KBC 18: Amitabh Bachchan-hosted Kaun Banega Crorepati 18 saw Dr Anuj Bhatnagar from Udaipur, Rajasthan, take the hot seat in the August 27 episode. A tax officer serving as a deputy commissioner in the GST department, Anuj came on the show with his wife and son and played his way to Rs 7.5 lakh before a question about India, Jordan and Zambia brought his game to an end.

Anuj used one lifeline before reaching the Rs 3 lakh mark and also gained another lifeline after correctly answering the question worth Rs 25,000. This season of KBC begins with limited lifeline options, with more becoming available as contestants progress through the game.

Check this space tomorrow to learn more about the toughest question on the latest episode of Kaun Banega Crorepati 18. We will be bringing you the question and the story behind it.

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Dr Anuj Bhatnagar reaches Rs 7.5 lakh

For the 10th question, worth Rs 5 lakh, Anuj used the Sanket Suchak lifeline before giving the correct answer and reaching the milestone. During his conversation with Amitabh Bachchan, Anuj also shared that his wife wanted a diamond necklace, giving him another reason to try and take home a big prize.

Anuj then played the Super Sandook round and answered nine out of 10 questions correctly, winning Rs 90,000. He chose to take the 50:50 lifeline, adding another option to his game.

The 11th question, worth Rs 7.5 lakh, proved difficult for Anuj, and he used the MahaFlip lifeline to move past it.

He then moved on to the 12th question of the game, worth Rs 12.5 lakh. It was this question, involving the flags of India, Jordan and Zambia, that ended his journey on the hot seat.

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Dr Anuj Bhatnagar gets Rs 12.5 lakh question wrong

Anuj was shown the flags of India, Jordan and Zambia and asked: Which of these is true about the countries whose flags are shown in the image?

The options were:

A. English names come from rivers


B. Have the same Independence Day


C. Capitals begin with “New”


D. Are in the Northern Hemisphere

Unsure of the answer, Anuj used his final lifeline, 50:50. The lifeline eliminated two incorrect options — “Capitals begin with ‘New’” and “Are in the Northern Hemisphere” — leaving him with:

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A. English names come from rivers


B. Have the same Independence Day

Anuj chose “Have the same Independence Day”, but it was the wrong answer. The correct answer was “English names come from rivers.”

Although he had correctly answered the Rs 7.5 lakh question, Anuj lost money after getting the Rs 12.5 lakh question wrong. Since Rs 5 lakh was the guaranteed level, his winnings dropped back to Rs 5 lakh, which is the amount he ultimately took home.

Similarity between India, Jordan and Zambia

The answer was linked to the origins of the English names of all three countries, each of which is connected to a major river.

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India’s name is derived from the Indus River, known in Sanskrit as Sindhu. The name travelled through Persian and Greek usage before evolving into “India” in English.

Jordan is named after the Jordan River, which is closely associated with the country and runs along its western side.

Similarly, Zambia takes its name from the Zambezi River, one of Africa’s largest and most important rivers.

Despite being located in different parts of the world, India, Jordan and Zambia therefore have one thing in common: their English names are connected to rivers.

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About KBC 18

Kaun Banega Crorepati 18 begins with limited lifeline options, with additional lifelines becoming available as contestants progress through the game. Contestants can also earn the 50:50 lifeline through the Super Sandook round, while MahaFlip is another lifeline introduced later in the game.

The current season has already seen several contestants make impressive winnings, including two who reached the Rs 1 crore question but chose to quit and take home Rs 50 lakh.