Amitabh Bachchan salutes bravehearts of 26/11 in emotional KBC 16 episode
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Sony Entertainment Television's Kaun Banega Crorepati 16 featured a moving homage by host Amitabh Bachchan to the courageous heroes of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, as well as prayers for the innocent lives lost that day. The frontline fighters, Shri Vishwas Nangre Patil, Additional Director General of Police, Anti-Corruption Bureau, Maharashtra, and Sanjay Govilkar, Additional Superintendent of Police, Anti-Corruption Bureau, Mumbai, were included in the episode.
Shri Vishwas Nangre Patil recites poem
Shri Vishwas Nangre Patil, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) for Zone-1 in South Mumbai during the attacks, started the episode by reading a moving poem by Sukriti Madhav titled Main Khakhi Hoon. Moreover, he narrated the senseless deaths that transpired that fateful night, prompting Amitabh Bachchan to express his desire to stand up and honour them.
Shri Vishwas, recounting the events surrounding the terror attack, stated that the discussion persisted late into the night on November 28 due to the scheduled visit of the then-Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, to Mumbai for a function. His wife was serving him dinner; he had recently received a posting to Mumbai. Twelve minutes prior to the commencement of his night shift, he continued to wear his uniform. He had already reached out to his driver downstairs to prepare himself when he received a call instructing him to head straight to Leopold Café.
The Taj Hotel attack
While Patil was giving instructions, he received another call about the situation at the Taj Hotel, where reports of grenade blasts and AK-47 shooting had occurred. After it became obvious that this was a terrorist attack, he made plans to visit the Taj. By that time, the terrorists had killed 11 people and wounded numerous others. The site's heritage status prevented the implementation of his proposed alternative solution, which involved replacing the glass gate at the entrance with an iron grill. And yet, it was at that precise gate that the terrorists gained access.
Bachchan, visibly distressed, revealed that they had learned that many team members had become martyrs in the crossfire, resulting in numerous lives lost. His heart breaks at the thought of this. They shudder at the thought of hearing them talk about it. The legendary actor-host asked them, "How do you have the courage to carry out such tasks?"
Sanjay Govilkar’s heartwrenching memories
Reflecting on the tragedy, Sanjay continued by stating that, at the time, they discovered that many members of their team had left, despite his close proximity to them. He described an emotionally wrenching moment where a mother lay in a bathtub with her three-year-old child, shielding the child from the onslaught. Even now, just thinking about it keeps him up at night.
As Sanjay recited a patriotic verse, he added, "Duniya mein mil jayenge aashiq kayi, magar vatan se khoobsurat sanam nahi hota, noto mein simat kar mare, sone mein lipat kar marein hain kayi, magar tirange se khoobsurat kafan nahi hota! (There are countless lovers in the world, but no beloved is as beautiful as one's homeland. Many have died wrapped in currency; many have perished covered in gold, but no shroud is as beautiful as the tricolour flag!)" Amitabh Bachchan and the crowd captivated the studio with cries of "Bharat Mata Ki Jai!"
The latest episode of Kaun Banega Crorepati 16 can also be streamed on SonyLIV (OTTplay Premium).
