Sushil Kumar after the win

Sushil Kumar, a 27-year-old computer operator and teacher from Motihari in Bihar, is the first contestant to win the Rs 5 crore jackpot on Kaun Banega Crorepati (to be aired tonight at 8.30pm on Sony). A t2 chat…

How does it feel to be the first ever to win Rs 5 crore on Kaun Banega Crorepati?

This has undoubtedly been the most beautiful moment of my life so far. When Amitabhji (Bachchan) got up and told me that I had become the first person to ever win Rs 5 crore on the show, I went completely crazy. I started running around the set and poured water from a bottle on my head. I went mad! I had no clue what I was doing. I started screaming at the top of my voice… it was a mad, mad moment.

Did you ever expect to get so far on the show?

Never! Since I have a good knowledge of current affairs, I knew that I still had a chance of going up to Rs 25 lakh, but never as far as Rs 5 crore!

During the episode, did it ever cross your mind that you could win Rs 5 crore?

When the question for Rs 50 lakh was asked and I realised I knew the answer, something kept telling me that luck was on my side. I knew that I could become a crorepati.

How nervous were you when the question for Rs 5 crore was being asked?

I wasn’t very nervous because I had gone to win Rs 25 lakh and with that in my pocket already, anything more would have just been a bonus. But then, I started getting asked questions that I knew the answers to and I just kept my cool and went ahead and answered them.

Is this the first time that you auditioned for KBC?

I have been watching KBC ever since I was 16 or 17. From that time, I dreamt of being on the show. But back then, I neither had a television set nor a phone. I used to go and watch it at my neighbour’s place. I missed out on a season or two in between and then started watching it religiously from the fourth season.

Last season, I had SMSed to participate in the show, but I was rejected in the initial stage itself. But this time, I SMSed again. I got a call and was asked three general knowledge questions, all of which I answered correctly. I was then called for the auditions to Patna in June. There were aspirants from four states there. We had a written test at the audition and then Mr Bachchan also asked us a couple of questions through video-conference. I also had to fill a bio-data form that ran into 40 pages!

In mid-October, I got a call from the producers saying that I had been selected and that I had to fly to Mumbai for the ‘Fastest Finger First’ round. Actually, it was quite a miracle that I was selected because I had lost the SIM card of the number that I had given to the KBC producers. But I was lucky that they chose to call on my wife’s number. It was nothing short of a miracle. I had tears in my eyes when I got the call. I took a flight to Mumbai — it’s the first time I ever saw a plane in my life — and was put up at a big hotel. It was a dream for me.

How did you prepare for KBC?

I read a lot and watch news on a daily basis and so my general knowledge is very sound. I am studying for the civil services exams and have to read a lot of general knowledge books and magazines. Whenever I travel to Patna, I make sure I grab a copy of The Telegraph. I get to know a lot about the world through your newspaper.

What are you planning to do with the prize money?

I want to rebuild my house. My younger brothers work in small shops in Bihar on monthly salaries of Rs 2,000-Rs 2,500. I plan to open a shop for them. I also want to go to Delhi and prepare for my civil services exam. Money won’t change my goals in life.

What would you do if you won Rs 5 crore? Tell t2@abp.in