win. Speaking about my wife Akanksha Chamola and something so personal, like having a child; was a personal choice, not a strategy for the game. As a husband, I respect my wife’s wishes in life. If every man thought this way, the world would be a slightly better place. Having said that, if I were cashing in on it, why would I wait until now? We have been married for more than nine years. I wanted to be real with the audience.”