Kavita Chawla the first crorepati of the 14th season of Kaun Banega Crorepati, a quiz show hosted by Hindi film star Amitabh Bachchan. From Kolhapur, Maharashtra, Chawla was on the hot seat opposite Amitabh Bachchan on September 19. Trailers of the episode show Chawla about to attempt the Rs 7.5 crore question.

Also Read | KBC 14: Why Kavita Chawla sings Bollywood songs in an English accent

Who is Kavita Chawla?

Kavita Chawla, 45, belongs to Maharashtra’s Kolhapur, a city located on the banks of the Panchganga river. Chawla’s journey to the KBC hot seat has been one of struggle and persistence. Thirty years ago, when she was a teenager, Kavita Chawla used to work on a sewing machine for hours in a bid to earn a meager sum of Rs 20 a day.

Life did not get easier for Kavita. After she finished Class 10, her extended family thought she had had enough education and should call it quits. Chawla found support in her teachers and parents who encouraged her to continue learning. That support, however, could last only two more years and Kavita had to give up her education after completing her 12th.

Also Read | KBC 14: Rs 1 crore winners through the years

Kavita’s passion for learning was what prompted her to come to KBC, she told Times of India. “Right from the year 2000, I wanted to be part of the show,” the very first edition of the Hindi quiz show based on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.

Kavita Chawla had made it to the platform earlier as well. She had come to show in its 13th season but could not qualify for the fastest-finger first round, the three-question round that gets a contestant to the hot seat. “Last year, when I couldn’t reach the hot seat from the fastest finger first round, I was so heartbroken. I remember sitting on the set and crying my heart out,” she told Indian Express.

“Amitabh Bachchan ji then came forward and told me to not be demotivated. His words kept echoing in my mind and I decided to come back, this time with the mission to win,” she added.

And win she did.