Quick answer: Gauahar Khan (often spelt Gauhar Khan) is an Indian actor, model and television host from Pune who won Bigg Boss 7 on Colors in December 2013, with Tanishaa Mukerji as the first runner-up. Before that she made her name as a model and with her acting debut in Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year (2009). She has since worked in films such as Ishaqzaade, Begum Jaan and 14 Phere and in web series such as Tandav.
Who is Gauahar Khan?
Gauahar Khan started out as a model, moved into music videos and television anchoring, and then built a career across Hindi films, dance numbers, reality shows and streaming series. She is best known to television audiences as the winner of Bigg Boss 7, the Colors reality show hosted that season by Salman Khan. Her elder sister, Nigaar Khan, is also an actor and model. Her name is now usually written “Gauahar”, while older articles (including earlier versions of this one) use “Gauhar”.
Gauahar Khan: profile at a glance
- Full name: Gauahar Zafar Khan
- Born: 23 August 1983, in Pune, Maharashtra (as given on her Wikipedia entry), which makes her 43 as of October 2026
- Occupation: actor, model, television host
- Best known for: winning Bigg Boss 7 (2013); Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year; Ishaqzaade; Tandav
- Sister: Nigaar Khan, actor and model
- Spouse: Zaid Darbar (married 25 December 2020)
- Children: two sons, born in May 2023 and September 2025
An earlier version of this article listed her age as 32 “as per 2016”, which is long out of date, along with a height, weight, eye and hair colour, favourite foods and a list of past boyfriends. Those personal details have been removed: they were either unverifiable or not the kind of thing this biography should speculate about.
Early career: modelling, music videos and anchoring
Gauahar Khan began as a model. She placed fourth at Femina Miss India 2002, where she also won the Miss Talented title, and represented India at Miss International 2002. She then appeared in music videos, including the Bombay Vikings track “Hawa Mein Udati Jaaye”, and anchored Page 3, a film gossip show on Zoom television.
Her first film work was in special song appearances: Madhur Bhandarkar’s Aan: Men at Work (2004), in which she featured in the song “Nasha”, and the Telugu film Shankar Dada M.B.B.S. the same year. An earlier version of this article said her film debut was Miss India: The Mystery in 2003 and that Aan starred Amitabh Bachchan. We could not confirm the first claim, and the second is wrong: Aan starred Shatrughan Sinha, Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty and Paresh Rawal.
Films
Her first acting role came in Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year (2009), opposite Ranbir Kapoor, in which she played Koena Sheikh. The role earned her a Stardust nomination for best breakthrough performance.
- Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year (2009): Koena Sheikh, her acting debut.
- Game (2011): a double role as Samara Shroff and Natasha Malhotra.
- Ishaqzaade (2012): Chand Bibi, opposite Arjun Kapoor and Parineeti Chopra. Her dance numbers in the film, “Chokra Jawaan” and “Jhallah Wallah”, were widely noticed. She was nominated for a supporting actress award for the role.
- Oh Yaara Ainvayi Ainvayi Lut Gaya (2015): her Punjabi film debut.
- Kyaa Kool Hain Hum 3 (2016): a special appearance in the song “Jawaani Le Doobi”. The song’s official video is below.
- Fever (2016): a double role as Kavya and Pooja. An earlier version of this article described Fever as an upcoming film; it was released in 2016.
- Badrinath Ki Dulhania (2017): a cameo.
- Begum Jaan (2017): Rubina, in Srijit Mukherji’s film starring Vidya Balan.
- Nine Hours in Mumbai (2018)
- 14 Phere (2021): Zubina. The role brought her an IIFA nomination for best supporting actress in 2022.
Reality shows and television
Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 3 (2009): first runner-up
Gauahar Khan joined the third season of the celebrity dance show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa in 2009 and finished as the first runner-up. Years later, she came back to the franchise as a host of Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 11 (2023-24).
Bigg Boss 7 (2013): winner
Bigg Boss 7 ran on Colors from 15 September to 28 December 2013 and was hosted by Salman Khan. Gauahar Khan entered on day one and lasted all 104 days. In the finale she was declared the winner, with Tanishaa Mukerji as the first runner-up. For every season’s winner and runner-up, see our list of Bigg Boss winners.
An earlier version of this article said she won a cash prize of ₹50 lakh. We could not confirm the prize amount from a reliable source, so it has been left out.
Other television
- Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi 5 (2014): contestant; she finished eighth.
- India’s Raw Star (2014): host.
- I Can Do That (2015): first runner-up.
- The Office (2019): Riya Pahwa, in the Indian version of the comedy series.
- Bigg Boss 14 (2020): returned for the first two weeks as one of the season’s “seniors”, former contestants who guided the new housemates.
Web series
- Tandav (2021): Maithili Sharan, in the Amazon Prime Video political drama.
- Bestseller (2022): Mayanka Kapoor.
- Salt City (2022): Gunjan Bajpai.
- Shiksha Mandal (2022): Anuradha Singh Shrivastava.
- Lovely Lolla (2024-25): the title role of Vaishnavi “Lolla” Chawla.
Personal life
Gauahar Khan married Zaid Darbar, the son of music composer Ismail Darbar, on 25 December 2020. Their first son was born in May 2023 and their second in September 2025. An earlier version of this article, written in 2016, described her as single and discussed her past relationships; that section has been removed.
For the other early Bigg Boss champions, read our profiles of Urvashi Dholakia (Bigg Boss 6) and Gautam Gulati (Bigg Boss 8), or see who presented each season in our Bigg Boss hosts list.
Frequently asked questions
Who won Bigg Boss 7?
Gauahar Khan won Bigg Boss 7 in December 2013. Tanishaa Mukerji was the first runner-up. Salman Khan hosted the season.
What was Gauahar Khan’s first film?
Her first film appearances were special song appearances in 2004, in Aan: Men at Work and the Telugu film Shankar Dada M.B.B.S. Her first acting role was Koena Sheikh in Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year (2009).
Is Gauahar Khan married?
Yes. She married Zaid Darbar on 25 December 2020. The couple have two sons, born in 2023 and 2025.
Is Gauahar Khan related to Nigaar Khan?
Yes. Nigaar Khan, also an actor and model, is her sister.
Is it Gauhar or Gauahar Khan?
Both spellings appear in the press. She now uses “Gauahar Khan”, and that is the spelling used in recent credits; older articles often have “Gauhar”.
Details checked in October 2026 against her Wikipedia entry and its cited sources, the Bigg Boss 7 season record, and press coverage of her films and series. Personal details that could not be verified have been removed.
