KBC’s Celebrity Puzzle: Why Do So Many Stop At Rs 12.5 Lakh?

Have you noticed something intriguing about Kaun Banega Crorepati, the hugely popular quiz show anchored by Amitabh Bachchan? When celebrities occupy the hot seat to promote a film, champion a social cause or raise money for charity, they often seem to walk away with Rs 12.5 lakh. Is the prize money capped? This was playing on my mind for quite some time so I asked ChatGPT to crack it and pronto it answered all my queries. Take the recent appearance of actors Rajkummar Rao and Wamiqa Gabbi alongside public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam. The trio won Rs 12.5 lakh for charity. Interestingly, they still had two lifelines remaining when the episode ended because time ran out. Likewise, comedians Varun Grover, Gaurav Kapoor and Gaurav Gupta won Rs 12.5 lakh. Earlier, sporting legends Mary Kom and Sunil Chhetri also finished with the same amount. Is Rs 12.5 lakh becoming an unofficial finishing line for celebrity appearances? Not quite. ChatGPT says in 2001, Sachin Tendulkar and Madhuri Dixit raised Rs 1 crore between them for Gujarat earthquake relief. In 2022, Aamir Khan, accompanied by two Army officers, won Rs 50 lakh for charity. Riteish Deshmukh and Genelia D’Souza won Rs 25 lakh in 2021. So what explains the recurring Rs 12.5 lakh figure? Unlike ordinary contestants, who may return in subsequent episodes, celebrity guests generally appear in specially scheduled programmes. Their time is divided between answering questions, sharing anecdotes, promoting causes and interacting with Big B. Consequently, the clock can become a bigger obstacle than the questions themselves. Perhaps the real question is not why celebrities fail to become crorepatis, but whether celebrity episodes are designed more for entertainment and awareness than chasing the jackpot.