Bigg Boss 2 winner Ashutosh Kaushik exposes MTV's request for 30% of his prize money

Ashutosh Kaushik, the winner of Bigg Boss 2 and a champion on Roadies, recently shared his experience of MTV requesting 30% of his Bigg Boss prize money, resulting in a strained relationship with the channel.

During a conversation with Siddharth Kannan, Ashutosh Kaushik revealed being bound by a contract with MTV. The agreement stipulated that for two years post his Roadies victory, he must allocate 30% of his earnings to MTV. Despite this, he lacked guidance, strategy, or project management support.

In his words, “I won Rs 1 crore for Bigg Boss. MTV demanded Rs 30 lakh out of that amount, saying that’s what I owed them. The contract said that I owed MTV 30% of any earning for a period of two years. I argued that the Rs 1 crore was a gift, and not a salary that I’d earned.”

Ashutosh also shared that he was the least compensated participant of the season, receiving only Rs 25 lakhs weekly. With no one to advocate for him, he proceeded to sign the contract. After voicing his concerns, he reached an agreement with the channel where he would serve as a VJ, earning a monthly salary of Rs 1.5 lakh. However, instead of being employed as a VJ, he received a monthly cheque.

When it came to his Roadies winnings, Ashutosh Kaushik got Rs 2.5 lakhs and a bike. However, the surprise came when he had to cover the taxes for the bike before taking it from the showroom.

In that same chat, Ashutosh also reflected on his rocky relationship with Raghu Ram, whom he called out for being fake. Speaking of Ashutosh's journey, he clinched the Roadies 5 title in 2007 and made appearances in MTV Roadies Season 8. Subsequently, he emerged victorious in Bigg Boss Season 2 in 2008, which was hosted by Shilpa Shetty. Ashutosh has graced the screen in Bollywood movies like Kismat Love Paisa Dilli, Shortcut Romeo, Zila Ghaziabad, and Laal Rang.