GECs
Parul Shahi from Delhi is the winner of MTV Hero Honda Roadies-3
Takes on 2500 kilometers, tough tasks & beats 12 competitors to win the title
MUMABI: December 23nd 2005 – Parul Shahi, that’s her name. The winner of MTV Hero Honda Roadies-3, India’s biggest adventure reality show. And besides becoming the surprise package of a cult show that lends itself to countless discussion and debate, she’s just walked away with a Hero Honda Karizma and booty of close to Rs. 5 lakhs. What’s more, she’s clawed tooth and nail to earn it. Having beaten thousands of candidates to get on the show, traversing more than 2500 kilometres from Jaisalmer to Leh, surviving all the edgy tasks along the route and successfully eliminating 12 of her competitors on the show, we say she more than deserves it!
Parul’s first encounter MTV Roadies took place in 2004 when she auditioned for Roadies 2 and didn’t quite make it to the final bunch. But the grit of the girl shone through when she not only came back in 2005 to make it past the auditions, but also walked away with the final prize!
Excited on her win, Parul Says, “I feel on top of the world on being the MTV Roadie. It wasn’t easy but I knew that my grit and determination would see me through. Having won the title in my second try, I’d like to tell everyone that it’s the ‘never-say-die’ attitude that takes you through some of the biggest challenges in life.”
This petite Delhi-ite, a fan of Angelina Jolie’s character in Tomb Raider, says it was her determination and overall resilience that made her hang on till the very end. Of course, the fact that she seemed rather non-threatening to the others, also helped her case. Little did they know, she would come up from behind and run away with the big prize! When asked about how she plans to use her prize money, she’s prompt to mention that it’s all being utilised towards her post-graduation.
Roadies is not merely about a tough journey with fantastic sights, sounds and tasks; it is about managing competition, inter-personal relationships and group dynamics. When 13 diverse personalities, cut-off from their families, are thrown into a cauldron of fun, adventure and cutthroat competition; survival instincts cause the strangest of reactions. Which makes great reality television.
MTV Hero Honda Roadies 3, India’s only adventure reality show, flagged off from Jaisalmer where 13 young adventurers began the toughest ride of their lives working their way through Rajasthan, Delhi, Uttaranchal, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh winding up in Leh. That’s 2500 kilometers in 39 days on India’s premium sports bike, the Hero Honda Karizma.
For all those who missed the action, here’s one more opportunity to catch it. Tune into MTV every Monday to Thursday at 7 pm sharp. And watch Parul as she steals the show…from the very beginning.
MTV Hero Honda Roadies 3, presented by Hero Honda Karizma, in association with Garnier Fructis, Haier Mobiles, Mountain Dew and Castrol Power 1, with Fastrack from Titan as Style Partner, Nestle Polo as Partner, Ground Partner- Pizza Hut, Broadband Partner- Sifymax and Radio Partner – 93.5 RED FM
About MTV India
MTV, India’s leading multimedia youth platform, caters to the interests and passions of 15-34 year olds, offering them an exciting mix of music and non-music programming (Bollywood, adventure, humor, fashion & style and fiction), presented in its inimitable style by Indian VJs. Since its launch in 1996, the channel has won numerous awards at domestic as well as International level for its unique humor and unmatched creativity. Known for its unique properties (MTV Immies, MTV Music Summit for AIDS, Style Awards, MTV Youth Marketing Forum, MTV VJ Hunt, MTV Youth Icon and MTV Roadies among others), the channel has today become a preferred destination for advertisers to reach out to Indian youth. With over 5,00,000 hyperactive users www.mtvindia.com continues to be the most popular youth hangout online. The channel today reached out to 25.75 million households in India. MTV India is a part of the MTV Networks, world’s largest television network reaching out to 442.9 million households across 167 territories. For the 5th consecutive year, MTV was named The World’s Most Valuable Media Brand by Business Week & Interbrand’s 2004 World’s Most Valuable Brands Study.
MUMBAI: Lights, camera… connection because this time, the game isn’t just about winning, it’s about who’s with you. Sony Pictures Networks India is gearing up to launch a new reality game show, Tum Ho Naa, expanding its unscripted slate with a format that promises both emotion and engagement.
The show will premiere soon on Sony Entertainment Television and stream on Sony LIV, with Rajeev Khandelwal stepping in as host. Known for his measured screen presence and selective choices, Khandelwal’s return to television adds a layer of familiarity and credibility to the upcoming format.
While specific details of the gameplay remain under wraps, the positioning suggests a reality format that leans as much on emotional resonance as it does on competition, an increasingly popular blend in Indian television, where audiences are gravitating towards content that offers both stakes and storytelling.
Khandelwal, reflecting on his return, noted that his choices have often been guided by instinct rather than convention, describing Tum Ho Naa as a project that feels “close to the heart”. His association also signals Sony’s continued focus on anchoring new formats with recognisable faces who bring both relatability and depth.
The launch comes at a time when broadcasters are doubling down on original non-fiction formats to drive appointment viewing, even as digital platforms expand parallel reach. By placing the show across both linear television and OTT, Sony appears to be aiming for a dual-audience strategy capturing traditional viewers while engaging digital-first consumers.
As the countdown to premiere begins, Tum Ho Naa positions itself not just as another game show, but as a reminder that sometimes, the biggest prize on screen isn’t the jackpot, it’s the journey shared along the way.
