Bigg Boss 16 wrapped up its 130-day run on February 12, 2023, with Pune rapper MC Stan (real name Altaf Shaikh) taking home the trophy in a finale made all the more memorable by the genuine friendship between him and runner-up Shiv Thakare. Here’s the complete breakdown.
Season 16 at a Glance
The season premiered October 1, 2022, on Colors TV, and concluded February 12, 2023, running 130 days with 17 initial contestants. Salman Khan hosted for the thirteenth time. One of the season’s defining storylines was the “Mandali” — a tight-knit friend group inside the house consisting of MC Stan, Shiv Thakare, filmmaker Sajid Khan, singer Abdu Rozik, actress Nimrit Kaur Ahluwalia, and actress Sumbul Touqeer Khan — whose loyalty to one another became a season-long talking point.
Who Won Bigg Boss 16?
MC Stan, an Indian rapper, lyricist, and music producer from Pune who first found fame with his 2019 track “Khuja Mat,” was declared the winner. He entered the house with an already substantial fan following (7.7 million on Instagram at the time) and maintained a strong position throughout the competition. He took home the trophy, a Hyundai Grand i10 Nios, and prize money reported between ₹31 lakh and ₹31.8 lakh across different outlets. After his win, Stan thanked Salman Khan directly, calling him “the most real person” and expressing pride in what his parents would feel watching him succeed.
Runner-Up and Top Finishers
Shiv Thakare — MC Stan’s close friend within the “Mandali” group — finished as first runner-up. TV actress Priyanka Chahar Choudhary, who many had tipped to win and who was noted as leading the vote count going into the final stretch, was eliminated in the final three, finishing third; Salman Khan publicly praised the graceful way she handled the news. Politician-model Archana Gautam finished fourth, and actor Shalin Bhanot — known for Saat Phere: Saloni Ka Safar and Dill Mill Gayye — rounded out the top five.
Full Contestant List
Season 16’s 17-person original cast included TV actors, a rapper, a singer, and public figures from beyond entertainment:
- MC Stan (Altaf Shaikh) — Rapper — Winner
- Shiv Thakare — Actor — Runner-up
- Priyanka Chahar Choudhary — TV actress — Third place
- Archana Gautam — Politician, model — Fourth place
- Shalin Bhanot — TV actor — Fifth place
- Sajid Khan — Filmmaker, part of the “Mandali” group
- Abdu Rozik — Singer, part of the “Mandali” group
- Nimrit Kaur Ahluwalia — Actress, part of the “Mandali” group
- Sumbul Touqeer Khan — Actress, part of the “Mandali” group
- Tina Datta — Actress
- Ankit Gupta — Actor
- Soundarya Sharma — Actress (Raktanchal 2)
- Sreejita De — Actress
- Gori Nagori — Dancer
Hosting and Grand Finale
Salman Khan hosted his thirteenth season, with the finale running late into the early hours of the next day. Comedians Krishna Abhishek and Bharti Singh opened proceedings with games involving the contestants, while Bollywood star Sunny Deol appeared alongside Ameesha Patel to promote Gadar 2, and Karan Kundrra’s team promoted the upcoming show Tere Ishq Mein Ghayal. In a memorable finale moment, Ekta Kapoor offered eliminated finalist Shalin Bhanot the lead role in her new show Beqaboo on the spot.
Final Thoughts
Bigg Boss 16’s real emotional core wasn’t the rivalry typically expected of a Bigg Boss finale, but the genuine friendship between MC Stan and Shiv Thakare — two “Mandali” members facing off for the trophy without the usual bitterness. Combined with a competitive top five that included a strong Priyanka Chahar Choudhary run cut short right before the final two, the season remains one of the more warmly remembered recent chapters in the franchise, driven as much by camaraderie as by competition.