Actor Karan Wahi says reality television allowed him to establish a distinct personal brand, noting that audiences previously only recognised him by his fictional television characters.
ย
The actor has appeared on numerous reality shows as both contestant and host.
ย
He participated as a contestant in โJhalak Dikhla Jaaโ, โComedy Nights Bachaoโ, โKhatron Ke Khiladiโ and served as a host on โNach Baliyeโ, โDance India Dance Super Momsโ, among others.
ย
Now, he is set to appear as a contestant on โKhatron Ke Khiladi 15โ.
ย
โPrior to doing a reality show, or being an anchor or a contestant, I was just another character (on a show). Back in the day, people would call me by my characters’ names. I saw that change and they started calling me by name after I did reality show. For a television face, that was the biggest high,โ the actor said in an interview.
ย
Known for hit TV shows such as โRemixโ, โKasamh Seโ and โDill Mill Gayyeโ, Wahi said reality shows made him more confident.
ย
“It has given me so much confidence to talk on camera because I became an anchor and I realised there are certain things I could do and speak, I regained a voice of my own. I could bring out the humour that was hidden in me. It has taught me so many lessons in life.โ Wahi credited the stunt-based show โKhatron Ke Khiladi 8โ in 2020, which he first participated in as a contestant, for helping him overcome his long-standing fear of dogs.
ย
โIt has given me the stardom that I have. It has made me go places, travel, meet so many different people from different walks of life,โ he said.
ย
Also read: Surbhi Jyoti, Karan Wahiโs โSeven And A Half Datesโ out on May 24
ย
Reflecting on the early days of reality TV, Wahi said opportunities were limited as it was not common for actors to host and anchor.
ย
โWe are living in a different world today; the world was very different back then. There werenโt too many opportunities, there were a handful of actors, who were working.โ
ย
“Like Manish (Paul) was the only anchor. Prior to Manish, there was Hussain (Kuwajerwala). There werenโt too many people who would become anchors. Manish started a different space for anchoring.โ
ย
He further said prioritising fitness gave him an edge over other actors working in reality shows in the Indian television industry.
ย
The 39-year-old actor now hopes to do some great work in films.
ย
Wahi made his acting debut in Bollywood in 2014 with Yash Raj Films’ โDaawat-e-Ishqโ. He played Amjad Baig, the love interest of Gulrez, played by Parineeti Chopra.
ย
He was later seen in โHate Story 4โ, which was his first major lead role, and featured in a guest appearance in R Madhavan and Fatima Sana Shaikhโs romantic-comedy, โAap Jaisa Koiโ. (2025)
ย
โKhatron Ke Khiladi 15โ, set to premiere on Colors TV next month, boasts a star-studded lineup of contestants. It features Wahi, Rithvik Dhanjani, Gaurav Khanna, Rubina Dilaik, Jasmin Bhasin, Vishal Aditya Singh, Avika Gor, Farrhana Bhatt, Avinash Mishra, Shagun Sharma, Ruhaanika Dhawan, Orry, and comedian Harsh Gujral.