Amitabh Bachchan’s enduring bond with his fans came into focus on the latest episode of Kaun Banega Crorepati Season 18, when contestant Subhoto Bhattacharya recalled spending five hours outside the actor’s Mumbai residence, Jalsa, with his mother.
Subhoto said he first visited Mumbai with his mother in 2024. During their trip, they explored several landmarks, including the Gateway of India, and also attended an IPL match. However, his mother’s biggest wish was to see Amitabh Bachchan in person.
Knowing about Bachchan’s long-standing Sunday meetings with fans outside Jalsa, Subhoto said they reached the residence at noon, several hours before the actor’s scheduled appearance.
He recalled that a large crowd of fans began gathering soon after they arrived and described it as a “sea of fans” unlike anything he had seen before. Subhoto and his mother remained outside Jalsa from noon until 5 p.m., when Bachchan appeared before the waiting crowd.
He told the actor that finally getting his “darshan” was an experience he would never forget.
Touched by the contestant’s account, Bachchan responded with his characteristic warmth and humour. He told Subhoto that had he known they were coming, “we would have opened the gate” and invited them inside.
Turning to Subhoto’s mother, the veteran actor then warmly asked her to inform him before her next visit so that he would know she was coming.
Bachchan’s Sunday meetings with fans outside Jalsa have become a longstanding tradition. The actor has previously said that the practice dates back to 1982, with admirers gathering outside his residence every Sunday in the hope of seeing him.