Rana Pratap Singh, a resident of Delhi’s Laj Vistarak colony, became the first Indian contestant to appear on the second season of KBC. The show was launched in 2010 as a replacement for KBC-1 which had been off air for almost five months. Rana Pratap Singh has a unique story attached to his name. Before appearing on KBC lucky draw, he worked as a driver with an NGO in Delhi and would often drive his boss around when the latter visited rural areas to conduct interviews for his research project on landlessness among Dalits and other underprivileged sections of society.
Despite being media shy and not having any prior experience of public speaking, Rana Pratap agreed to appear on KBC-2 in order to fund his father’s surgery expenses. His father is disabled and requires constant care from Rana Pratap. The producers were so impressed by Rana Pratap’s performance on the show that they offered him a contract renewal even before the telecast finished. However, due to personal reasons he declined their offer and opted out of the game show once again!
Rana Pratap’s Story
Rana Pratap was born in a Dalit family in the village of Barhaj in the Azamgarh district of Uttar Pradesh. His father, who was one of the village’s most respected and loved persons, was a chowkidar (watchman) at a school. His mother was a housewife and also helped his father in the chowkidar’s job whenever needed. Unfortunately, Rana Pratap’s father fell ill a couple of years ago and is now paralyzed and bed-ridden. Rana Pratap had to discontinue his studies after class 12 and work as a farmhand to support his parents. However, he regularly sent his salary to his parents. His father, who was a very loving and caring person, told him that he didn’t have to work and earn money for them, but Rana Pratap refused to listen to his father’s words and continued to work.
The Unique Story of Rana Pratap Singh
While working as a farmhand, Rana Pratap came in contact with an NGO working in his village and started driving the NGO’s car. He drove the car during the day and worked on the farm during night hours. He moved to Delhi a few years ago and continued to work with the NGO. While driving his boss to remote villages to conduct interviews for his research project, Rana Pratap became friends with a lot of Dalit families that are usually ignored by the rest of the society. With his help, many of them were able to get their basic rights such as drinking water, shelter and electricity. Rana Pratap’s appearance on KBC-2 was a result of a few things.
During his stay in Delhi, he had watched KBC lottery 2023 show-1 and was very impressed with its high production values and the large prize money. He appeared for the first audition of KBC-2 but was rejected because he couldn’t speak Hindi properly. During the second audition, he was asked to speak in Hindi. Although he knew only a few Hindi words, he was able to charm the judges by speaking in English with a heavy UP accent.
Rana Pratap’s Interview on KBC
First of all, congratulations on winning the 2nd season of KBC. How do you feel? – My feelings are of extreme gratitude towards the Almighty, the show’s producers, and the audience who have given me so much love and support. – What is the secret behind your success? – I don’t think there is any secret behind it. I just used my natural instincts and played the game my way. – What is your advice to others who want to be successful like you? – My advice to everyone is that they should always be true to themselves.
They should do whatever makes them happy, irrespective of what others think or say. – You have quite a unique background. Share it with our readers. – Yes, my story is very different from that of other contestants. I am a Dalit, belong to a poor family, and was born and brought up in a village. Similarly I have faced many hurdles during my life, and yet I did what I wanted to do. – What do you want to do in future? – I don’t know what the future holds for me. I will do whatever makes me happy.
How Rana Pratap Used His Rs. 1 Crore Prize Money?
Rana Pratap’s primary objective was to fulfill his father’s dream of building a house for his family. Along with his family, he also helped his neighbors to build a house of their own. He also used a part of his prize money to complete his mother’s dream of constructing a toilet in their house. He regularly sends kbc prize money to his parents to take care of his father’s medical expenses. Similarly he also sends money to his village to construct toilets in his village.
What is the current whereabouts of Rana Pratap?
Rana Pratap is currently living with his family in Laj Vistarak colony, Delhi. His father is still bedridden and requires constant care. He is trying his best to take care of his family. He doesn’t have any plans to appear on television again. Similarly he is happy living his simple and normal life. He is grateful to the show and the producers for giving him the opportunity to live his dream for a few days. Similarly he says that the experience was amazing, and he will cherish it for the rest of his life.