KBC is not just a TV quiz program for decades, it is a cultural ritual across Pakistan and India, bound together by the image of Amitabh Bachchan interviewing contestants under the lights.
But in its recent Independence Day special, the show seemed to abandon its usual universal appeal in favor of nationalist spectacle, and brought together the two women who have become the faces of India s Operation Sindoor.
The promo features Big B greeting warmly Colonel Sofiya Qureshi of the Indian Army, Wing Commander Vyomika Singh of the Indian Air Force, and Commander Prerna Deosthalee of the Indian Navy to the hot seat.
This is just unbelievable 🤯
— Amock_ (@Amockx2022) August 12, 2025
Operation Sindoor heroes appearing on national TV show KBC
Just because one "nationalist" party wants to milk some votes? pic.twitter.com/ugpmuNmDSE
They wore full uniform when they narrated the May airstrikes on six Pakistani targets under the Operation Sindoor. The operation was in response to the Pahalgam attack, which claimed 26 lives. India put the responsibility of this attack on Pakistan in it false flag agenda. However, the claim has been repeatedly denied by Islamabad.
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In the promo of KBC Independence Day special episode, armed forces women revealed the Operation Sindoor context. "Pakistan has been doing this for years. A reaction was needed, which is why Operation Sindoor was conceived," declared Qureshi with dramatic flair. Singh contributed, "Between 1:05am and 1:30am, we ended their game," while Deosthalee promised that "targets were destroyed and no civilians were harmed." Qureshi wrapped up with, "This is a new India, with a new mindset."
The studio audience echoed with the slogans of "Bharat Mata Ki Jai".
As this promo featuring ‘bluffy comments’ regarding operation Sindoor aired, it stirred online hatred for KBC.
Netizens backlashed the presence of current military officers in uniform on a quiz program. They criticized the Modi government for employing the armed forces for political appearances, converting one of the country s most symbolic television sets into another vehicle for state communication.
‘beyond cringe’, one comment read. Another user accused the government of selling "imaginary victories" 90 days later.
