From anonymity to stardom

Pankaj Bhadouria who was working as a teacher for the past 16 years in Lucknow is a household name today. She quit her job to take part in the cooking reality show MasterChef which became the biggest turning point in her life. She went on to win it and today she is hosting her own show called Chef Pankaj Ka Zayka on Star Plus. She has moved on from an obscure life to one filled with glamour, glitz and good moolah. Pankaj is just one of the many who have become celebs overnight and changed their lives 360 degrees. The small screen offers immense opportunities to become heroes. From reality shows to talent shows to daily soaps. If you have the talent and the luck then you will win this race against the multitudes who also run on the same track. How many of us had heard of a girl called Dimpy Ganguly before she became the legally wedded wife of Rahul Mahajan? And how did she achieve that status? Through a show called Rahul Dulhaniya Le Jayega. When the Kolkata-based model was chosen to be Rahul’s bride she overnight catapulted into celebdom. Until then not much was known about her but post that everything which she said or did was reported by the media. Now after a walk-out of her marital home alleging domestic violence and a return thereafter she is said to be expecting their first child. Arguably she owes it all to the reality show. Reality shows have a knack of throwing a commoner into the big league of celebs. For that matter even game shows offer you that golden chance of hitting stardom almost overnight. Harshavardhan Nawathe – almost everyone who watches TV will instantly recall that he was India’s first lucky one to have won a jackpot on a game show. Though KBC has had about three crorepatis until now, Nawathe was the first winner and is still remembered as being the first aam aadmi to have made it to the exalted league of crorepatis. It is heard that after winning the show he moved to UK for further studies but returned to India once he completed his education. Though Nawathe never wished to remain under media glare there is no denying that he continues to be in public memory. Dancing sisters Shakti and Mukti Mohan, Roadies winner Rannvijay Singh, Binny Sharma of Dance India Dance fame and dhaba owner Ashutosh Kaushik who won Roadies and later Bigg Boss are some of the biggest success stories on the small screen. Kaushik’s life took a big leap after the show and the man who was living on the street was planning on moving his family to Mumbai after having made good money from the show. And nobody can deny the fame and fortune that followed Pravesh Rana after he was announced as the runner- up on Bigg Boss 3. Though Rana was Mr India 2008 it was Bigg Boss which put him in top slot. Today not only does he host Emotional Atyachar but his eyes are trained at the silver screen where he may soon bag a good role. Abhijeet Sawant’s name is synonymous with Indian Idol. The singer who hailed from a middle-class home and lived in a chawl in Mumbai is a classic case of moving from an anonymous existence to that of a celeb’s. The singer even switched gears as a professional and even made his acting debut in a film called Lottery. He continues to make sporadic TV appearances and still remains in public gaze. Lakhs of people come to Mumbai to try their luck on the small screen but just a handful makes it. But when they do make it they actually strike gold. As was the case of Prince Group who won Rs 50 lakhs as prize money on India’s Got Talent in 2009. The lives of this group of dancers have improved qualitatively after the show and now they are a recognized lot. Hailing from Orissa this group consists of daily wage labourers, students and two polio affected kids. Not only did they gain fame and money but they got an opportunity to perform at the Commonwealth Games after winning IGT. In an age of instant coffee, instant love now there is instant fame. And this is not just with stars but also with people who are nobodies. But after winning or participating in a big ticket show the very same nobodies acquire all the trappings of superstardom thereby achieving a cult status. All one needs to do is dream big! Read more...