The city might be home to a brand-new crorepati tomorrow. Rajesh Singh, an IIM Ahmedabad graduate, is set to win the grand prize in Ke Bani Crorepati, the Bhojpuri version of the popular game show Kaun Banega Crorepati.
Hosted by former Bollywood actor Shatrughan Sinha, the episode featuring Rajesh Singh will be aired in two parts — on Tuesday and Wednesday — at 9 pm on Mahuaa channel
Hosted by Shatrughan Sinha, the episode will be aired in two parts — on Tuesday and Wednesday — at 9 pm on Mahuaa channel. We will let you in on one secret: He has already crossed the halfway mark.
Urmika Rai, senior executive of Ke Bani Crorepati, confirmed, “Rajesh has definitely won Rs 50 lakh. He will attempt the Rs 1-crore question. He is the first to reach this point in the show.”
Selection process
The 34-year-old, who works as a manager at a micro-finance bank in the city, hails from Kushinagar, a small town in Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh. He called up the show and was selected for the primary round following a lucky draw. “I went to Varanasi for auditions on June 17. Then, I was called for the shoot on July 17 and 18 in Kolkata,” said Singh, who lives in Jodhpur with his wife Manisha and children Aditi (5) and Arnav (2).
Interestingly, Singh had earlier participated in KBC. “In KBC, I reached the Rs 25-lakh question but had exhausted my lifelines. I gave the wrong answer and won Rs 3.2 lakh only.”
His KBC experience helped Singh fix his nervousness. “I had decided that I would not use the lifelines in panic. As a result, in the second show, I had two lifelines — audience poll and phone-a-friend — till the end,” he said.
Interestingly, Singh was also the fastest contestant in the fastest finger round. He set a record of 3.2 seconds — the highest among participants of all shows in the crorepati format, Singh claimed.
Pucca Amdavadi
Singh comes from a humble background. He tilled a farm for almost 20 years before moving to Gorakhpur. “I realised I had to leave my village if I wanted to achieve something in life. After completing my BSc, I got a job in State Bank of India and was posted to Gujarat. I lived in Godhra, Surat and Vadodara for eight years before settling in Ahmedabad.” He did a one-year course in post-graduate programme for executives in Public Management and Policy from IIMA in 2009.
“When I came to Ahmedabad three years ago, I was not sure what the city would be like. But my attachment to the city grew so strong in a year that I turned down a job in Hyderabad and settled for a less-paying one here. This is an interesting city where life is not as fast as it would be in Mumbai and yet, does not lack in luxuries,” he said, pointing out that his bond with his friends also made it tough for him to shift to another city.
“During the show, I spoke a lot about Gujarat and Ahmedabad. I hope they haven’t edited it,” he said.
Friends in deed
Manish Tanwar, who had worked with Singh for eight years, said, “If Singh believes in something, he goes for it. Be it a book or a cricket match. Once he made an overnight train journey and still made it to the ground to play a match. No excuses.”
Sherin Joseph, who worked with him for two years, said, “Rajesh has been an inspiration for me. He is persistent and has great endurance. Be it constructive criticism, social debate or casual talk, Rajesh has a unique style of making his point. His wit supplemented by his exceptional flair for ‘shayiri’ ensures that his presence never goes unnoticed.”
Fulfilling dreams
What will Singh do if he wins Rs 1 crore? Singh plans to begin at home and then cast the net wide. He said, “I want my kids to do what they are passionate about without having to worry for money. Then, there are relatives and friends who need financial support. I also want to start career counselling for kids from weak backgrounds. Their parents tell them to get admission to engineering or medical courses without thinking of the pros and cons. I want to help such confused kids.”
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