When Chicklingesha won ₹ 1 Crore in the popular game show Kannadada Kotyadhipati, it was a dream come true for him. Born and raised in a small village Yandalli in Chikmagalur district to poor farmers, the grand prize was his ticket to a better life. But one year later, his dreams have all but crumbled.
When 'Powerstar' Puneet Kumar asked him what he intended to do with the money, Chicklingesha didn't hesitate; He wanted to fulfill his grandmother's lifelong dream of owning a house in Bangalore. "My ajji always wanted to live in a pyaaTe." Alas, she died three years ago without ever visiting Bangalore. But Chickka, as he is known to his friends, resolved to fulfill her wish. "I will buy a bungalow in Bangalore and live with my parents and sisters there."
But now, one year since he won the prize, Chickka has no optimism left. This year has been a cruel mistress to him, teaching him the hard realities of Bangalore real estate market. His first encounter with disappointment came when he met with a real estate agent. "When I told them I wanted to buy a bungalow for ₹ 1 Crore, they laughed at me." Chickka's real estate agent told him to aim for a more realistic goal "A budget of ₹ 1 Crore puts him in the Low Income Group. The best he can afford is a 2BHK flat in Bokkasandra".
Undeterred, Chickka continued to look for sites. "One real-estate agent told me about a site on Hosur Road for 93 Lakhs. Turned out that the site was in Hosur." He also got swindled by a man who claimed to know
the BDA chairman "I gave him a bribe of ₹ 4 Lakhs, but he disappeared with the money." After a year of struggles Chickka has given up. "A Crore has no value in Bangalore. Its all due to the software engineers and maarvaadis." He now plans to build a house and open a restaurant in Yandalli.
He partly blames Kannadada Kotyadhipati for getting his hopes up. "They should make the show to be Kannadada Site-yadhipati, because 1 Crore buys nothing in Bangalore. The grand prize should be a site in Bangalore."
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| Chickka with PowerStar |
But now, one year since he won the prize, Chickka has no optimism left. This year has been a cruel mistress to him, teaching him the hard realities of Bangalore real estate market. His first encounter with disappointment came when he met with a real estate agent. "When I told them I wanted to buy a bungalow for ₹ 1 Crore, they laughed at me." Chickka's real estate agent told him to aim for a more realistic goal "A budget of ₹ 1 Crore puts him in the Low Income Group. The best he can afford is a 2BHK flat in Bokkasandra".
Undeterred, Chickka continued to look for sites. "One real-estate agent told me about a site on Hosur Road for 93 Lakhs. Turned out that the site was in Hosur." He also got swindled by a man who claimed to know
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| This 10x15 hut in Adugodi was recenly sold for ₹ 1.13 crores |
He partly blames Kannadada Kotyadhipati for getting his hopes up. "They should make the show to be Kannadada Site-yadhipati, because 1 Crore buys nothing in Bangalore. The grand prize should be a site in Bangalore."
