The winner takes it all

Q&A: Nauman Sait

Once a cricketer, now a TV star: Nauman Sait won MTV Roadies by staying focused.

Nauman Sait has been declared the winner of MTV Roadies, a highly successful show on the music channel. He talks about his journey on the show and his plans ahead.

Congratulations on winning this year’s Roadies. What is the plan of action now?
Thanks so much. I’m a celebrity overnight and I’m already getting offers in the showbiz industry. From ribbon cutting to being a showstopper at fashion shows, I’m in demand. People are requesting me to come for parties, asking me to get clicked with them. The glamour industry’s doors are open for me now.

You and your brother auditioned together. How did your brother react to your victory?
He’s very happy. Barring Roadies, we’ve done everything together. Like me, he too is a state-level cricketer. We are both crazy about cricket and before Roadies I thought I’d be a cricketer.

Are your parents disappointed, now that you’ve officially bid adieu to a cricketing career?
I think Roadies has given me an opportunity that cricket, quite frankly, didn’t. I found instant success with Roadies, while with cricket I sweated it out, went through rough patches but found success difficult. So, yes, for now, it’s all about entering the showbiz industry with a bang. Initially my parents didn’t want me to participate in Roadies. My father runs a cricket academy in Bangalore and always thought I’d become a champion of sorts for the game. That didn’t happen when I announced my entry into Roadies but, trust me, now they are happy for me.

What’s the worst thing about Roadies?
The format of the show is such that you have to often smile at enemies, too. Phew, I don’t know how I managed that. In fact, this was one trait I didn’t know existed in me. I never thought I could smile politely at enemies.

You are obviously hinting at your close contender Palak. How did she react to your win?
She actually hugged me and congratulated me. She had been lying low in the last few episodes, actually. I don’t know what happened to her, but she was quite friendly to me.

Executive producer Raghu Ram wanted to throw a shoe at you in the penultimate episode. He thought you’d broken Tamanna’s trust. Do you think his reaction was justified?
Well, Roadies is a show where you have to win. There’s no other option. It’s not a show where you’re supposed to walk off with a “best friends” trophy. It’s a show where viewers only remember the winner and not the best friends. I survived, completed tasks and got the immunity that prevented me from getting voted out. Tamanna and I are still friends and almost all Roadies participants came and congratulated me after I won the show. It’s winning that matters, eventually, on the show.