Moumita Saharoy at her home in Cooch Behar, Bengal. Picture by Main Uddin Chisti

Cooch Behar, Oct. 12: Moumita Saharoy believes that the Rs 80,000 that she has won in KBC had something to do with the village that she hails from.

After all, how many people can boast of living in Cooch Behar’s Takagach, the Money Tree? And how many can win the “money”, the fame and the appreciation from none other than Amitabh Bachhchan.

When The Telegraph called on her yesterday, she proudly displayed the cheque for Rs 80,000 that she won at Kaun Banega Crorepati, signed by Big B.

“It was Amitabh Bachchan himself who quizzed me about the name of my village. When I told him that it was Takagach and explained the meaning to him in Hindi, he instantly translated the name into English: ‘Money Tree’, he said,” recounted Moumita, who returned to Cooch Behar today from Mumbai.

Winning cash — “and so much of it specially when our family income is Rs 7000 a month” — was definitely an achievement but more than that was the excitement that she was face-to-face with Bachchan. “Today he turned 69 years and I, like millions of Amitabh fans, wish him all the best.”

Moumita has been flooded with wishes from friends, relatives and neighbours after her episode was telecast in KBC yesterday. It was shot on October 1. The 24-year-old, mother of 10-month-old Samadrita, admitted that participation in KBC has brought her much more than money.

Born and brought up in Khagrabari in Cooch Behar, she had an affair with Baban Chandra Roy. “About two years ago, I left home to marry him. Since then, my family members never accepted me and my husband not even after our daughter was born,” Moumita said.

But when Moumita’s mother came to know that she was going to Mumbai to participate in KBC and had an opportunity to meet Bachchan, she had come to wish her luck. “Both the families have come together since. My husband, daughter and in-laws have earned their due recognition from my family. This has happened because of KBC.”

Moumita had never participated in any competition before KBC.

“While watching the promo, I had casually sent an SMS. I had even forgotten about it. Suddenly, an SMS reached me on September 3, followed by a phone call. I was asked to visit Calcutta on September 11 for audition. I went to Calcutta with my husband and finally, got the chance to go to Mumbai,” she said.

The KBC team shot at her home on September 26. “The same day my parents came to visit me.”

“At least in the eyes of Amitabh Bachchan the girl from Money Tree village could return with some money,” she added.