Kaun Banega Crorepati, the game show hosted by Amitabh Bachhan on Sony Entertainment Television, has got a real taste of woman power. Sunmeet Kaur Sawhney, a 37-year-old housewife from Chandigarh, has become the first woman to win Rs 5 crore.
A mother of two daughters, Sawhney has completed her higher secondary education and currently teaches children at a gurudwara in Mumbai. The episode featuring her will be aired on January 11.
The question that got her the jackpot prize was “ Name the lady who climbed the second highest mountain range K2 in India? Sawhney’s answer was prompt: Wanda Rutkeicz, a Polish who achieved the feat in 1986.
“Bachchan sir has been very lucky for me. I want to set an example to all housewives that they can also win,” Sawhney said. She wants to buy a house in Mumbai and use the remaining money for the education of her two daughters. After taxes, she will end up taking home Rs 3.5 crore.
Incidentally, she is the second winner of the highest prize sum. Last season, Sushil Kumar from Bihar, had won the jackpot in the show.
KBC, which has many firsts to it, was also the first show that marked the crossover of a big Bollywood star, on TV. The trend was later followed by the likes of Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan and more recently Aamir Khan.
A game show based on UK format, 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire', KBC was launched in India on Star Plus in the year 2000. Since 2010, Sony Entertainment has been airing KBC, which remains amongst the most popular game shows on TV. It initially offered a chance to win up to Rs 1 crore, but doubled the winning to Rs 2 crore. From the fourth season, it includes a jackpot of Rs 5 crore.
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Top winners on KBC
Harshvardhan Nawathe - 1st ever KBC winner – Rs 1 cr in 2000.
Ravi Saini - Winner Of KBC Junior - Rs 1cr in 2001.
Vijay & Arundhati Raul – KBC Jodi winner – Rs 1 cr in 2001.
Ajay Devgan & Kajol - winner Of KBC 2 – Rs 1 cr in 2005.
Brajesh Dubey - winner Of KBC 2 – Rs 1 cr in 2005.
Rahat Taslim - Winner of KBC 4 (first on Sony) – Rs 1 cr in 2010
Sushil Kumar - Winner Of KBC 5 – Rs 5 cr in 2011
Anil Kumar Sinha - Winner of KBC 5 – Rs 1 cr in 2011
Manoj Kumar Raina - Winner of KBC 6 – Rs 1 cr in 2012