IIT topper stumped by Rs 1 crore question on KBC 18, says it was wrongly framed

IIT topper and UPSC aspirant Yogesh Sahu stopped at Rs 50 lakh on Kaun Banega Crorepati 18 after choosing not to attempt the Rs 1 crore question in the August 19 episode. After leaving the game, he said he had ruled out the correct answer because he felt the question might have been framed differently if it referred to a mare. He had reached the 15th question with no lifelines left.

Amitabh Bachchan asked Sahu which horse, owned by the Maharaja of Baroda, won the first Indian Derby at Mumbai’s Mahalaxmi Racecourse in 1943. The options were Princess Beautiful, Regal Domain, Star of Gwalior and Prince Pradeep. Unsure of the answer, Sahu decided to quit. Bachchan then revealed that Princess Beautiful was the correct answer and also responded to Sahu’s point about the wording.

As he thought through the options, Sahu said he had not read anything about the first Indian Derby at Mumbai’s Mahalaxmi Racecourse. He tried to work out the answer by elimination. He said Princess Beautiful did not seem right to him because, if that had been the answer, the question would have asked for the name of the mare and not the horse. He also considered whether Star of Gwalior could be eliminated, but as he was not sure, he chose to quit the game and take home Rs 50 lakh.

After quitting, Sahu was asked to guess the answer. He chose Prince Pradeep, but Bachchan told him that the correct answer was Princess Beautiful. Sahu then said, “This was the one I was eliminating.” Bachchan replied, “I think it was a mare and not a horse. That’s why she was named Princess.”

Princess Beautiful belonged to Maharaja Pratap Singh Rao Gaekwad, who was interested in horse racing and also bred horses. Princess Beautiful won the Indian 1000 Guineas, the Indian 2000 Guineas and the first Indian Derby.

Pratap Singh Rao Gaekwad signed the Instrument of Accession in 1947 during India’s Partition. In the years that followed, the government found that he had taken many loans from the Baroda treasury to fund a lavish lifestyle. He later settled in Monaco with his second wife, Maharani Sita Devi of Baroda. Both were married when they had an affair, and she divorced her husband to marry Pratap. Their alliance was frowned upon at the time.

Sahu’s journey on the show

On the previous episode, Sahu revealed that he had turned down a job offer worth Rs 18 lakh per annum to continue pursuing his UPSC dream. An IIT Bombay topper, he received the offer during campus placement. His father, who accompanied him on the show, said he earned Rs 20,000 a month, kept Rs 11,000 with himself and saved the rest with his employer. Sahu said the family’s financial difficulties had made him feel guilty about studying further, but his family told him they were happy to support his dream and were confident that he would become an IAS officer.

About the show

Kaun Banega Crorepati Season 18 premiered on August 10 with Bachchan returning as host. The new season has 16 questions and a top prize of Rs 7 crore. Contestants begin with two lifelines, with two more added as the game moves forward.