Why did Ayushmann Khurrana apologise to Amitabh Bachchan on KBC 18?

Ayushmann appeared on the celebrity episode of the quiz show with Sara Ali Khan

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Devadasan K P, Chief Visual Editor
Amitabh Bachchan with Ayushmann Khurrana during the show.
Amitabh Bachchan with Ayushmann Khurrana during the show.

Bollywood actor Ayushmann Khurrana had a light-hearted moment with Amitabh Bachchan on Kaun Banega Crorepati 18, apologising for calling the veteran actor “budhau”, or old man, in their 2019 film Gulabo Sitabo.

Ayushmann appeared on the celebrity episode of the quiz show with Sara Ali Khan to promote their upcoming film, Udta Teer. During the conversation, Bachchan and Ayushmann looked back on their experience working together in Gulabo Sitabo.  

Turning to Bachchan, Ayushmann jokingly apologised for calling him “budhau” in the film. He then complimented the veteran actor, saying that despite his age, Bachchan was still youthful.

Bachchan, who recently turned 84, played along with the joke and asked Ayushmann what he meant by “84-year-old behaviour”, prompting laughter on the show.

The episode also featured a special KBC Radio segment in which Ayushmann paid tribute to Bachchan during his birthday week and sang one of his songs. Bachchan also revisited some of his iconic film dialogues during a playful acting segment.

Sara, meanwhile, revealed that she was slightly jealous of Ayushmann because he had already worked with Bachchan. She noted that her mother, Amrita Singh, and grandmother, Sharmila Tagore, had shared screen space with the veteran actor, while she had yet to do so. T

Ayushmann and Sara also reached the Rs12.5 lakh question on the show. Their winnings will be donated to charity, with the actors choosing causes including the Balashah Foundation and UNICEF India.

Udta Teer, directed by Akash A Kaushik, marks his directorial debut and stars Ayushmann in a spy-comedy setting. 

Devadasan K P
Devadasan K PChief Visual Editor
Devadasan K P is the Chief Visual Editor at Gulf News, bringing more than 27 years of experience in photojournalism to the role. He leads the Visual desk with precision, speed, and a strong editorial instinct. Whether he’s selecting images of royalty, chasing the biggest celebrity moments in Dubai, or covering live events himself, Devadasan is always a few steps ahead of the action. Over the years, he has covered a wide range of major assignments — including the 2004 tsunami in Sri Lanka, the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, feature reportage from Afghanistan, the IMF World Bank meetings, and wildlife series from Kenya. His work has been widely recognised with industry accolades, including the Minolta Photojournalist of the Year award in 2005, the Best Picture Award at the Dubai Shopping Festival in 2008, and a Silver Award from the Society for News Design in 2011. He handles the newsroom pressure with a calm attitude, a quick response time, and his signature brand of good-natured Malayali humour. There's no fuss — just someone who gets the job done very well, every single time.

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