Bollywood Mascot: When Kaun Banega Crorepati first arrived on Indian television in 2000, nobody knew that the quiz show would become a television phenomenon. But one contestant became a household name almost overnight—Harshvardhan Nawathe, the show's first-ever crorepati.
On October 19, 2000, Harshvardhan created history by answering the ₹1 crore question correctly on Amitabh Bachchan's show. The win transformed his life almost instantly and made him one of the most recognisable faces associated with the early years of KBC.
What makes his story interesting, however, is what happened after he walked away with the prize money.
At the time, Harshvardhan was preparing for the Indian Civil Services examination. Winning ₹1 crore gave him financial freedom and also allowed him to reconsider the direction of his life. Instead of continuing exactly along the path he had planned, he decided to use the opportunity to explore other possibilities.
One of his biggest decisions was to move to the United Kingdom to pursue an MBA. Harshvardhan later explained that the KBC victory gave him the freedom to experiment with his life in a way that might otherwise have been difficult. The prize money meant he could pursue higher education without having to depend heavily on loans.
The KBC victory also came with a side effect that he probably hadn't anticipated—instant fame.
Harshvardhan suddenly found himself surrounded by people wherever he went. His popularity became so intense that even ordinary outings could turn into chaotic situations. In a later interview, he recalled one frightening incident in which someone in a crowd accidentally slashed his palm with a blade while trying to get close to him.
His newfound celebrity status even created unusual situations during job interviews. According to Harshvardhan, some interviewers questioned why he would need a job after winning ₹1 crore, joking that he could simply buy a beach house in Goa and enjoy himself.
But rather than allowing the fame to completely define his life, Harshvardhan eventually focused on education and his professional career.
His journey eventually took him into the corporate world. He later worked with the Mahindra Group, including serving as head of Group Corporate Social Responsibility.
Looking back, Harshvardhan has described his KBC victory as a major turning point. The money certainly changed his financial circumstances, but the bigger impact was the freedom it gave him to make choices that could change his career and future.
There was also a memorable connection with Amitabh Bachchan. Harshvardhan has recalled that before the ₹1 crore result was announced, Bachchan asked his personal makeup artist to touch up Harshvardhan's makeup. At the time, he didn't immediately understand what the gesture meant. Later, he realised that Bachchan had effectively given him a subtle indication that he had answered correctly.
The KBC winner also remembered meeting the late Bal Thackeray after his victory. His sudden fame had made him so recognisable that even navigating public spaces became difficult. Thackeray reportedly advised him to greet people with a "namaste" instead of shaking hands, given the number of people trying to approach him.
More than two decades later, Harshvardhan's story remains one of the most memorable success stories in KBC history. His ₹1 crore win was not simply about becoming rich overnight—it became the starting point for an entirely different chapter of his life.
And perhaps that's the most interesting part of his KBC journey: he didn't simply spend the prize money; he used the financial freedom it provided to change the direction of his life.
Today, Harshvardhan is remembered as the man who became India's first KBC crorepati, but his journey after the show shows that sometimes winning the money is only the beginning of the real story.
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