Independence day 2025 : KBC’s Independence Day special with serving officers sparks debate on military-entertainment boundaries

The upcoming Independence Day Special of Kaun Banega Corerpati airing on August 15 at 9:00 PM on Sony LIV is set to feature three uniformed officers, namely Colonel Sofiya Qureshi of the Indian Army, Wing Commander Vyomika Singh of the Indian Air Force, and Lieutenant Commander Prerna Deosthalee of the Indian Navy. This is a remarkable occurrence because, for the first time in the history of both the Indian Armed Forces and 43 years of Indian Television entertainment, serving uniformed officers will be present in a game show. Serving officers have previously appeared rarely in news interviews and documentaries, but never in commercial entertainment.

Sony Entertainment released a promo of the episode with the three officers engaging in chats with the iconic Amitabh Bachchan. He was visibly engulfed by patriotic sentiment in the presence of uniformed officers.

Commander Vyomika can be heard saying, “From late night 1:05 am to 1:30 am, we ended the whole operation within 25 minutes”. "Targets were destroyed and no harm was caused to any civilian,” added Commander Prerna.

Public Reactions

The announcement of the KBC Independence Day Special has created a sharp divide in public opinion. There had been a series of comments from the usual 'inspiring', 'proud' moment to critical comments of 'political theatrics' to casual misogynistic 'man fighting a battle and woman doing PR'.

Supporters hailed the move as a powerful tribute to the Indian military. Hailing the platform for showing women in services and inspiring young Indians, thus strengthening the bond between the armed forces and the common public.

“Seeing women officers from the Army, Navy, and Air Force on a platform like KBC is inspiring for the whole nation. It shows our armed forces are not just protectors at the border, but role models for every young Indian.” — Ritika Sharma, Mumbai-based teacher.

While contrasting reactions were seen from other groups, even from retired veterans.

"A Turkish proverb states, 'When a clown moves into a palace, he doesn't become a king; the palace turns into a circus.' Therefore, the upcoming event is the big boss show," said Lt. Col. Sushil Singh Sheoran in a post on social media platform X."It seems this is the flavour of the season. I didn't know this army for sure."

“Parading serving officers on a commercial quiz show is against military ethos. Our armed forces are not props for entertainment or political mileage,” said Praveen Dawar, retired Army officer, as quoted by The Telegraph India.
Some called it "political theatrics", questioning the appropriateness of deploying active duty personnel on a commercial television show to discuss sensitive information on a recent military operation that can have diplomatic and national security repercussions. This risks politicising the army by blending it with prime-time spectacle. Thus, it sets a precedent of using serving officers as PR tools. While there is another segment that engages in casual sexism, claims that men sacrifice their lives on the frontline, while women engage in press briefings and PR.

“Our heroic women in Uniform who went on to become the face of Operation Sindoor have been invited by a private entertainment channel...which also holds Asia Cup broadcasting rights. Now join the dots,” said Priyanka Chaturvedi of Shiv Sena UBT

Such a highly visible and engaging unprecedented KBC appearance is not feasible without a high-level clearance from the Ministry of Defence. Discussing Operation Sindoor in a public entertainment format can be construed as a violation of the Official Secrets Act 1923 if any classified information is disclosed. Moreover Army Act 1950, the Air Force Act 1950, Navy Act 1957 strictly prohibit the misuse of uniform as well as commercial or political association. This kind of special is driven by commercials, engaging active duty officials in revenue boosting for a private broadcaster, blurring several ethical boundaries. Sony wants to parade around with the halo of nationalism and boost TRP, and the Union Government can milk 'Operation Sindoor' with every opportunity for political mileage, so be it at the cost of military ethos.

This crossover will remain a bold step in public engagement or as a cautionary tale about blurring boundaries between India’s armed forces and entertainment television. However, public backlash shows that bringing patriotism to the living room is a sensitive affair, where the line between spectacle and honour is thin.