Sushil Kumar becomes India's real-life Slumdog Millionaire after game show win
by: Nirmala George
October 28, 2011
Government clerk Sushil Kumar, left, with Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan, after becoming the first person to win $1 million on the popular Indian version of Who wants to be a Millionaire
A POOR government clerk from a desolate region of eastern India has become the first person ever to win $US1 million on an Indian game show.
Sushil Kumar's staggering win on the popular Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire has transformed him into a role model for millions of aspiring youth yearning to escape from lives of poverty and find a role in India's burgeoning economy.
Kumar's win echoes the plot of the 2008 Oscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire, whose impoverished protagonist won the grand prize on the show.
Kumar and his wife of five months wept when Indian movie legend Amitabh Bachchan, the show's host, handed them a cheque for 50 million rupees (just over $US1 million) after the contestant gave all the right answers on the show.
"You have created history. Your grit and determination has made you come so far in this show,'' Bachchan said.
Before Kumar went on the program, which was taped Tuesday and will air next week, he earned $120 a month as a government office worker and supplemented his income by working as a private tutor in the small town of Motihari in the eastern state of Bihar.
Kumar, 26, told viewers his family was so poor they couldn't afford a television set, forcing him to go to a neighbour's home to watch the quiz show. Watching him tick off correct answer after correct answer, his neighbours persuaded him to try out for the show, he said.
The trip to the Mumbai studio where the show is taped was his first ride in a plane and his first visit to a big city, he said.
Kumar had clear, if modest, plans for the money.
He said he will use some to pay for a preparatory course so he can take India's tough civil service exam, which could lead to a secure and prestigious lifetime job.
He said he will also buy a new home for his wife, pay off his parents' debts and give his brothers startup cash so they can set up small businesses.
And he plans to build a library in Motihari so the children of his village will have access to the books and knowledge he so desperately craved, he said.
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KBC's rags to riches story: the man who won Rs 5 cr
Gaurav MalaniGaurav Malani, TNN | Oct 28, 2011
Sushil Kumar, the first person to win Rs 5 crore on KBC till date, remembers how he didn't have TV when KBC started and used to sneak into his neighbour's house to catch the show.
27-year-old Sushil Kumar from Motihari district of Bihar is the first claimant of Rs 5 crore prize money on the popular game show Kaun Banega Crorepati. The humble guy, who worked as a computer operator in government's Mahatma Gandhi Scheme before he appeared on the show, admits that he had never imagined he would reach the final question on KBC.
"I used to test my knowledge by mock-playing KBC while watching it on TV and would usually answer questions till around Rs 25 lakhs to maximum Rs 50 lakhs on my own merit. So when on the show, I assumed to win not beyond that amount", says Sushil.
Like most television viewers, even Sushil Kumar has been an avid fan of Kaun Banega Crorepati since 11 years. "In fact when KBC started, I didn't have TV at my home so I would often watch the show at my neighbour's house. The city roads used to literally go blank when KBC was aired on TV".
Since Sushil never imagined he would win this kind of amount, he is still clueless on what he would be doing with the entire prize money. "I have no idea. The only thing I am certain about is that I will quit my current job and relocate to Delhi where I shall pursue my studies for IAS".
His knowledge of competitive exams helped him considerably in playing the game so well. "KBC has a balanced mix of questions on current affairs and general knowledge. So I used to keep myself updated with magazine and newspapers". It's certainly not an accidental win for Sushil Kumar who had two lifelines ('phone a friend' and 'double dip') unused at the 5 crore question. "Though I had a fair idea of the answer to the final question (since I had read about it while preparing for my exams), when it's a question of Rs 5 crores, you start doubting yourself. So I used both my lifelines and came clear", smiles Sushil.
Ask him what was his reaction on winning and Sushil says, "I was so excited that I started shouting and my happiness knew no bounds. In fact I was so overwhelmed at that moment that I can't clearly remember what I did".
Like any other contestant, Sushil holds host Amitabh Bachchan in high regards. "Anyone who has keenly followed KBC would vouch for the fact that Amitabh Bachchan treats every contestant with the same respect and dignity, irrespective of their social or economical backgrounds. He inspires and encourages everyone without any kind of discrimination. He treated me with the same level of love and respect and when I won 5 crores, he hugged me like an elder brother".
Finally does he see the attitude of society changing towards him with his historic win? "I am sensing that. People who never used to give me a second glance are now claiming, back in my hometown, that they are my best friends. They are giving interviews in newspapers of how well they know me. Certainly life has changed", says Sushil who is having the last laugh.
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