In the latest episode of Kaun Banega Crorepati season 17, host Amitabh Bachchan began by extending heartfelt wishes to devotees across India on the occasion of Navratri. He later fondly recalled a memorable incident when his wife, actor and politician Jaya Bachchan, turned host for a day and gave him a taste of being in the contestant’s chair.

Amitabh Bachchan recalls being a contestant when Jaya Bachchan turned host in KBC

Big B invited contestant Pallavi Niphadkar and her daughters to the stage, warmly praising Pallavi’s younger daughter for her traditional outfit and for wearing a mogra gajra. He shared that his wife, Jaya, is also fond of adorning gajras. As the game progressed, Pallavi asked him if he had ever sat in the contestant’s seat. Amitabh replied that he had indeed done so once, with Jaya Bachchan stepping in as the host.

The superstar recalled how the experience left him nervous and speechless, adding with humour that sitting across from one’s wife is enough to leave anyone tongue-tied. He said, “Humari bolti he band thi, aise aise chaanta maara unhone humko. (I was left speechless; she slapped me left and right with her questions).”

This was not the first time Jaya Bachchan surprised him on the show. Back in season 14, she and Abhishek Bachchan appeared on KBC to celebrate Amitabh’s 80th birthday. Abhishek gave a heartfelt speech, saying he has always been his father’s “lifeline” whenever he is in trouble, which moved Big B to tears. Jaya then playfully grilled him with a question, “Aapko zindagi mein sabse accha kya lagta hai? (What do you like the most in life?) To this, Amitabh responded with his signature wit, “Ab yeh show sarvajanik ho raha hai, yeh galat baat hogyi hai (Now that this has gone public on the show, this is unfair).”

About Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan

Amitabh and Jaya first met at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), when the superstar visited with writer-director Khwaja Ahmed Abbas. They later worked together in films like Guddi (1971), and their romance blossomed in the early 1970s. After the success of Zanjeer in 1973, the two tied the knot on 3 June 1973. Together for over 52 years, they are proud parents to actor Abhishek Bachchan and daughter Shweta Bachchan, and grandparents to Aaradhya Bachchan, Navya Nanda, and Agastya Nanda.