After witnessing a year-long journey of unflinching grit, passion and adventure, the 17th season of India’s longest running adventure reality show, OPPO MTV Roadies Revolution, has its winner in Delhi boy Hamid Barkzi. A part of celebrity leader Nikhil Chinapa’s team, Hamid took the trophy home, defeating Michael and Jayant from Team Nikhil and Team Varun respectively, in the grand finale on Saturday, 16th January. This season, premiered on 15th February 2020, celebrated the undying zeal of a Roadie coupled with their willingness to strive for social change in the society. It took the viewers to the scenic landscapes of Rishikesh, Rupnagar and Garli Village before the imposed lockdown in March.
Starting as an underdog to emerging the winner of the 17th season, Hamid witnessed an eventful journey. He impressed everyone with his strengths while performing tasks and played a fair game throughout the journey. Part of Team ‘Loyalty’, Hamid stood strong in Nikhil’s team and didn’t let any obstacle deter his spirits in the show. Initially considered a weak link, Hamid stood up the challenges in the game dynamics and post the lockdown when the shoot resumed, there has been no looking back for him since then. He emerged victorious in the finale task which was the ultimate test of strength and courage. The ex-contestants cheered for the finalist and kept the excitement exceedingly high.
On winning the show Hamid said, “This is one of the most special moments of my life. From being an underdog where I wanted a chance to perform to winning the title, I have been loyal to my game, team and to myself in this journey and that’s what mattered in the end. Roadies Revolution has been instrumental in changing my outlook towards some of the important things in life. I’ve had my own share of ups and downs but that has only made me stronger to move up the ladder and emerge victorious. I can’t thank Nikhil Sir enough for this win. He has fought for his team, stood by each one of us at every step of the way. I’m really happy to have got the chance to play with him and reach the finish line. This journey wouldn’t have been possible without the support of Rannvijay Sir and other leaders, Neha Ma’am, Prince and Varun Sir, who have been wonderful mentors. And a big shoutout to team MTV for giving us a platform to express ourselves. This is just the beginning. Looking forward to many more challenges and victories.”
Winning leader Nikhil Chinapa also expressed his excitement, “This is an exhilarating victory. Reaching the finale for the first time amongst competitors like Prince, Neha and Varun, it’s an important win for me, Hamid and for Team ‘Loyalty’ that I’ve been so lucky to have. Roadies Revolution has been challenging but fulfilling and I couldn’t be more grateful to have the squad by my side throughout this journey. The game was pretty intense, and everyone performed to the best of his or her ability. Hamid has been an exceptional player, emerging as one of the strongest contenders in the show. He owes his victory as much to his own ability as he does to the support of his friends, Michael, Arushi, Kevin, Prakhar and Taran, who stood by him through his journey. It’s a well-deserved win and I am extremely proud of him as I am of Michael and the rest of our Team Loyalty. Time to celebrate and gear up for many more adventures that are coming up next.”
Led by an epic panel of celebrity leaders, Neha Dhupia, Nikhil Chinapa, Varun Sood and Prince Narula, along with host Rannvijay Singha, Roadies Revolution touched upon several social causes through its journey and encouraged contestants to give back to society and work towards its betterment. As the shoot halted mid-way due to the imposed lockdown in March, the Roadies Fam commenced the journey online with the first ever digital auditions in the history of Roadies and took the entertainment quotient a notch higher. The Roadies squad got back in action when the shoot resumed in Mumbai post the lockdown on September 10 and continued to entertain the audience with multiple twists and turns till the end of the journey.