In a few hours from now, the nation will be hooked to its television sets. Wondering why? Well, because the first episode of Kaun Banega Crorepati 13 is all set to air tonight. But while there’s time for the new season to launch, Gyaan Raj, the 25-year-old science teacher who will be gracing the hotseat tonight, has spilled some beans about his first meeting with Amitabh Bachchan.
Raj, in an exclusive interview with Times Now Digital, shared his thoughts on meeting Big B for the quiz-based reality show. “Amitabh ji is a role model for the whole country. I have spent my childhood watching his films. I was really excited knowing that I will get to meet him during Kaun Banega Crorepati. “Par jab Amitabh sir ko pehli baar dekha toh bahut bahut bahut achcha laga,” he said, adding that he also felt a little nervous.
“I kept thinking if I will be able to say anything in front of him or be able to talk to Amitabh ji. I am the introverted kind, I feel shy in front of others, but when I met Amitabh ji, and I was told that the episode will premiere on August 23, which is also my birthday, then I just thought that I have to give my best to be the first contestant on the show. When I finally met Amitabh ji, so he really made me feel comfortable. He talked to me and made me feel comfortable, and after that, we chatted a lot,” said Raj.
Raj also revealed that because of the COVID-19 pandemic-induced guidelines, he wasn’t able to directly contact Big B. “Unke haath pair chhoone ka permission nahin tha. He asked my name, and said ‘aapka naam thoda aalg type ka hai‘ and he found it really interesting. Then he also asked about the backstory of my name. Then we talked a lot about different things,” he said. The biggest thing he learned from Big B is that his journey inspires him to work hard more.
Raj refrained from divulging the exact money he won on the show, but shared that he will use the prize money for his mother’s treatment, which had to be postponed owing to the financial struggles amid the COVID-19 pandemic. He also plans to use the money to provide better facilities to his students.
Raj, 25, is a science teacher at a school in Nagri village in Ranchi district of Jharkhand. Working in a rural village, Gyaan has had his own struggles – both financial and otherwise. The biggest of them all has been to convince parents to let their kids learn new things. “Aisa hota tha ki wo bolte the ki bacche bade hokar kya karege, ye bekar hi time waste kar rahe hai bacchon ka,” he recalled, adding that gradually when his students started performing better, the parents also started to understand the importance of knowledge and education. As for his financial problems, Gyaan says that they have been a constant for running a school in a rural area, for they receive no support from anywhere.
The first episode of Kaun Banega Crorepati 13 is set to air tonight i.e. August 23 at 9 pm on Sony Entertainment Television.
