~ Star Plus’ Anil Kapoor–hosted India Ke Top 1% crowns Bijal Shah as its first winner — ₹94 lakh on the grand premiere ~
Mumbai, September 2026: Star Plus opened India Ke Top 1% – The Anil Kapoor Show with a landmark first: Bijal Shah walked away with ₹94 lakh as the property’s first-ever winner on the grand premiere. She stayed composed through the game, leaning on instinct as questions stacked up, with husband Neelay Mehta cheering after his own run on the show ended.
The win also put a woman at the centre of the show’s opening night — a result the format pitches as proof that how contestants think, not just what they know, decides who reaches the top one percent.
Host Anil Kapoor framed the moment as presence of mind on display: “Bijal ne pehle hi episode mein dikha diya ki India Ke Top 1% tak pahunchne ke liye sirf presence of mind aur street-smart thinking chahiye. She was calm, alert and always on her toes. Hamari grand opening isse zyada dhamakedaar nahi ho sakti thi. Bijal is our first-ever winner, and I am especially proud that this historic win belongs to a woman. She truly is India Ke Top 1%!”
Shah said the cheque still felt unreal: “Winning ₹94 lakh and becoming the show’s first-ever winner still feels unreal. I focused on one question at a time and trusted myself. This victory is incredibly special, and I truly feel that my father’s blessings and my son Pranit’s luck were with me throughout and ofcourse not without my family’s support!”
The premiere locked the show’s proposition around instinct, street-smart thinking and composure under pressure. India Ke Top 1% – The Anil Kapoor Show airs every Saturday and Sunday at 8 PM on Star Plus and JioHotstar.
Marketing take: First-winner nights are format ads in disguise — Star Plus and JioHotstar just sold street-smart thinking as appointment viewing, with a ₹94 lakh proof point and Anil Kapoor as the brand face of the bet.
