Amitabh Bachchan is as well known for his iconic film roles as he is for his long-standing association with the reality game show Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC). Today, the veteran actor took a moment to reflect on a milestone moment in his television journey. Taking to Instagram, Amitabh shared a nostalgic post as he gears up for the latest season of KBC. He recalled that it was on this very day, 3rd July, back in 2000, that the first episode of the show was aired.
Marking the occasion, he wrote: “Today 3rd July, 2025, as I work on this year’s season KBC prep, I am told by the KBC team, 3rd July 2000, the first broadcast of KBC happened… 25 years, the life of KBC!”
T 5430 – Today 3rd July , 2025 , as I work on this years season KBC prep, I am told by the KBC team – 3rd July 2000, the first broadcast of KBC happened ..
25 years , the life of KBC ! 🙏— Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) July 3, 2025
For those unaware, Kaun Banega Crorepati is the Hindi adaptation of the global hit Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? The show debuted on Star Plus in 2000 and was originally commissioned by the programming team led by Sameer Nair. Amitabh has hosted the show for nearly its entire run, except for the third season, which featured Shah Rukh Khan as the host.
In an exclusive conversation with SCREEN, Sameer Nair recalled how difficult it was to get Amitabh Bachchan on board initially. He shared that many people around the actor, including his wife Jaya Bachchan, advised against it.
“When we first went to him, it was complicated because it was TV and he was a film star,” said Nair. The naysayers included Amitabh’s wife and veteran actor Jaya Bachchan herself, who felt that “it was somewhere not correct to shrink him to the small screen.” Nair also revealed that Amitabh declined to host the third season, which is when Shah Rukh Khan stepped in. However, that season didn’t perform as well. Reflecting on the transition and the show’s revival, he said: “The credit also goes to Sony for reviving it. We did two seasons with Mr. Bachchan and one with Shah Rukh, and then we let go. They took it forward and really built it in the last 10 years so that we could get to the 25th anniversary.”
When KBC first launched, it wasn’t just a new venture for Indian television, it marked a crucial turning point in Amitabh Bachchan’s career. At the time, he was going through a significant creative and financial crisis. The success of KBC not only brought him into millions of homes across India but also re-established him as a household name, this time on the small screen.
