Amidst the many rumours peddling on Indian news channels for years, the one about a ₹2000 note bearing a GPS tracker to put an end to black money in 2016 is unrivalled. And right from the time this claim was deemed false, it has become the brunt of many jokes.
Six years later, a Kaun Banega Crorepati promo where show host Amitabh Bachchan schools a contestant on ‘fact-checking’ has reignited the fire.
We all know that one person jo humein aisi unverified sansani khabrein sunata hai! Tag them in the comments and tell them that “Gyaan jahaan se mile bator lo, lekin pehle tatol lo.”#KBC2022 coming soon! Stay tuned!@SrBachchan pic.twitter.com/Y2DgAyP3MH
— sonytv (@SonyTV) June 11, 2022
A contestant sits opposite show host Amitabh Bachchan in the video, which is set in the famous KBC set-up. Mr Bachchan asks her a question, as per the show’s format: “Which of these has GPS technology? The options are a typewriter, television, satellite and a ₹ 2,000 note.”
The contestant, with utter confidence, locks the last option, which is the ₹ 2,000 note. When asked whether she was confident in her response, she claims, “Not just me sir, the entire country is sure about that answer.”
Mr Bachchan informs her that her response was incorrect and that the right answer was a satellite. The contestant, chuckling, asks whether he was joking, and he responds, “Why would I joke about this? The joke was what you believed to be true.”
The contestant tried to explain herself by claiming that the news was the source of the knowledge about the GPS chips in the notes, and so they were to blame. Mr Bachchan, says that she was the one who would suffer the ramifications of not verifying the news.
This Day. That Year.
— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) November 8, 2020
Remember this legendary conversation by Aaj Tak staff? #4YrsOfDeMoDisaster #DeMonetisationDisaster pic.twitter.com/V5TAIJXFX2
This promo question has perhaps evoked nostalgia amongst Twitter users. Have a look at the responses.
Who says #demonetization was not beneficial ?
— Hiren Antani (@HirenAntani) June 13, 2022
Here ,one could make a good promo out of it. https://t.co/BT295ZJucU
Verify before you believe.#KBC2022 https://t.co/KXSwzzgeGz
— Amit Nagpal, PhD (@DrAmitInspires) June 13, 2022
Ngl,@SrBachchan had me in the first half. lol…laughing to death https://t.co/8wDOfuUhro
— f.niha_ (@fnihaah) June 12, 2022
@sudhirchaudhary @SwetaSinghAT ..pehle tatolo bad me telecast karlo. https://t.co/dpF3VZTGeZ
— Syed hayath (@sazohaib1) June 13, 2022
@SwetaSinghAT kya yeh wahi 2000 wala note ki bat ho rahi hai.???? https://t.co/9MKOxEnWaO
— Shikayat (@Shikayat10) June 13, 2022
अब तो चिड़ियाँ चुग गई खेत https://t.co/9QFfdbHwLX
— Sarita Kumari Dutta (@dutta_kumari) June 13, 2022
When a show is watched by millions in the country, having a promo that brings the right case of misinformation to the forefront is definitely a triumph.