Kalyan Padala has emerged as the winner of Bigg Boss Telugu Season 9, ending his almost four-month journey on the Nagarjuna-hosted reality show. The grand finale aired on Sunday, 21 December and saw Kalyan defeat Thanuja Puttaswamy to win the coveted trophy. With his win, Kalyan took home Rs 35 lakh in cash and a new Maruti Suzuki Victoris, along with an additional Rs 5 lakh given by one of the co-sponsors of the show.
Host Nagarjuna announced the result saying, “The winner of Bigg Boss Telugu Season 9 is Kalyan Padala.” At that moment Kalyan became very emotional and started crying on the stage itself. Runner-up Thanuja Puttaswamy warmly appreciated and congratulated him.
Kalyan Padala wins Bigg Boss Telugu 9 after 105 days inside the house
Kalyan’s journey was notable for its continuity and emotional connect with the audience. Even before the finale, he was considered the frontrunner. A screen poll conducted on X showed Kalyan leading with 64.6 percent of the votes out of 1,006 participants. Thanuja followed closely and ultimately finished as the runner-up.
During the finale, Bigg Boss introduced several twists, including tempting cash offers to the finalists. Demon Pawan walked out of the show after accepting Rs 15 lakh to support his family, reducing the final prize money from Rs 50 lakh to Rs 35 lakh. Despite being offered Rs 20 lakh in the last turn, both Kalyan and Thanuja refuse to go.
Explaining his decision, Kalyan said, “I come from a simple background. Of course, this amount is too big for me, but I cannot accept it.” Thanuja said, “Taking this suitcase will disappoint my fans. I am here today because of them, so it is not right to accept this.”
Here’s how the grand finale started with stars and surprises
The star-studded finale was graced by the presence of Roshan Meka, Anaswara Rajan, Mika Srikanth, Naveen Polishetty, Meenakshi Choudhary, Ravi Teja, Ashika Ranganath and Dimple Hayati. Performances by Manglik and Payal Rajput further enhanced the celebratory mood. Ravi Teja’s surprise entry with a suitcase full of cash became one of the most talked about moments of the night.
As the season ended, the makers paid tribute to host Nagarjuna with a special montage. While walking out with the finalists, he softly said, “Finally going home…” which made both Kalyan and Thanuja get emotional.
After his win, Kalyan thanked the audience, his family and the team for their support. Thanuja said, “I am extremely grateful to everyone for supporting me. It has been an incredible journey.”
Also read: Bigg Boss Telugu 9 Finale: Meet the Top 5 Finalists and Know More About the Nagarjuna Akkineni Hosted Show
