Gaurav Khanna Wiki, Age, Height, Net Worth 2026

Gaurav Khanna is an Indian television actor best known for playing Anuj Kapadia in the hit Star Plus serial Anupamaa. In 2025, he won two major reality shows back to back — Celebrity MasterChef India and Bigg Boss 19 — and in 2026 he took part in Khatron Ke Khiladi 15. As of October 2026, he is back in the headlines after Star Plus released a teaser pairing him with Shraddha Arya for a new Balaji Telefilms fiction show, marking his return to daily television drama.

Early Life and Education

Gaurav Khanna was born on 11 December 1981 in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, into a middle-class family. According to biographical profiles, his father worked in government service and his mother is a homemaker, and he has an elder sister. He completed his schooling in Kanpur and went on to earn an MBA in marketing.

Before entering show business, Khanna worked for close to a year as a marketing manager with an IT company. The corporate stint gave him a professional grounding, but acting pulled him in another direction, and he eventually moved to Mumbai to try his luck in the entertainment industry. He started out appearing in television commercials before landing small acting roles.

Career

Khanna’s television career began in the mid-2000s with supporting parts in serials such as Bhabhi and Kumkum – Ek Pyara Sa Bandhan. His first lead role came in 2007 with Meri Doli Tere Angana. Over the following years he built a steady resume across genres: Neil Fernandez in Jeevan Saathi – Humsafar Zindagi Ke, Abeer Bajpayee in Yeh Pyar Na Hoga Kam opposite Yami Gautam, Inspector Kavin in the long-running crime series CID, Dr. Akshay Sinha in Tere Bin, and Prince Virendra Singh in Prem Ya Paheli – Chandrakanta.

His career-defining break arrived in 2021 when he was cast as Anuj Kapadia in Star Plus’s Anupamaa, opposite Rupali Ganguly. The character — a soft-spoken, supportive businessman who stands by the show’s protagonist — made Khanna a household name and earned him the Indian Telly Award for Best Actor in a Lead Role. During his peak run on the show, entertainment portals reported him among the highest-paid actors on Hindi television, with per-episode fees estimated between ₹1.5 and ₹2.5 lakh. He played the role until 2024.

In 2025, Khanna surprised audiences by winning Celebrity MasterChef India season 1, taking home the ₹20 lakh prize — a notable feat given that he has spoken openly about being colour-blind and vegetarian, both genuine handicaps in a cooking competition. Later the same year he entered Colors TV’s Bigg Boss 19, where his calm, respectful gameplay won over viewers; he defeated finalist Farrhana Bhatt to lift the trophy along with the ₹50 lakh prize money, as reported by The Economic Times. In 2026, he joined the stunt-based reality show Khatron Ke Khiladi 15.

In October 2026, Star Plus dropped a teaser announcing a new fiction show from Ektaa Kapoor’s Balaji Telefilms starring Khanna alongside Shraddha Arya. In the promo, both actors arrive at the Balaji office while the paparazzi question them, but neither reveals the show’s title or storyline. The project marks Khanna’s return to daily fiction television after Anupamaa, and his first on-screen pairing with Arya.

Personal Life

Gaurav Khanna married television actress Akanksha Chamola in 2016. The couple has kept their personal life largely private, though Khanna spoke candidly during his Bigg Boss 19 stint about their marriage, including his wish to start a family. He is known to be a fitness enthusiast with interests in gymming and painting, and follows a vegetarian diet.

During Bigg Boss 19, Khanna publicly revealed that he is colour-blind and has always found traffic lights difficult to interpret — a disclosure widely covered by entertainment media at the time.

Gaurav Khanna Net Worth 2026

Entertainment portals estimate Gaurav Khanna’s net worth in the multi-million-dollar range, with figures varying across outlets from roughly $2 million to $10 million. His income streams include television acting fees — he was reported among TV’s highest-paid actors during Anupamaa — reality show prize money (₹20 lakh from Celebrity MasterChef and ₹50 lakh from Bigg Boss 19), brand endorsements, and public appearances.

FAQ

What is Gaurav Khanna’s age?

Gaurav Khanna was born on 11 December 1981, which makes him 44 years old as of October 2026. He turns 45 in December 2026.

What is Gaurav Khanna’s height?

Gaurav Khanna is 5 feet 9 inches (175 cm) tall, according to multiple biographical profiles.

Who is Gaurav Khanna’s wife?

Gaurav Khanna is married to television actress Akanksha Chamola. The couple married in 2016.

Which reality shows has Gaurav Khanna won?

Gaurav Khanna won Celebrity MasterChef India season 1 and Bigg Boss 19, both in 2025. He also participated in Khatron Ke Khiladi 15 in 2026.

What is Gaurav Khanna’s new show in 2026?

In October 2026, Star Plus released a teaser for an upcoming Balaji Telefilms fiction show starring Gaurav Khanna and Shraddha Arya. The title, storyline and premiere date had not been revealed at the time of the announcement.

What was Gaurav Khanna’s role in Anupamaa?

He played Anuj Kapadia, the male lead opposite Rupali Ganguly, from 2021 to 2024. The role won him the Indian Telly Award for Best Actor in a Lead Role.