Kaun Banega Crorepati producer reacts to criticism for ‘selling sob stories’, says emotions are ‘not engineered’

Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC), hosted by Amitabh Bachchan, will soon be out with its thirteenth season. As the popular game show celebrated 21 years on Saturday, producer Siddhartha Basu addressed the criticism that comes its way for ‘selling sob stories’.

On July 3, 2000, Kaun Banega Crorepati premiered on television, marking Amitabh Bachchan’s small-screen debut. The show, in which contestants answer a series of increasingly difficult questions to win prize money of ₹7 crore, continues to be immensely popular with the audience.

In an interview with The Indian Express, KBC producer Siddharth Basu was asked his take on the criticism that the show gets for ‘selling sob stories’. He maintained that none of the emotions was ‘engineered’ for the sake of ratings.

“KBC has never been just another quiz show. The human story has always mattered, and that’s what created the sensation of the first season in India, based on which Vikas wrote his book Q&A. It’s never been only sob stories though on KBC. If people get emotional, that’s not engineered. That’s natural on a life-changing show before a massive audience and a larger-than-life host,” he said.

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“There is a huge range of people from across the length of India on KBC telling engaging and relatable stories about ordinary Indians. It’s a show that touches lives with the heart as well as the mind,” he added.

Like last year, the entire audition process is happening online for KBC 13 as well, instead of going to different cities. With KBC 12, the makers introduced a series of changes, keeping the Covid-19 pandemic in mind. Some of the changes included the Audience Poll lifeline being scrapped, as the show was shot without a live audience, and fewer contestants in the Fastest Finger First round.