After a three-month-long journey of thrill and adventure, actor Karan Veer Mehra emerged as the winner of Khatron Ke Khiladi Season 14. The results were announced on Sunday night. Karan Veer won the coveted trophy, Rs 20 lakhs cash and a car after beating 12 contestants including the finalists Gashmeer Mahajani, Krishna Shroff. Expressing happiness over the victory, Karan Veer said in an interview, “I thought I would win whenever I do the show. But when I reached the set, I realised every contestant had sworn to win. My confidence shook a little then, but as they say, ‘Der lagi aane main lekin shukar hai ki aaye toh.’”
After the videos and pictures from the finale stage went viral, people became curious to know who Karan Veer is and what has been his journey in the industry so far.
Acting Career
Karan Veer graduated from Delhi College of Arts & Commerce in Advertising & Sales Promotion. However, life had different plans as Karan Veer turned to acting and made his debut in 2005. His first project was a teen drama titled Remix, which earned him enough recognition to get more work. He then starred in TV shows such as Pavitra Rishta, Amrit Manthan, Baatein Kuch Ankahee Si and Ziddi Dil Maane Na.
While he was creating a name in the television world, Karan Veer started bagging projects for the big screen. He was seen in several films including Love Story 2050, Ragini MMS 2 and Choices.
Karan’s love for adventure and thrill led him to participate in India’s most popular reality show Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi Season 14, which further strengthened his popularity in Indian households.
Failed Marriage
When Karan Veer was at the peak of his career, his personal life was going through a rough patch. He met with an accident, parted ways with his childhood love Devika and resorted to alcohol for escape. In an interview to Bombai Times, the actor revealed that marriage was a decision taken in haste. “The flipside of my early success was that I became reckless — reckless enough to take a serious step like marriage without any thought. I decided on marriage within a day and she also agreed, though we had fought just the previous evening.”
Regretting the decision of getting married, he further shared, “Perhaps, I could’ve done things differently. To begin with, I should never have gotten married back then. It would have saved two lives from getting ruined.”
Things got worse in his marriage when the actor started getting linked to his colleagues. “I got linked to actresses, actors and creative producers, and it was the beginning of the end. So, I don’t blame or disrespect the institution of marriage and I’m not disillusioned either. And despite my failed marriage, I still have a lot of love left in me. Today, I have learnt to accept and share, but I still need someone who can give me love and care,” he told the interviewer.
They finally got divorced in 2018. But Karan Veer indeed gave love another chance and remarried in 2021 to Nidhi Seth. However, this marriage too lasted two years.
Finding Escape in Alcohol
The Pavitra Rishta actor met with a bike accident in December 2016 and was bedridden for more five months. He recalled how that was an extremely difficult phase and alcohol came to his rescue. “I would drink to put myself to sleep in those days and that’s how I got into alcohol. I wasn’t earning anything. This is the volatile nature of an actor’s life,” he had shared. But he never gave up on life and fought hard. “Thanks to my family and upbringing. I was always taught to get back on my feet and start running again. Narcissism also helped me out,” he had shared.
One day when he looked into the mirror, Karan Veer realized that he did not want this life. And that’s when he got the motivation to change things 360 degrees. “I stopped drinking, my physiotherapy began and I hit the gym. So, my ‘rehab’ happened internally. I fought my depression full throttle and luckily work, be it films, TV, theatre or web, started coming my way,” he wrapped up.
