Shah Rukh Khan's Crorepatni!

Pragjyoti Samal is the first woman to win a crore on a reality show on Indian television. The Bhubaneshwar- based 24-year-old software engineer will be seen pocketing the crore in the Shah Rukh Khan hosted 'Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain?' episode on June 21.

As reported (‘Crorepatni’; May 7), Star Plus had not revealed her identity when the episode was shot on May 5, to avoid her being hounded.

It is learnt that Pragjyoti who was working with Cognizant Technology Solutions in Kolkata has quit her job and is back home in Bhubaneshwar. However the winner denies that this decision had anything to do with her big prize money.

“In the IT industry, you have to keep moving and take up new challenges,” says Samal from Bhubaneshwar. “Except for my mother (Nirlipta Patnaik) who accompanied me on the show, I have not told the rest of the family what happened due to channel requirements. We will watch the episode together. There is a big shock in store for them.”

Pragjyoti, who is single, was one of the zillions of contestants who’d SMS to the question that flashed on the screens to gain entry to Paachvi Pass. “All contestants had to appear for a test on the phone, followed by a written test as well as camera audition rounds.”

The contestant has not yet decided what she will do with the prize. The cheque will be hers after the episode airs. “It has yet to sink in… maybe after the telecast it will. As they say: I will cross the bridge when I come to it.”

She adds that she took a lot of risks during the game but it all paid off. “Everyone was encouraging and enthusiastic. Everyone from Siddhartha Basu’s unit was so excited and happy for me.”

About the show’s host Shah Rukh Khan, she says, “He provided a lot of support and made me feel at ease. All this while, I knew him as King Khan the actor, now I know him as a person. This show gave me an opportunity to know the real SRK.”

Shaheen Parkar, Mid-day