Kaun Banega Crorepati 16: Amitabh Bachchan reveals the controversy behind his father Harivansh Rai Bachchan's Madhushala: ‘Opposition Reached Gandhi Ji’

KBC is hosted by Big B

The latest episode of Kaun Banega Crorepati 16 featured Nitisha Patankar from Bhopal, an IIM Kozhikode student pursuing a Postgraduate degree in Liberal Studies and Management.

She shared that her program is designed to maximize societal impact rather than just profits. Impressed by her vision, host Amitabh Bachchan humorously remarked that at her age, his biggest concerns were tying his shoelaces and pajamas, leaving the audience in splits.

As the game progressed, Nitisha faced a question worth ₹2,000 and used her ‘Audience Poll’ lifeline to correctly identify saffron as a spice obtained from flowers. A short video showcased her journey at IIM Kozhikode, revealing that she has been writing poetry since the age of six and has even published a book. She gifted a copy to Big B, who appreciated her talent. Nitisha expressed her wish to use her winnings to start a venture supporting women empowerment.

During the Super Sawaal, she confidently answered that Shri Bhagwant Mann and Captain Amarinder Singh have served as Chief Ministers of Punjab, winning the ‘Dugnastra’ superpower. Later, she spoke about her deep admiration for the Bhagavad Gita, explaining how reading it during the COVID-19 pandemic transformed her perspective on life.

When discussing her favorite poets, she mentioned her love for Robert Frost’s work in English and her admiration for Shri Harivansh Rai Bachchan’s poetry in Hindi. She requested Amitabh Bachchan to recite a few lines from his father’s poems, which he gladly did.

This led Big B to share an intriguing story about the controversy surrounding his father’s famous work, Madhushala. He revealed that the poem faced severe opposition, with critics accusing it of encouraging alcohol consumption. "The resistance even reached Gandhi Ji," he said, recalling how people believed his father was influencing the youth towards drinking. However, when Gandhiji personally heard Madhushala, he dismissed the claims, saying there was nothing inappropriate about it.

Amitabh further shared that his father never drank alcohol but was frequently asked how he wrote so vividly about it. Harivansh Rai Bachchan humorously addressed this curiosity within Madhushala itself.

Nitisha successfully answered several questions and walked away with ₹6,40,000, along with a bonus of ₹80,000.