Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): A whopping Rs 50 lakh victory on Amitabh Bachchan's host show Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) has made 30-year-old Banti Vadiva an inspiration for many youths, especially those hailing from backward and underprivileged groups.
Vadiva, belonging from a tribal group of Asadi village in Betul district of Madhya Pradesh, plans to use the money for taking coaching classes in Indore, upgrading his family’s kutcha house to a pucca one, and paying off his father’s loans.
CM Mohan Yadav congratulates Vadiva
CM Mohan Yadav, too, extended his best wishes to the young tribal man.
Talking with Free Press over the phone from Khandwa, Vadiva made it clear that he has become a local celebrity. “Be quick. Many journalists are waiting to interview me,” he said hurriedly.
Vadiva holds a bachelor in computer applications. His father is a farmer and mother is a home-maker. He is the eldest of his two siblings. His younger brother has quit studies and helps his father till their land while his sister is studying.
It took Vadiva seven years to realise his dream of sitting in front of Amitabh Bachchan. He decided to quit with Rs 50 lakh in his pocket when he was confronted with a question asking him to name the award won by Bengali sculptor Chintamani Kar for his work titled ‘The Stag’. The right answer would have fetched him Rs one crore and a wrong answer would have brought him down to Rs 3 lakh. He chose to play safe.
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Vadiva on Big B...
Vadiva has been preparing for competitive examinations. “Coaching would have helped but there was no money to pay the fees,” he said.
“I believe knowledge can make a big difference. I want to be a role model for my village because, for generations, farming has been the only path available to our people; I am determined to change that,” he said.
Vadiva said that he faced no problems in interacting with the Big B. “Firstly, I was confident that my general knowledge was good enough. Secondly, Amitabh sir treated me just like my family elder. I never felt I was talking to a celebrity,” he said.
Now, he would be chasing his second dream- of clearing the MP PSC examination.
