From Earning in Choreography to College Fees: Mother Sells Home, Shiv Thakre’s 6-Year Struggle for Bigg Boss

In the realm of reality shows today, the recognizable face is that of Shiv Thakre. Currently, he is part of ‘Khatron Ke Khiladi’. Prior to this, Shiv was the winner of ‘Bigg Boss Marathi’ season 2 and a runner-up in ‘Bigg Boss 16′.

It might seem that Shiv’s journey has been smooth sailing from here, but that’s not the case at all. His journey has been filled with struggles right from the start. Shiv began working to fulfill his needs from a young age itself.

At times, he used to sell newspapers, and at other times, he worked in a paan shop. He had to sell his home to buy a house, and even helped sell his sister’s house for the same purpose. Shiv went through numerous struggles to reach this point, including using the money earned from choreography to support his sister’s wedding.

While at times he sold newspapers, at other times he had to sell sculptures. I was born on September 9th in Amaravati, Mumbai. Our family’s financial situation wasn’t great. My parents had started from scratch. Just like them, I had to work hard to fulfill my dreams. I began earning from a young age itself.

My uncle had a newspaper agency, and I began working there to deliver newspapers. In a similar manner, I took on various small and big jobs. At times, I sold Lord Ganpati statues, and on occasions, I sold sculptures of Goddess Lakshmi and fireworks during Diwali.

My father had a paan shop where they worked on different tasks. Even my sister worked there. With the earned money, I used to buy things for myself. From these small jobs, I learned a lot, and now I have so much confidence that I can sell even a stone.

With the earnings from choreography, I bought a bike and paid for college fees.

Dancing has always been my passion. I’ve had a love for dancing since childhood. In Amaravati, I had an elder brother from whom I learned dancing. Additionally, I learned from YouTube. I gathered knowledge about dance from various sources. Due to this interest, people began recognizing me. After a while, I started teaching dance to school kids. I also choreographed for musical events. During this time, I was in the tenth grade.

I learned dance for almost 9 years. With that money, I paid for my engineering fees and also bought my first bike. During that time, I felt affluent because I earned my own pocket money by doing odd jobs for others.

My parents wanted me to become an engineer.

What was their reaction to my acting? This question seems amusing now.

Back then, they used to say that they always wanted me to become an engineer. Their intention was that I excel in studies, secure a good job, and live a comfortable life. I never realized their dream might be a bit different.

Until I was winning trophies in school and college, they didn’t seem too impressed. I had once published a small article in a local newspaper in Amaravati, and they were happy then, but they never took that seriously. But even so, I kept working hard to make them proud. Alongside learning dance, I started participating in the Youth Festival slowly. As I gained a bit of recognition in Amaravati, both my parents started believing in me.

Shiv Thakar entered the realm of reality shows.

In 2017, he began his TV career with the reality show ‘MTV Roadies Rising.’ He managed to reach the semi-finals of the show, after which he got eliminated.

He recounted his journey, stating that when he was in tenth grade, people used to say that he wasn’t growing taller. I paid attention to those comments. After completing my diploma, I started working out. Shahid Kapoor and Salman Khan became my inspiration.

The craze to sculpt my body emerged, and as I transformed, I started receiving compliments from people. I aimed to enter the film industry. For that purpose, reality shows were the only gateway besides auditions. So, I started auditioning for reality shows. When I auditioned for Roadies, I received news that I cracked it. I began auditioning for reality shows from my first year of engineering, and my preference was sealed in the last year.

Initially, I faced numerous rejections. For several years, I encountered rejections, but I never gave up. After a long struggle, I finally got a chance on Roadies.

After returning from Roadies, I arranged my sister’s wedding. I managed to cover the expenses for her wedding as well. The money I earned from choreography helped me organize the entire wedding.

I also had the responsibility of explaining the family members about their marriage. My work was not limited to just choreography. This was because we faced several issues related to inter-caste marriage within our family. My sister and brother-in-law were from different fields. After coming back from Roadies, my sister asked me what I could do now. My father agreed, but we tried very hard to convince our mother, yet she remained opposed.

To make her understand, I staged a play. I admitted my sister to the hospital to show my mother, creating a fake doctor as well. I fabricated the entire story. Initially, my mother was angry, but now she is happy too.

I worked hard for 6 years to become a part of Bigg Boss.

Just 2 years after Roadies, I got the opportunity to participate in ‘Bigg Boss Marathi.’ After that, following the COVID-19 pandemic, I got a chance to be a part of ‘Bigg Boss Hindi.’ I struggled for 6 years to make it to ‘Bigg Boss Season 16.’ The audition process had begun from the 11th season. After that, I finally secured an entry in the 16th season.

After Roadies, I wasn’t as popular to get a straightforward entry into ‘Bigg Boss.’ I participated in ‘Bigg Boss Marathi’ because it was a path to reach the Hindi version of ‘Bigg Boss.’

Regrettably, I haven’t explored the ‘Khatron Ke Khiladi’ option more. While my wish list is still incomplete, the film industry is another medium to explore. I am hopeful that I will find more avenues in the future. Although reality shows have two sides, they can either make or break your life, I have thoroughly enjoyed my journey.

Initially, I was earning 100 rupees and the agent didn’t pay me 3,000 rupees for Crime Patrol.

I also had a small business. I had set up a water shop in a fairground. From there, I made a profit of 100 rupees. When the opportunity to discuss acting arose, I began my journey with ‘Crime Patrol.’ In one episode, I played the role of a lead actor’s friend and received 3,000 rupees for it. Interestingly, for the first time appearing on television, I celebrated by spending 5,000 rupees on shopping.

Honestly, I did some exaggerated acting in this show. After shooting was completed, the money that was promised to me by the agent for my appearance hasn’t been given to me yet.

My mother sold our ancestral home to buy a house for us.

The relatives turned their backs on us, and the struggle was so intense that I used to joke about selling a kidney first and then buying an iPhone. But now, it’s not the same. Initially, we lived in a rental apartment. Later, we found a duplex. The cost of this house was 3 million rupees. My mother sold her jewelry to buy our home, but we received only 300,000 rupees in return. Then, my sister and I managed to gather some funds, some relatives helped us with higher amounts, and I could manage to gather only 1.5 million rupees. After that, we took a home loan of 1.5 million rupees.

Today, I am in a different phase of life where I drive a car worth 3 million rupees, which I bought from my own earnings. I am repaying all my old loans as well.

People’s attitude towards me has changed with my financial situation. Earlier, when I greeted a prominent person, they would ignore me. Today, those same people approach me for conversations, and it feels good. Though I haven’t changed, my achievements have changed the way people perceive me.

Desiring to become a Bollywood actor Currently

I am a part of ‘Fear Factor.’ This television show is currently airing on TV. I have been receiving offers for both Hindi and regional cinema, and I am seeking to manage them all. I aspire to create a significant name for myself. While I will continue to excel in regional cinema, my ultimate goal is to become a part of Bollywood.