Filmmaker Criticizes "Irritating" Child Contestant on KBC for Lack of Manners

As of October 14th, 2025, a recent news article has sparked a debate around the behavior of a child contestant on the popular game show "Kaun Banega Crorepati 17." Filmmaker Kunal Kohli, best known for directing "Hum Tum," has commented on the viral moment involving fifth-grader Ishaan Bhatt.

Kohli shared a note on his Instagram Stories, suggesting that children like Bhatt often grow up to become directors who "bad-mouth" those who gave them a break in the industry. Taking a veiled dig at celebrities who have publicly criticized others, Kohli wrote that both Bhatt and the "irritating director" need a lesson in basic etiquette, manners, and civil behavior.

Earlier, several social media users had argued that Bhatt's behavior on the show came across as offensive, and this was the reason he left the show empty-handed. The child was quick to respond to questions, asking host Amitabh Bachchan to "lock" his answers even before the options were mentioned. However, Bhatt was taken for a ride when a Rs 25,000 question about Valmiki's Ramayana surfaced, and he couldn't pick the correct option, losing the winning money.

Bachchan, in response, shared his perspective on young contestants, saying, "Sometimes children can make mistakes due to overconfidence." The child's behavior has since sparked a debate online, with some users criticizing his upbringing, while others argued that he was just a child and didn't need to be schooled on social media.