Mumbai, November 4, 2024 – A recent episode of Kaun Banega Crorepati 16 sparked controversy over a question that misrepresented details about the life of actress Zubeida, star of India’s first talkie film, Alam Ara. The episode, which aired on October 30, 2024, featured Bollywood actor Varun Dhawan and the directors of Citadel: Honey Bunny as celebrity guests. However, the episode has since drawn criticism from Zubeida’s son, Khalid Mohammed, who condemned the show’s lack of research.
During the episode, host Amitabh Bachchan posed a question to Varun Dhawan and director Raj Nidimoru: “Which actress tragically passed away in a plane crash along with her husband, Maharaja Hanwant Singh of Jodhpur?” The options included Sulochana, Mumtaz, Nadira, and Zubeida. After deliberation and using two lifelines, Varun and Raj selected Zubeida, which the show marked as the correct answer. Bachchan then explained that actress Zubeida married Maharaja Hanwant Singh and died in a tragic plane crash. He also mentioned that her life inspired the film Zubeidaa, in which Karisma Kapoor starred.
However, this information was incorrect. Actress Zubeida, who starred in Alam Ara, was actually married to Maharaj Narsingir Dhanrajgir Gyan Bahadur of Hyderabad, not Maharaja Hanwant Singh. The show’s conflation of the two figures caused an outcry, with Khalid Mohammed, son of the late actress, pointing out the error.
Following the episode, Khalid took to the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to express his frustration, writing, “This is my late mother Zubeida Begum. She wasn’t even born when Alam Ara was made. An apology on the program for this gaffe would be the least you could do.” He also criticized the KBC team for inadequate fact-checking on such a sensitive topic.
In a follow-up post, Khalid further clarified the distinction, stating, “Kaun Banega Crorepati… Whoever is in charge, may I request a correction? Zubeida (Dhanrajgir) was the actress who starred in Alam Ara. My mother, Zubeida, wished to act but wasn’t permitted by her strict father. How could your research team make such a blunder?”
The incident has since led to widespread calls for KBC to address the error and ensure better accuracy in its historical references.
