'Khatron Ke Khiladi' producers defend rubber bullet stunt: 'Not brutal'
What's the story
The production team behind the popular stunt-based reality show Khatron Ke Khiladi has defended its safety protocols. This comes after actor Gaurav Khanna shared images of his back injuries on social media, which he sustained during a recent stunt with pellet or rubber gunshots. The show's producer, Deepak Dhar, emphasized that all necessary international-level procedures are strictly followed to ensure contestant safety.
Producer's statement
'It's called fear factor for a reason...'
Dhar, the CEO of Banijay, which owns the global rights to Khatron Ke Khiladi's original American format Fear Factor, said in a telephonic interview with Hindustan Times that the show is "not at all brutal."
He added, "There is an element of fear. It's called fear factor for a reason... but this is a show that is in its 15th or the 16th season now."
Safety assurance
Safety measures followed 'to the absolute maximum'
Dhar assured that all safety measures and protocols are "followed to the absolute maximum."
He stated, "We don't do this in India. We do this in an international location where all the checks and balances and safety procedures and protocols are followed to the absolute maximum."
This statement comes after Khanna's injuries raised concerns among viewers about the show's safety standards.
Viewer concerns
Khanna's injuries raise concerns about safety protocols
Khanna's Instagram Story, featuring disturbing images of his rubber bullet injuries, sparked reactions on social media.
Users expressed their concern over the severity of the injuries and questioned the safety measures taken by the show's makers.
One Reddit user wrote, "Honestly this looks very painful, literally all the 4 contestants who performed this are bleeding... KKK15 is next level this season."
An X user said, "This was soooo unnecessary and dangerous. Yeh kyu hi task rakha I don't get it."
Actor's participation
About 'Khatron Ke Khiladi' and its contestants
Khanna, who has previously won Celebrity MasterChef India and Bigg Boss 19, is one of the 13 celebrities participating in Khatron Ke Khiladi 15.
The show, hosted by Rohit Shetty, premiered on Colors TV on August 1.
Despite his injuries, Khanna has been performing well on the show and even won the best stunt of the week in his debut episode.
Shagun Sharma, Karan Wahi, and Vishal Aditya Singh were also part of this task.