Raise them fearless

Shefali Shah, Amitabh Bachchan and Hare Ram Pandey

The team of Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) wanted to run a special episode to mark the festival of Navratri that began yesterday. Considering the festival is observed in honour of goddess Durga, it is only fitting that host Amitabh Bachchan and the team decided to celebrate woman power on the occasion by roping in social worker Hare Ram Pandey, and actor Shefali Shah, known for her author-backed roles.

Pandey runs his not-for-profit organisation Narayan Seva Ashram that rescues abandoned girls and works towards rehabilitating them. The idea is to build a secure future for them by educating them. A source says, "He began his journey by setting up small camps in Deoghar, Jharkhand. Today, he is a father [figure] to 35 [girls in his NGO]. In the episode, he narrated various heartfelt incidents from his life and fondly spoke about his adopted daughter, Taapsee."

Bachchan and Shah go back a long way, having worked together in Waqt: The Race Against Time (2005). In the episode, the megastar-host also revealed that he has been addressing her as ‘Malkinji' since then. Bachchan said, "The way she was on the sets of the film [directed by husband Vipul Shah], I learnt who is the malkin of the house! She was in control and provided instructions wherever necessary. I thought she was zabardast!"