KBC 13’s first contestant Gyaan Raj says he wasn’t allowed to touch Amitabh Bachchan’s feet. Here’s why

Kaun Banega Crorepati returns with a new season on Monday. Actor Amitabh Bachchan will be back to host the 13th season of the show and welcome some new contestants, eager to win the ₹7 crore prize money.

The first person to make it to the hot seat this season is Gyaan Raj, a teacher from Jharkhand. In a promo shared by Sony Entertainment Television, he revealed that he teaches students about robotics, drones and other technological gears.

In an interview with Times Now, Gyaan Raj talked about his experience on the show and meeting Amitabh Bachchan for the first time. He said that the production crew had asked him not to touch the actor’s hands or feet as a precaution against Covid-19. “Unke haath pair chhoone ka permission nahin tha (I wasn’t allowed to touch his hands or feet). He asked my name, and said ‘aapka naam thoda alag type ka hai (your name is different)’ and he found it really interesting. Then he also asked about the backstory of my name. Then we talked a lot about different things,” he said.

Last year, Kaun Banega Crorepati underwent several changes to adapt to the social distancing norms of shooting amid the coronavirus pandemic. For the first time in 20 years, the show hosted no live audience and hence, the lifeline ‘audience poll’ was replaced by video-a-friend. According to a statement from Sony Entertainment Television, the new season will mark the return of the audience and also the lifeline.

Amitabh Bachchan, who began filming the show last week, said that he is thrilled that the studio audience is back on set.

Also read: ‘Someone slashed my palm with a blade’: When first Kaun Banega Crorepati winner Harshvardhan Nawathe was mobbed by fans

“It was probably for the first time, last season, that the studio audience wasn’t a part of the show and we saw a major change in the lifelines as well. I, for one, truly missed them and their energy… It’s infectious. I am happy that the studio audience is back this season with a newfound vigour and so is the lifeline – Audience Poll. It’s an enriching experience for me, each year, to be surrounded by contestants from all walks of life and I look forward to an engaging and a fulfilling game play. These contestants inspire me in every way,” the 78-year-old said.

The show will air on Sony from Monday to Friday at 9 pm.

(With inputs from PTI)