A fifth-standard student named Ishit Bhatt from Gandhinagar, Gujarat, appeared in an episode of the quiz show Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) Season 17 recently, and his conduct during the broadcast triggered widespread online discussion and criticism. The boy’s interaction with the show host Amitabh Bachchan – where he asked the host to not to explain the rules and said he know them already was interpreted by many viewers as “overconfident” or “rude.”
During the episode, Ishit told the host, Amitabh Bachan, “Sir, don’t start explaining the rules – I already know them,” and asked repeatedly for options to be presented quickly, and sometimes answering the questions before options were presented, rather than waiting. This tone and rapid approach, especially from such a young contestant, quickly became a viral discussion point on social media platforms, with many users critiquing the child’s manners, and others drawing attention to his age, environment and the parenting.
Some child psychologists and child-behaviour experts warned that the rapid public scrutiny of a child might carry psychological risks.
Child psychologist Usha Rani emphasized that what appeared as overconfidence in the KBC child was likely normal childhood expressiveness, urging people to replace judgment with empathy toward both children and parents.
Another child psychologist Joy Christin Johnson urged people to stop shaming the KBC child in a LinkedIn post, reminding that what appears as rudeness could stem from neurodiversity or emotional overwhelm, and that children need empathy and guidance, not public judgment. She also asked in the LinkedIn post "And let’s be honest how many adults behave perfectly when they’re nervous, scared, or excited?" She then stated that, "as a psychologist, and more importantly, as a human who works closely with children and families, my heart aches. Because nobody absolutely nobody has the right to sit behind a screen and question a child’s worth or a parent’s upbringing without knowing the full story."
In the particular broadcast of KBC, Ishit did not progress beyond the question that carried ₹25,000 after giving a wrong answer, which ended his run as a contestant. Despite this, the broader public reaction remained focused not only on his performance, but on his behaviour, parenting, and what it says about children in high visibility contexts.
(Rh/Eth/TL)