Akash Bhatnagar (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 27, 2020)

After an unforeseen halt following the Coronavirus outbreak, Colors’ game show, Khatron Ke Khiladi, Season 10, wrapped up last night with actress Karishma Tanna beating actor-choreographer Dharmesh Yelande and actor Karan Patel to bag the trophy. Hosted by filmmaker Rohit Shetty, this season was filmed in Bulgaria with the finale being shot at a Film City studio last week.

Karishma, who has taken part in several reality shows, is over the moon. “I have been in the film industry for a while now and the closest I ever came to winning is being adjudged first runners-up. Maybe God wanted me to win the ‘real’ reality show,” she exults, adding that being the first woman in five seasons to ace the competition adds to the glory.

The actress informs that when she returned home after the finale shoot, she was welcomed with her favourite flowers and candles. “Since I couldn’t call my friends to celebrate, my neighbours brought me cake and some amazing food,” she gushes.

The entire show, except the finale, was shot way before the telecast and Coronavirus added to the wait. How did she deal with that? “More than me, my mother was desperately waiting for the result, praying every day that I win. She was the one who pushed me, else I wouldn’t have done the show,” Karishma confides.

The actress finds it difficult to choose the most difficult stunt from the show. “When I thought some task was doable, I failed at that,” she chuckles, adding that she used to motivate herself after every task and didn’t take any contestant for granted. “Everyone had their good days, but overall Dharmesh, Tejasswi (Prakash) and to some extent Karan, were very consistent.”

Talking about Rohit, Karishma informs that he used to pull her leg all the time, but she was still his Student No 1. “He had decided that he would help me conquer all of my fears and by the end of the season, he succeeded. Now, I am no longer scared of snakes,” she confesses, adding that she deserved the ‘Student of the Year’ title because of all the shocks and creepy crawlies she endured.