Kaun Banega Crorepati 5: From rags to riches

Amitabh Bachchan proud of common man’s INR50 million win on ‘KBC’.

NEW DELHI:

Amitabh Bachchan is happy that Sushil Kumar of Bihar won the mega prize of INR50 million on “Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) 5”. Bachchan says that victory proves the strength of the common man.

“What a sensational day in the studios of ‘KBC’! A young man from the interiors of Bihar, earning a meagre salary of just INR6,500 per month, coming from the most humblest of backgrounds, reaches the hot seat and cracks the ultimate prize — INR50 million! An incredible feat,” Bachchan, the host of the popular TV game show, posted on his blog bigb.bigadda.com. “This is what ‘KBC’ is all about. Given an opportunity, the common man has the strength, the ability and the acumen to prove to the world that he is the best,” added the 69-year-old veteran actor.

Kumar, the winner, is a computer operator and tutor by profession. His victory led to celebrations on the sets of the show. “The pulsating excitement on the set and among the crew was unimaginable. It was as if they had won the biggest prize ever in the history of Indian television. The tension rose as each question was meticulously answered and the audiences’ hearts throbbed as Kumar crossed the INR10 million mark,” reminisced Bachchan.

“The entire place exploded when Kumar answered the final question. Kumar’s family, not prone to any kind of public jubilation, ran on to the stage in uncontrollable joy with screams and tears of happiness, whilst the live audience cheered on their feet with the loudest scream I have ever heard in this 11-year association with ‘KBC’!”

In the past, the first season of “KBC” saw Harshvardhan Nawathe from Mumbai walking away with INR10 million. In 2004, Rahat Taslim from Jharkand won INR10 million but quit before the jackpot question for INR50 million. The episode, featuring Kumar’s win, will be telecast on November 2.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 27^th, 2011.