The latest episode of Kaun Banega Crorepati 16 starts with rollover contestant Prashant Trivedi, who misses out on winning Rs 1 crore. He takes home Rs 50 lakhs. After Prashant makes an exit, Big B plays Fastest Finger First round and Poonam Gupta makes it to the hot seat. She gets emotional after her selection and the host hands over her few tissues and comforts her. Poonam is from New Delhi and she has been trying to be on the show for the last 13 years. She shares that people mocked her for trying to be on the show and now it is her time to give them back all for all the taunts. Big B praises Poonam’s efforts and appreciates her dedication.
Poonam expresses her frustration about her husband’s habits, particularly his lack of compliments, while he counters by saying he does praise her, but she never acknowledges it. She then asks Big B to share some advice with her husband. The host humorously remarks that Kaun Banega Crorepati has turned into a marriage counseling session. He jokingly chides the couple for bringing their personal issues to the show, adding that he might face consequences at home since the scenario is quite similar in his household too.
Poonam, a homemaker who also manages a small business stitching blouses and suits, shared that she currently works with a small hand-operated sewing machine, which slows down her work. She expressed her desire to win some amount on KBC so that she can purchase an electronic sewing machine to improve efficiency.Big B inquired about the cost of the sewing machine, to which Poonam responded that it is approximately Rs 10,000. The host motivates and gives his best wishes.
According to the Mahabharata, what skill of the warriors participating in Draupadi’s swayamvar was tested? She selects Option A) Archery and wins the amount. The makers showcased a heartfelt video about Poonam’s life, revealing that her husband works two jobs to support their family. Poonam, a mother of four—two sons and two daughters—shared that she is an 11th-pass graduate and regrets not completing her education. Her dream is to win a significant amount on the show so her husband can stop driving cabs at night.
Big B presents the ‘Super Sawaal’ in front of Poonam. In which decade did Smt Indira Gandhi first become the Prime Minister of India? Poonam answers the 1960s and it is the correct answer and with this she enables the super power ‘Dugnastraa’.
Poonam wants to gift a house to her husband as they live in a rented house. Next Big B reads a question for Rs 1,60,000 and Poonam takes the help of ‘Audience Poll’ lifeline. In 1533, who founded the city of Din Panak, on the banks of the Yamuna? She goes with the most voted answer Option B) Humayun. She wins the amount.
Poonam gears up to face the question for Rs 3,20,000. The name of which of these mountain ranges comes from the Turkish for ‘black rock’ or ‘black gravel’? She hits the buzzer and enables ‘Dugnastraa’ and selects Option C) Karakoram. Poonam wins the bonus amount of Rs 3,20,000.
She dedicates the bonus amount to her husband as he always thinks of providing a better life to their family. Poonam takes on the challenge of ‘Super Sandook’. She manages to answer 8 questions correctly and wins Rs 80,000. She decides to revive her ‘Audience Poll’ lifeline. For the question of Rs 6,40,000. Poonam once again uses her lifeline ‘Audience Poll’. What was the mythical name given to India’s First nuclear research reactor? She selects Option A) Apsara and it is the correct answer.
The next question Poonam faces is for Rs 12,50,000. Which of these nicknames did Lyudmila Pavlichenko get due to her feats in the Second World War? Poonam selects Option D) Lady Death and wins the amount. She gets a standing ovation from the audience. Big B commended Poonam’s knowledge, remarking that he could confidently say 99% of the audience would not have known the answer to the previous question.
Poonam gears up to answer the question for Rs 25,00,000. Released in September 2024, ‘200 Not Out’ appears in the title of a documentary about which newspaper? As she is not aware of the answer, Poonam takes the help of ‘Video Call A Friend’ lifeline but as she doesn’t get a proper answer, she decides to quit the show.
Before leaving the show, Poonam takes a guess and selects Option A) The Times Of India but it is the wrong answer. The correct answer is Option B) Mumbai Samachar.
Poonam takes home Rs 12,50,000.