From selling newspapers and milk packets to being a part of Roadies; Bigg Boss 16 contestant Shiv Thakare’s rags to riches journey

Shiv Thakare has been going strong and steady with his game in Bigg Boss 16. Having experience in reality shows like Roadies and Bigg Boss Marathi, Shiv’s journey in real life has been quite a tough and inspiring one. The actor has seen many hardships and risen with confidence. A look at his journey in reality shows and real life:

Shiv Thakare has been going strong in the Bigg Boss 16 house. From being a friend to MC Stan, Nimrit Kaur Ahluwalia, Abdu Rozik and Sajid Khan, Shiv has made sure to stand by them. Standing up for the right, he is one of the top contenders in the Bigg Boss 16 house right now.

Shiv has a considerable number of fan following on social media and it has only increased. Netizens have stood by him and applauded his game on social media. After Priyanka accused Shiv of making ‘cheap’ comments towards women, one of the users in the latter’s support wrote, “Everyone knows that #ShivThakare always been respectful towards women and never crossed the limits.” He has been trending with fans commenting on ‘false narratives’ being spread in the house against Shiv.

Rannvijay Singha, who had been a gang leader in the 2017 show Roadies Rising, had Shiv in his gang. During BB16, Rannvijay on several occasions took to social media writing in support of Shiv’s humbleness. In one of the posts, Rannvijay wrote, “Once ur in my gang.. #shivthakare For those who don’t know how I know @shivthakare9 ,he was in my gang on #roadies .We went through many ups and downs together on that journey and he was always smiling and very sincere and hardworking. He has always been respectful and loving.. I wish him all the best for everything!”

Shiv Thakare belongs to a humble Marathi family from Amravati, Maharashtra. He saw financial hardships in life and lived in slums. There was a time when he used to assist his father in his pan shop. He also sold newspapers and milk packets to add to the income and support the family for financial needs. His elder sister also helped him.

Coming from the slums and later shifting to a better place, with a bathroom that had light, Shiv made everyone laugh and emotional with his life’s journey during the Roadies auditions. He had revealed back then that he started working as a dancer and did wedding and sangeet events from where he would earn around Rs. 10-22K. He shared back then, at the age of 26, “I give money to my family and also work on myself. I have also kept some money aside for my sister's wedding.”

Roadies was his first stint on TV. Karan Kundrra had praised him saying, “The simplicity you have on your face, has a winning streak.” Prince Narula, Karan and Rannvijay pitched themselves to select them as their gang leader. Shiv selected Rannvijay saying that he had promised his mother to be in his team if he got selected. This also made Rannvijay extremely emotional and he had tears in his eyes. Shiv was one of the semi finalists and earned much recognition.

After Roadies, Shiv participated in Bigg Boss Marathi 2 and with his smart game plan he brought home the trophy and a massive fan following. Shiv has been loved and liked throughout for his simplicity.

Back in Roadies auditions, Shiv had mentioned he wanted to earn name and fame, when Rannvijay had asked him about ‘marriage plans’. Post earning recognition with his reality show stints, there has been no looking back for Shiv. Not only did he launch his own perfume brand, he has also been quite an influencer on social media.