‘I wish to retire now’: Amitabh Bachchan on emotional toll of KBC Season 18
Veteran star reveals KBC stories that leave him fighting back tears on set
For more than 25 years, Amitabh Bachchan has sat across from contestants on Kaun Banega Crorepati, asking questions, celebrating big wins and offering words of advice. But some moments on the KBC set have nothing to do with the money on the board.
The veteran actor has revealed that contestants sometimes arrive with personal stories so difficult that they leave him struggling to keep his emotions in check, even as he is expected to carry on hosting the quiz show.
In a late-night post on his personal Tumblr account, Bachchan reflected on his experience of hosting the ongoing 18th season of Kaun Banega Crorepati. Without revealing the details of the stories that affected him, the actor admitted that some experiences shared by contestants have been “heart-breaking”.
“Some contestants come with such grave personal stories, that it becomes difficult to conduct not just our feelings for them but also to continue hosting the show,” Bachchan wrote in a post shared at 2:59am on September 7.
He suggested there were certain stories he could not elaborate on, adding that doing so could interfere with the understanding between the host and the channel. “I shall not indulge more because it would take away some elements from the understanding that a host gives to the Channel,” he wrote.
But the veteran actor made clear just how deeply some of these encounters had affected him.
“It has been a heart-breaking experience,” he wrote, before signing off: “I wish to retire now .. it is late .. and the night invites .. Love.”
KBC contestants bring more than answers to the hot seat
While Kaun Banega Crorepati is built around general knowledge, strategy and the chance to win life-changing prize money, the contestants often bring their lives into the studio with them.
Season 18, which premiered on August 10 with Bachchan returning as host, has already featured contestants speaking about financial struggles, personal setbacks and difficult circumstances. The season's theme, ‘Sochna Padega’, puts the focus on thinking carefully and making considered decisions rather than simply rushing towards an answer.
