'I Was Scared If...,' Says Kumar Mangalam Birla On Joining Amitabh Bachchan On KBC

Aditya Birla Group Chairperson Kumar Mangalam Birla is set to take the hot seat on Kaun Banega Crorepati during the finale week of Season 17. In a recently released promo, the billionaire industrialist

made a candid admission about his hesitation in appearing on the popular quiz show hosted by Amitabh Bachchan.

The long-running television series, which returned in August this year, is nearing the end of its current season. Birla’s episode will be part of the final set of shows and will air on December 29 at 9 pm on Sony Entertainment Television and Sony LIV.

In the promo, Amitabh Bachchan welcomes Kumar Mangalam Birla onto the KBC stage amid loud applause. Members of Birla’s family are also seen in the audience, cheering him on as he joins the host on the hot seat. During their interaction, Bachchan asks him, “Itni der kaise lag gayi aapko yahan aane mai? (How come it took you so long to come here?)”

Birla responds with a smile and a moment of honesty, saying, “Amit ji, mai bhi kahi dino se aana chahraha tha. Lekin mujhe dar tha ki agar mein ek bhi sahi jawab nahi de paya, to Amit ji kya sochenge? (I’ve been wanting to come for a long time. But I was scared because what would you think if I can’t give a single correct answer?)” His reply leaves Bachchan amused.

Season 17 of Kaun Banega Crorepati has featured a wide range of participants, including both everyday contestants and well-known personalities from the film and entertainment industry. Celebrities such as Farhan Akhtar, Javed Akhtar, Rishab Shetty, Diljit Dosanjh, Sunil Grover, Krushna Abhishek, Vishal Dadlani, Manoj Bajpayee, Kartik Aaryan, and Ananya Panday have appeared on the show this season.

The episode airing on December 26 will feature Amitabh Bachchan’s family members Agastya Nanda, Shweta Bachchan Nanda, and Navya Naveli Nanda, along with actors Jaideep Ahlawat and Simar Bhatia, and filmmaker Sriram Raghavan, as part of promotions for Ikkis. So far, the highest amount won this season stands at ₹50,60,000 by Diljit Dosanjh, which includes a ₹60,000 bonus earned through the Super Sandook feature.