Gaurav Khanna won Bigg Boss 19 earlier this month. While fans have happily welcomed his victory on the Salman Khan-hosted show, his fellow contestants have pointed out how it was fame and pedigree that helped the Anupamaa actor lift the Bigg Boss 19 trophy. Now, in an exclusive interview with Faridoon Shahryar, Gaurav opened up about the various claims his fellow contestants made about his win. He even defended being the ‘Colors face’ and shared that he was never on the show to impress his fellow contestants.
Talking about his Bigg Boss 19 win, Gaurav Khanna said, “Generally, in the past, there has been a narrative that people who wanted a second inning in the industry wanted to be a part of a show like Bigg Boss, which gives immense and instant popularity. Contrary to that belief, I came on Bigg Boss when I was doing pretty well in my career. I had just won another reality show, and before that, I played a top male character on TV for so many years. For me, the show was a learning curve. I wanted to discover myself and see how I fared in a reality show space, after doing daily soaps for 20 years.”
“I never went there to compete with others. Being a part of TV for so many years, I know people will target you on Bigg Boss; they will shame you, defame you, and try to pull you down, but my whole aim was to become a better person. My life has been the sum of my choices. Bigg Boss is a very intelligent game if you play intelligently. I kept that in mind from day one; I wasn’t there to please those 15-16 people,” Gaurav added.
‘Bigg Boss 19 finale TRPs beat my earlier show Anupamaa’
Contrary to popular belief that one has to be controversial or abusive on a show like Bigg Boss, Gaurav did the complete opposite. Explaning his stance on the game, the Celebrity Masterchef winner said, “People come on Bigg Boss to get instant fame, I was never there for that. By God’s grace I was at the top of my career when I was on the show, so I didn’t want to do things for the camera. It was pointless to abuse, become a loudmouth, and pick on petty issues; I never wanted to do all that. The 15-16 people still think I did nothing on the show, but it’s written on the wall. I won the season, it was the most watched one, the finale TRPs beat my earlier show, Anupamaa, also.”
Gaurav further added, “I played the game differently, and that didn’t go down well with many people. Mostly, people come with a pre-conceived notion and do things so that people notice them; I just broke that mold. In the past, popular faces have come, and they have not won, so saying just because I am a TV face and that’s why I won is an escape route for those finding reasons for losing. Everyone played well.”
Gaurav Khanna on the Colors Face tag and Paid PR
A lot of people believe that Gaurav won Bigg Boss 19 because he is a Colors TV face. Reacting to the same, Gaurav Khanna added, “People say I won because I am famous, but I have really worked hard. 20 years of hard work is no mean feat. I have not been a Colors face for the last 15 years. My last show on Colors TV was Yeh Pyaar Na Hoga Kam with Yami Gautam, which was in 2010, so in 2025, if people still think I am Colors’ face despite doing one show with them 15 years back, I must be really great then. There are no free lunches; I won’t just win a show because of my pedigree or body of work, I also have to do well in it.”
Commenting on the prevalent concept of paid PR, where actors pay money to defame their rival in the industry, Gaurav shared his views and explained, “Everything has pros and cons. Social media is a very important tool in entertainment today. But today, everybody is a keyboard warrior; they will write anything about you. I don’t have a problem being trolled because even then, they are thinking about me, which means I am important to them. So, paid PR is a part and parcel of being an actor; this is not my first show where fandoms have written bad things about me. But with years passing by, it has gone low, and this year it has gone really low. People have been abusing my family. But all these things don’t hamper me; I focus on my work. It will increase every time, when someone they like doesn’t win, people come and blabber because there is no check on it.”
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After winning the show, Gaurav Khanna also launched his YouTube channel. He also wishes to do good work on OTT and in films. Talking about it, he says, “I want to take the next plunge on OTT or films. My aspiration is not just to be a part of the industry, but do good stuff. I want to be a bigger fish in a small pond. I can beg for good work, have no shame about it.”
