Mumbai, Feb 1 (IANS): Actor Gautam Gulati Saturday night emerged the winner of reality show "Bigg Boss Halla Bol", which was an extension of "Bigg Boss 8". The grand finale saw a mix of celebrities, including host Farah Khan, and item girl Malaika Arora Khan, giving a push to the entertainment quotient.

An overwhelmed Gautam was welcomed with open arms by his friends and family members as host Farah handed him the "Bigg Boss" trophy along with the prize money of Rs.5 million.

Gautam's foothold in the show was such that whether it was his fellow contestants or the wildcard contestants -- none could weaken his presence either in the "Bigg Boss" house or in the minds of viewers.

He pipped Karishma Tanna, who was the runner-up in the show, followed by Pritam Singh as the second runner-up.

Be it his dance moves, his six-pack abs or his incredible ability to annoy people with his antics -- Gautam showcased multiple nuances of his personality over the four months of his stay in the show, which kept viewers engaged and entertained consistently.

He found his closest friends in the popular 'P3G' group -- Puneet Issar, Pritam Singh and Praneet Bhat. Gautam's personality also tugged at the heartstrings of fellow contestants Sonali Raut and Diandra Soares.

The grand finale of "Bigg Boss Halla Bol" brought together a mix of style and eye-catching entertainment. The finalists received personalised makeovers from celebrity stylist Hakim Alim which saw Gautam, Pritam, Karishma and Dimpy Mahajan getting some personalised haircuts and Ali Quli Mirza getting a funky tattoo.

The contestants further came together for a glamorous performance with Malaika inside the "Bigg Boss" house. Joining the finalists was "Bigg Boss" aficionado Sonakshi Sinha who put the contestants in the line of fire as she questioned them about the stories that had been doing the rounds all season.

The real drama unfolded when the kingpin of interrogation, Rajat Sharma put them in his famous 'kachehri; and cross-examined them about the allegations and accusations that the contestants have faced while inside the house, giving them one final opportunity to settle old scores and disputes.

Throwing in the last twist, Bigg Boss offered the three finalists an opportunity to grab the additional prize money of Rs.2.5 millon, and Pritam seized the moment and quit the race in the last hour.

As the evening drew closer to the end, Farah brought the finalists -- Karishma and Gautam together one last time before declaring Gautam as the winner of the show, where a mix of celebrity contestants were fighting for survival in a locked and isolated house full of controversies, under the prying eyes of multiple cameras.

Farah took over the baton as the host of "Bigg Boss Halla Bol" after Salman had to leave "Bigg Boss 8" to fulfill prior commitments of shooting a film.

The end of "Bigg Boss Halla Bol" has paved way for one of channel Colors' biggest offerings so far -- "Chakravartin Ashok Samrat", a historical show which will go on air Monday.