Amitabh Bachchan has opened up about the emotional side of hosting ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ (KBC), saying that watching contestants lose is one of the hardest parts of his job.
The Bollywood legend, who has been the face of the quiz show for over two decades, shared that meeting contestants each week means he also witnesses their hopes, struggles, and dreams up close.
When they fail to win, he says, the disappointment is not just theirs, it affects him deeply too.
“We meet contestants who come with ambitious hopes of winning. When they cannot make it, it’s the hardest to control their frustration over a lost opportunity,” Bachchan wrote. “For me as well, it is emotionally shattering to see their tears when their week ends, the hooter plays, and the chance to play for personal reasons disappears.”
According to him, many participants sacrifice a lot just to make it to the show. Some leave jobs or pause their studies to sit in the “Fastest Finger First” round, hoping to win life-changing sums of money. When they fall short, no words seem enough to ease their pain.
Also Read: KBC teaser with Sofiya Qureshi, Vyomika Singh, Prerna Deosthalee divides social media
“No amount of consolation can help in that moment,” he said. “For some, the need is crucial. The opportunity they waited for slips away… it’s difficult to face such moments.”
Still, the 81-year-old star believes in leaving contestants with encouragement. “A smile of ‘try again’ or a word that loss is not the end of life, it’s a learning,” he explained, adding a personal mantra: ‘Mann ka ho to acha; na ho toh zyada acha’ (If things happen your way, that’s good; if not, that’s even better).
But he admits that not everyone can accept this easily, and that makes the farewell even more heartbreaking. “As they say, the show goes on. But you walk away thinking not of the winner, but of the one who tried and lost. Life is a tough job.”
‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ is the Hindi version of the global hit ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?’ franchise. Amitabh Bachchan has hosted KBC nearly every season since its debut in 2000, except the third season, which was hosted by Shah Rukh Khan. The show continues to attract millions of viewers, not just for its prize money and quiz format, but also for the heartfelt human stories that unfold on the famous “hot seat”.