The much-anticipated winner of Bigg Boss Season 9 has been revealed, with commoner Kalyan Padala emerging victorious. The finale saw a neck-and-neck contest between Kalyan and Tanuja, but Kalyan ultimately clinched the title by a very narrow margin, with Tanuja finishing as the runner-up.
Kalyan, an army personnel, remained under the radar for the first three weeks of the season. Entering the show as a commoner, initial expectations around his gameplay were modest. However, following the elimination of contestant Priya in the third week, Kalyan’s performance gained momentum. His consistent improvement each week eventually positioned him as a strong contender during the Family Week segment. Riding this momentum, he became the final captain and first finalist, setting a record and ultimately winning the season, earning widespread admiration from the audience.
From CRPF to Reality Show Stardom
For Bigg Boss 9, the makers introduced a first-of-its-kind “Agni Pariksha” selection process for commoners. Thousands of applications were filtered down to 15 participants, including Kalyan. A jawan in the CRPF, Kalyan has had a lifelong passion for cinema. Due to his family’s financial circumstances, he joined the CRPF but seized the opportunity to participate in Bigg Boss after clearing the Agni Pariksha selection, marking his successful entry into the reality show house.
Kalyan’s journey from a CRPF jawan to Bigg Boss winner has been widely celebrated as an inspiring story of perseverance, strategy, and audience support.