Sidharth Shukla (12 December 1980 – 2 September 2021) was an Indian actor, host and model who mostly appeared in Hindi television and films. He was known for his roles in Balika Vadhu, Broken But Beautiful 3, and Dil Se Dil Tak. He was the winner of Bigg Boss 13 and Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi 7. He hosted Savdhaan India and India’s Got Talent. He won the World’s Best Model title in December 2005, beating 40 other participants from across Asia, Latin America, and Europe. He made his acting debut with a lead role in the 2008 show Babul Ka Aangann Chootey Na. In 2014, Shukla made his Bollywood debut in a supporting role in Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania.
Life and career
1980–2007: Early life and career beginnings
Sidharth Shukla was born on 12 December 1980 into a Hindu Brahmin family in Bombay (present-day Mumbai) to Ashok Shukla, a civil engineer employed at the Reserve Bank of India, and Rita Shukla, a homemaker. His family was originally from the city of Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh. He lost his father because of a lung disease during his modeling days.
He has two elder sisters. Shukla attended St. Xavier’s High School, Fort, Mumbai, and holds a bachelor’s degree in Interior Design from Rachana Sansad School of Interior Design. Shukla has described himself as a very athletic child and represented his school in tennis and football. He played against Italian football club, AC Milan’s under-19 team, on their Mumbai visit as part of Festa Italiana. After completing bachelor’s degree in interior design, Shukla worked in an interior designing firm for a couple of years. In 2004, Shukla was runner-up in the Gladrags Manhunt and Megamodel Contest.
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He appeared in a video “Resham Ka Rumal” sung by Ila Arun. In 2005, he represented India at the World’s Best Model contest held in Turkey, and became the first Indian, as well as the first Asian, to win the title beating 40 contestants from across Asia, Latin America, and Europe. After winning the title, he appeared in advertisements for Bajaj Avenger, ICICI and Digjam.
Sidharth Shukla Age Death Girlfriend Wife Family Biography
| Bio/Wiki | |
|---|---|
| Nickname | Sid |
| Profession(s) | Actor, Model |
| Famous For | • Playing the role of ‘Shivraj Shekhar’ in “Balika Vadhu” • Being the winner of Bigg Boss 13  |
| Physical Stats & More | |
| Height | in centimeters– 188 cm in meters– 1.88 m in feet inches– 6’ 2″ |
| Weight (approx.) | in kilograms- 75 kg in pounds- 165 lbs |
| Eye Colour | Black |
| Hair Colour | Black |
| Body Measurements (approx.) | – Chest: 42 Inches – Waist: 32 Inches – Biceps: 16 Inches |
| Career | |
| Debut | Film: Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania (2014) as Angad Bedi TV: Babul Ka Aangann Chootey Na (2008) as Shubh Ranawat Web-Series: Broken But Beautiful 3 (2021) as Agastya Rao  |
| Awards, Honours, Achievements | • Golden Petal Award for Most Lokpriye Face Male (2012, 2013) • Golden Petal Award for Best on Screen Couple on Colors with Pratyusha Banerjee (2012) • ITA Award for GRB! Performer of the Year Male (2013) • Zee Gold Award for Most Fit Actor Male (2014) • Stardust Award for Breakthrough Supporting Performance Male for the film “Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania” (2014) • HT Most Stylish Actor (2017) • 2 Gold Awards for Style Icon of Television Industry (Male) and Style Icon of Social Media (Male) in 2020  |
| Personal Life | |
| Date of Birth | 12 December 1980 (Friday) |
| Birthplace | Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| Date of Death | 2 September 2021 |
| Place of Death | Cooper Hospital, Mumbai |
| Age (at the time of death) | 40 Years |
| Death Cause | Heart Attack Note: Reportedly, he was brought dead to the hospital. |
| Zodiac sign | Sagittarius |
| Autograph |  |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Hometown | Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India |
| School | St. Xavier’s High School, Fort, Mumbai |
| College/University | Rachana Sansad School of Interior Design |
| Educational Qualification | Graduation in Interior Designing |
| Address | Casuarina A, New Link Road, Andheri West, 400053, Mumbai, Maharashtra |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Caste | Brahmin |
| Hobbies | Gymming, Travelling |
| Food Habit | Turned Non-Vegetarian |
| Controversies | • Reportedly, his first celebrity girlfriend Shilpa Shinde accused him of beating her and throwing her out of a car, after which she broke up with Shukla. • He was fined 2000 (INR) by the Traffic Police in Mumbai for drunken driving on New Year’s Eve, and his license was seized.  • In 2018, Sidharth was arrested by the Mumbai Police for rash driving. He was charged under sections 279, 337, and 427 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and was released after paying a penalty of Rs. 5000.  • During his stint in Balika Vadhu, Sidharth got into a cold war with actor, Shashank Vyas, over his share of role in the serial. • Sidharth was not on talking terms with his Balika Vadhu co-star, Toral Rasputra. • There was also a rift between Sidharth and his Dil Se Dil Tak co-star, Kunal Verma. Kunal criticised the actor for his bad behaviour on the sets of the show. He said, “Kunal said, “He is an unprofessional maniac and a psycho. I think he needs psychiatric treatment again. I heard he had gone to rehab once and I think he needs to visit it again.” • Sidharth is often criticised for being late on the sets of his shows and for creating a ruckus with his bizarre demands. • Reportedly, he also got into a fight with his co-star, Rashami Desai, on the sets of the serial “Dil Se Dil Tak.” He refused shooting for the show as his vanity van was smaller than that of Rashami. • Sidharth was even criticised by the media for his bad behaviour with a media person. Apparently, when a reporter tried to ask him about the news of him throwing tantrums on the sets of his shows, Sidharth removed his mic and walked out of the interview. |
| Relationships & More | |
| Marital Status | Unmarried |
| Affairs/Girlfriends | • Shilpa Shinde (Actor) • Drashti Dhami (Rumoured; Actor)  • Shefali Jariwala (Actor; Dancer)  • Smita Bansal (Rumoured; Actor)  • Tanishaa Mukerji (Rumoured; Actor)  • Rashami Desai (Rumoured; Actor)  • Akanksha Puri (Rumoured; Actor and Model)  • Arti Singh (Rumoured; Actor)  • Shehnaaz Gill (Actress and Singer)  |
| Family | |
| Wife/Spouse | N/A |
| Parents | Father– Late Ashok Shukla (Civil Engineer; Employee of the Reserve Bank of India) Mother– Rita Shukla (Homemaker)  |
| Siblings | Brother– None Sister(s)– 2 Preeti Shukla (eldest) Neetu Shukla (elder; senior manager at Nucleus Office Parks, Mumbai) |
| Favourites | |
| Cuisine | Indian |
| Food | Pav Bhaji and Daal-Rice |
| Actors | Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Mithun Chakraborty |
| Actresses | Sridevi, Madhuri Dixit |
| Films | Bollywood– Agneepath, Deewar, Vaastav, Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, Jab We Met Hollywood– Fast and Furious |
| Perfume | Paco Rabanne |
| Travel Destinations | Germany, Spain, Austria |
| Colour | White |
| Style Quotient | |
| Car Collection | • BMW X5 • Black Sapphire Paint Finish SUV X5 |
| Bike Collection | Bobber Style Harley Davidson |
| Money Factor | |
| Salary (approx.) | Rs. 60,000/episode |
2008–2011: Television debut
In 2008, he made his acting debut with a lead role in the television show Babul Ka Aangann Chootey Na on Sony TV opposite Aastha Chaudhary. Shukla played Shubh Ranawat, a man dedicated to his work and family. The show ended in February 2009. In 2009, he appeared as Veer Vardhan Singh in Jaane Pehchaane Se… Ye Ajnabbi on Star One opposite Sanjeeda Sheikh and Aditi Tailang. The show ended in September 2010. After Jaane Pehchaane Se… Ye Ajnabbi ended, he also appeared in a few episodes of Aahat. In 2011, he appeared as Rahul Kashyap in Love U Zindagi opposite Pavitra Punia on StarPlus. The show was inspired by the Bollywood movie Jab We Met. He also appeared in an episode of CID.
2012–2014: Breakthrough with Balika Vadhu and Bollywood debut
In 2012, Shukla appeared as District Collector Shivraj Shekhar, opposite Pratyusha Banerjee and Toral Rasputra in Balika Vadhu. It was his portrayal of Shiv in the long-running Colors TV social drama series Balika Vadhu that earned him widespread recognition and popularity, including several awards and nominations. He received the “GR8! Performer of the Year (Male)” award at the Indian Television Academy (ITA) Awards. He left the show in 2015, when his character, Shiv, died fighting with terrorists. In 2013, Shukla participated in the celebrity dance reality show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 6, and was eliminated in the 11th week. It was reported that Shukla had signed a 3-film deal with Dharma Productions. In 2014, Shukla made his Bollywood debut in the romantic comedy Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania in a supporting role playing the character of Angad Bedi, an NRI doctor and fiancé of the female protagonist played by Alia Bhatt. The film earned him an award for “Breakthrough Supporting Performance (Male)” in the 2015 Stardust Awards.
2014–2018: Television hosting, Khatron Ke Khiladi and Dil Se Dil Tak
In 2014, Shukla was named the host of Savdhaan India. He introduced stories of common people who fought against crime. In 2015, after exiting from Balika Vadhu, he hosted India’s Got Talent 6, with Bharti Singh, and the season finale was aired in June 2015. In 2016, Shukla won the stunt reality show Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi 7. The same year, he hosted India’s Got Talent 7 with Bharti Singh, and the season finale was aired in July 2016. Later in 2016, Shukla appeared as Mr. Chakraborty, an Indian businessman, in a Kazakhstan movie, Business in Kazakhstan. In 2017, he appeared as Parth Bhanushali in Dil Se Dil Tak with co-stars Rashami Desai and Jasmin Bhasin. The series was inspired by the Bollywood movie, Chori Chori Chupke Chupke. He left the series in December 2017.
2019–2021: Bigg Boss 13 and Broken But Beautiful 3
In 2019, he participated in the reality show Bigg Boss 13 and was declared the winner in February 2020. Ormax media rated Shukla to be the most popular contestant of Bigg Boss 13, ranking him as number one throughout 20 weeks. He was voted the most favourite contestant of Bigg Boss 13 in polls conducted by Hindustan Times, India TV News, and The Times of India. He was the most tweeted contestant of Bigg Boss 13.
In 2020, after winning Bigg Boss 13, Shukla appeared in two music videos, “Bhula Dunga”, and “Dil Ko Karaar Aaya”. The same year, Shukla entered as one of the “Toofani” Seniors in Bigg Boss 14, for the first two weeks. Shukla then appeared in another music video “Shona Shona”. In January 2021, Shukla hosted the 16th week’s “Weekend Ka Vaar” of Bigg Boss 14, as Shukla was filling in for Salman Khan, who was missing from the show due to other work commitments.
Shukla made his OTT debut as Agastya Rao with the third season of the romance web series Broken But Beautiful opposite Sonia Rathee streaming on ALTBalaji and MX Player. The series and Shukla’s performance received positive responses from critics, Mugdha Kapoor of DNA India wrote, “It’s the fire and genuineness in Sidharth’s acting and freshness in Sonia’s performance that keeps the viewers glued and wanting to see more.”
In the media
In 2014, he won the Gold Awards Most Fit Actor award and was included in Rediff’s Television’s Top 10 Actors. In 2013, Shukla entered the Times of India’s Most Desirable Men of 2013 at 34th position, ranking 33rd in 2014, 44th in 2017, 41st in 2018, 15th in 2019, and 11th in 2020. He was ranked 5th and 7th in the Times of India’s Top 20 Most Desirable Men on Television in 2017 and 2018 respectively, and then he was ranked 1st consecutively in The Times 20 Most Desirable Men on Television in 2019 and 2020. He was announced by the Hindustan Times as the most stylish TV personality in 2017. Later in the year, he was also placed at the 10th position in the exclusive list of Top 12 Indian Male Hotties of 2017 by Trendrr.
In 2019, Shukla was the ninth most searched personality in India on Google. In 2021, he was declared The Times of India’s Charismatic TV personality. Before the Bigg Boss 14 premiere, Sidharth was voted as the Bigg Boss Greatest Of All Times in a series of polls conducted by Colors TV, where 16 popular contestants across all the previous 13 seasons were nominated for the title.
Death
Shukla died on 2 September 2021 after suffering a heart attack at the age of 40.
Filmography
Films
| Year | Title | Role(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania | Angad Bedi | Hindi film |
| 2016 | Business In Kazakhstan | Mr. Chakraborty | Kazakh film |
Web series
| Year | Title | Role(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Broken But Beautiful 3 | Agastya Rao |
Television
| Year | Title | Role(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008–2009 | Babul Ka Aangann Chootey Na | Shubh Ranawat | |
| 2009–2010 | Jaane Pehchaane Se… Ye Ajnabbi | Veer Vardhan Singh | |
| 2010 | Aahat | Sidharth | |
| 2011 | Love U Zindagi | Rahul Kashyap | |
| CID | Karan | Episode 747 – Paagal Aashiq | |
| 2012–2015 | Balika Vadhu | Shivraj Shekhar | |
| 2013 | Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 6 | Contestant | 7th place |
| 2014–2015 | Savdhaan India | Host | |
| 2015 | India’s Got Talent 6 | ||
| 2016 | Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi 7 | Contestant | Winner |
| India’s Got Talent 7 | Host | ||
| 2017 | Dil Se Dil Tak | Parth Bhanushali | Replaced by Rohan Gandotra |
| 2019–2020 | Bigg Boss 13 | Contestant | Winner |
| 2020 | Bigg Boss 14 | Senior | For first two weeks |
| 2021 | Host | For 16th week |
Special appearances
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Ek Packet Umeed | Unnamed |
| 2009 | Love Ne Mila Di Jodi | Veer Singh |
| Miley Jab Hum Tum | ||
| 2010 | Geet – Hui Sabse Parayi | |
| Pyaar Kii Ye Ek Kahaani | ||
| Rang Badalti Odhani | ||
| 2011 | Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai | Rahul Kashyap |
| Saath Nibhaana Saathiya | ||
| 2012 | Madhubala – Ek Ishq Ek Junoon | Shivraj Shekhar |
| Parichay — Nayee Zindagi Kay Sapno Ka | ||
| 2013 | Sasural Simar Ka | |
| Uttaran | ||
| 2014 | Rangrasiya | |
| Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 7 | Himself | |
| Comedy Nights with Kapil | ||
| 2015 | Comedy Classes | |
| Bigg Boss 9 | ||
| 2016 | ||
| 2017 | Bigg Boss 10 | |
| Shakti – Astitva Ke Ehsaas Ki | Parth Bhanushali | |
| Ek Shringaar Swabhiman | ||
| 2018 | Naagin 3 | Himself |
| 2019 | Kitchen Champion | |
| Dance Deewane 2 | ||
| 2020 | Mujhse Shaadi Karoge | |
| 2021 | Namak Issk Ka | |
| Dance Deewane 3 | ||
| Bigg Boss OTT | ||
| Dance Deewane 3 |
Music videos
| Year | Title | Singer(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Resham Ka Rumal | Ila Arun |
| 2020 | Bhula Dunga | Darshan Raval |
| Dil Ko Karaar Aaya | Yasser Desai, Neha Kakkar | |
| Shona Shona | Tony Kakkar, Neha Kakkar | |
| 2021 | Habit | Shreya Ghoshal, Arko |