India is celebrating its own rags to riches story after a computer operator from the impoverished Bihar state became the first person to ever win $1 million on the Indian version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire?
Sushil Kumar's stunning success this week echoes the plot of the 2008 Oscar-winning movie Slumdog Millionaire, in which a poor teen from the slums of Mumbai won the grand prize on the game show.
Kumar and his new wife cried as the show's host, Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan, presented them the check.
Bachchan wrote on his blog that Kumar's win was an "incredible feat" and that the excitement in the studio was "unimaginable."
Kumar earns $130 a month as a computer operator and tutor. He says he will use some of his winnings to prepare for India's tough civil service exam.
Before appearing on the game show, Kumar said he'd only watched "Kaun Banega Crorepati" at his neighbor's home because his family was too poor to afford a television. With his winnings, the 26-year-old will be able to buy televisions for the whole village.
India Game Show Winner Mirrors 'Slumdog Millionaire' Hero
