Cinema VinesAfter a video of actor Gaurav Khanna’s visibly painful back injuries went viral, the makers of the stunt‑based reality show Khatron Ke Khiladi 15 issued a statement on Monday affirming that the series operates under stringent safety protocols. The production team, which follows international‑level procedures, said the show is “totally safe for the contestants” and that all checks and balances are observed to the maximum.
Khanna, one of 13 celebrities on the current season, posted a clip on social media showing the marks left by a rubber‑bullet stunt. He thanked fellow contestant Orry for capturing the moment and wrote, “I could still feel this pain watching it on tv. Most painful experience ever. All 4 of us went through this guys… still have these marks.” The clip, which includes graphic imagery, prompted a wave of reactions on platforms such as Reddit and Instagram, with users describing the injuries as “visibly painful” and questioning the show’s safety standards.
In a telephone interview with Hindustan Times, Deepak Dhar, CEO of Banijay—the global rights holder for the original American format Fear Factor—described the show as “not brutal at all.” He added that the series is filmed in an international location where safety procedures are “followed to the absolute maximum.” Dhar emphasized that the show’s premise is “fear factor for a reason,” but it is not meant to be cruel or harmful.
Despite the makers’ reassurances, social media users continued to express concern, with one Reddit post noting that all four contestants involved in the stunt were bleeding and that Khanna had also sustained injuries to his back, shoulder, and elbow. The user added that Khanna had performed three stunts in week one, won the best stunt award, and was still able to compete effectively. Another comment questioned whether the show’s producers were “crazy” for allowing actors to endure such risks.
Khatron Ke Khiladi 15 premiered on August 1 on Colors TV and streams on JioHotstar. New episodes air every Saturday and Sunday at 9 pm. The show’s safety claims and the viral injury footage have sparked a broader debate about the risks involved in reality‑TV stunts and the responsibilities of production houses toward their contestants.
