Mumbai: The latest episode of ‘Khatron Ke Khiladi 15’ has sparked widespread criticism online after contestants were subjected to a challenge involving rubber bullets.
While the stunt was designed to test their endurance and courage, many viewers felt it crossed the line between entertainment and unnecessary physical punishment.
In the latest episode, Shagun Sharma, Gaurav Khanna, Vishal Aditya Singh and Karan Wahi took part in an intense ‘Pain Auction’ challenge involving rubber bullets.
As part of the task, the contestants stood with their backs facing a shooter armed with a rubber-bullet gun.
Host Rohit Shetty explained that the firing would continue until two participants decided to quit, after which they would have to compete in the elimination stunt.
He later revealed that each contestant endured around 40 rubber pellets during the ordeal.
Wearing only spine protectors and sleeveless vests for safety, the contestants were repeatedly struck by rubber bullets from progressively shorter distances.
The challenge took a visible toll, with all four struggling to withstand the impact. Shagun Sharma was the first to withdraw, followed by Gaurav Khanna, while Vishal Aditya Singh and Karan Wahi remained in the challenge.
The aftermath left fellow contestants visibly shaken as they saw the bruises and injuries on the participants’ backs.
Several were left emotional, while viewers on social media questioned whether the task had crossed the line between testing courage and deliberately inflicting pain for entertainment.
Clips from the episode quickly went viral, with users calling the challenge “unacceptable” and questioning the makers over the safety and ethics of such extreme tasks.
Sharing footage from the episode, Shagun took to Instagram and wrote, “I know what it looked like from outside. Still healing from what it felt like from inside.” She also openly expressed her displeasure, saying the stunt was “not good at all.”
Gaurav, meanwhile, said the pain from the challenge was so intense that his existing neck ache felt insignificant in comparison.
Sharing a glimpse of his injuries on his Instagram Stories, he wrote, “Thanks @orry for making this. I cud still feel this pain watching it on tv. Most painful experience ever. All 4 of us went through this guys.. still hav these marks. #darrkanayadaur #kkk15.”
The challenge also triggered strong reactions online. While some viewers mistakenly believed the contestants were being hit with real pellets, possibly due to Rohit Shetty’s reference to “40 pellets”, others condemned the task for being excessively harsh.
“Isn’t it torture rather than a task?” questioned one Instagram user.
Another wrote, “Kya paagalpan hai ye (What is this insanity?)”
“I’ve never seen a stunt like this before. How can they injure them so badly? This is torture. They should not be physically injured on purpose. If it’s done by accident, that’s a different thing,” commented another.
Some viewers admitted they were moved to tears after watching the episode, with one writing, “The wounds are so deep, it will take so much time to recover.”
“Disgusting task!! How can they put people’s lives in danger? Anything for TRPs!” slammed one X user.
Another added, “This is pathetic, to be honest. In the name of games, you can’t hurt someone so badly.”
‘Khatron Ke Khiladi 15’ airs on Colors TV and is also available to stream on JioHotstar. New episodes premiere every Saturday and Sunday at 9 pm.