Young KBC contestant criticised for viral exchange with Amitabh Bachchan; Chinmayi Sripaada defends child

Playback singer Chinmayi Sripada has spoken out in defence of Kaun Banega Crorepati Season 17 contestant Ishit Bhatt, after the young participant faced widespread trolling for his perceived disrespectful behaviour towards the show's host, Amitabh Bachchan.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, Sripaada criticised the wave of online negativity directed at the child, calling out adults for their hypocrisy and aggressive online behaviour.

“An adult putting out a tweet saying ‘most hated kid’. Adults here on Twitter have been some of the most lousy, foul-mouthed and abusive. None of these voices said a thing when children died due to a cough syrup,” she wrote. “But yeah, pick on a kid. Says a LOT about the ecosystem. This entire lot is picking on one over-excited kid – what a horrible bunch of bullies these have raised themselves to be.”

Reposting a user’s comment from another user on the incident, Sripaada added, “With so many saying belt treatment chappal treatment to someone else’s kid. The horror is many of them are parents themselves. God knows how they are beating their own kids at home.”

Ishit Bhatt, reportedly a Class 5 student from Gandhinagar, Gujarat, appeared on a recent episode of the quiz show opposite Amitabh Bachchan. During the broadcast, the boy’s high energy and frequent interjections, often asking the host to lock the answer to each question before giving him a chance to read out the options, sparked criticism from viewers, many of whom deemed his behaviour rude and inappropriate for national television.

Despite the interruptions, Bachchan remained calm and good-natured throughout the episode, responding with humour and grace in an attempt to keep the mood light.

A clip from the episode quickly went viral on social media, fuelling further backlash. Many users expressed concern over the child’s behaviour, with some questioning the influence of parental supervision and the show’s vetting process.

However, Chinmayi Sripada’s response has sparked a counter-conversation about the ethics of online criticism, especially when directed at children, with many supporting her stance against what she called an “ecosystem” of bullying.