For decades, Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) was more than just a quiz show — it was a rare cultural bridge between audiences in India and Pakistan. But its latest Independence Day special promo has drawn sharp criticism for turning that bridge into a stage for nationalist theatre, featuring the three women officers showcased as the faces of India’s Operation Sindoor.
In the promo, host Amitabh Bachchan welcomes Colonel Sofiya Qureshi of the Indian Army, Wing Commander Vyomika Singh of the Indian Air Force, and Commander Prerna Deosthalee of the Indian Navy. Dressed in full uniform, the officers recount May’s airstrikes on six sites in Pakistan — including Sialkot, Bahawalpur, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir — carried out in retaliation for the Pahalgam attack, which India blames on Pakistan. The Pakistani government has repeatedly denied responsibility.
Qureshi declares the operation a decisive response to years of provocation, Singh boasts that “from 1:05 a.m. to 1:30 a.m., we ended their game,” and Deosthalee assures viewers that targets were destroyed without civilian harm. The segment ends with Qureshi’s “This is a new India, with a new mindset,” as the audience chants “Bharat Mata Ki Jai.”
Absent from the broadcast is Pakistan’s account: the military there claims the strikes killed 31 people and injured 57, including women and children, condemning the attack as a violation of sovereignty. It also claims to have shot down 25 Indian drones in retaliation.
The promo has ignited backlash within India, with critics questioning the propriety of serving officers appearing in uniform on a game show and accusing the government of politicising a beloved program. Some called it tokenism, suggesting the officers’ roles were overstated, while others labelled the segment “beyond cringe” and an example of “imaginary victories” packaged for television.
By airing on August 15, the episode’s timing leaves little doubt about its symbolic intent, reinforcing anti-Pakistan sentiment in a highly charged political climate. What was once a neutral space celebrating knowledge now finds itself enlisted in the service of political messaging — proof that in today’s India, even prime-time entertainment can become a battlefield for narrative control.