Win turns worker into ‘Slumdog Millionaire’

Sushil Kumar, too poor to own a TV set, has not made any grand plans on spending his prize money [Reuters]

A man from one of India’s poorest states has won an unprecedented $1 million jackpot in the Indian version of the TV game show “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire”.

Office worker Sushil Kumar from Bihar was the first contestant to win the top prize on the popular TV show Kaun Banega Crorepati, hosted by Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan.

Kumar, who earns 6,000 rupees ($120) per month, says he used to watch the show at a neighbour’s house because his family was too poor to afford a television set. He has not made any grand plans on spending his prize.

“I’m going to repair my house, fulfil a few basic needs and then move to Delhi to study for the civil service exams,” he told the Reuters news agency.

“Our house has almost broken down and we have a lot of loans that have to be repaid, If it hadn’t been for this money, I would have got old before I sorted out my life,” Kumar said.

“Slumdog Millionaire”, shot in the slums of Mumbai, tells the story of a call centre teaboy who wins the TV game show against all odds.