Kaun Banega Crorepati Se Indore Tak: Dairy Debate Spills Over

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): A viral conversation on Kaun Banega Crorepati between megastar Amitabh Bachchan and contestant Siddharth Sharma has now inspired a street play in Indore, taking the debate over milk and dairy products from television and social media to the streets.

Young activists staged Don’t Believe the Dairy Tale – Doodh Ka Sach at 56 Dukan on Sunday. Presented in a game-show format reminiscent of KBC, the 10-minute nukkad natak featured 15 performers and questioned commonly held beliefs about dairy consumption and the treatment of animals.

The play draws directly from the KBC interaction in which Sharma, who said he had followed a vegan lifestyle for seven years, explained to Bachchan why he avoids animal-derived products. He questioned the idea that milk is meant for human consumption, arguing that it is naturally produced for calves, and spoke about practices involved in dairy production. Bachchan appeared deeply affected by the discussion and said the conversation had “opened his eyes”.

The exchange subsequently went viral across social media and generated wider discussion about veganism, dairy farming and animal welfare.

Organised by Indore Animal Liberation (IAL) and One Just World, Sunday’s performance was part of a 10-city campaign. Through questions, humour and dramatic exchanges, the performers highlighted concerns related to dairy practices and urged audiences to examine the realities behind everyday food choices.

IAL founder Durga Balani, along with organisers Suresh Vyas and Ajay, said the objective was to make the conversation accessible to young people and encourage greater awareness about animal welfare.

Performances were held in Chandigarh, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Indore and Nagpur on Aug 23. Further shows are scheduled in Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata and Hisar on Aug 30, followed by Faridabad on Sept 13.

The campaign also calls for greater transparency in food systems and wider availability of plant-based alternatives.