Cinema VinesColors TV’s reality show Khatron Ke Khiladi 15 has once again stirred controversy, this time over a stunt that involved contestants collecting hot molten wax on their hands for ten minutes. The task, described by producers as a test of pain endurance, was meant to determine who would stay on the show and who would be eliminated. Contestants Ruhaanika Dhawan, Rubina Dilaik, Harsh Gujral and Vishal Aditya Singh were filmed struggling with the burning wax, with Ruhaanika visibly crying out in agony and Rubina describing the sting as “unbearable” and “penetrating even deeper.” Harsh ultimately emerged as the winner, while Vishal later remarked that the pain had left him “speechless” and “my entire body is aching.”
The episode aired last Saturday, but the backlash began almost immediately on social media. Viewers slammed the show for what they called a “sadistic” stunt that turned entertainment into a spectacle of suffering. One user wrote, “Giving pain to someone is not a daring thing related to overcoming fear, it is simply sadism for entertainment!” Another posted, “It’s supposed to be a stunt show, not a spectacle of human suffering. A ‘pain auction’ with pellet guns and hot wax on bare skin is just cruel and dehumanising.” A third comment summed up the sentiment: “Wax stunt was just too much and unnecessary. Kkk this year is pure torture.”
Earlier this week, the series had already faced criticism after contestants were hit by rubber bullets during a separate “Pain Auction” stunt, resulting in injuries. The backlash was swift, with users calling the show “disgusting” and accusing it of putting people’s lives at risk for ratings. “How can they put people’s life in danger? Anything for trps!” one X user typed, while another added, “This is pathetic tbh. On the name of games, you can’t hurt someone so badly.”
Despite the outcry, the show’s producers maintain that the tasks are designed to push contestants beyond their comfort zones. Khatron Ke Khiladi 15 continues to air on Colors TV and is available for streaming on JioHotstar, with new episodes scheduled every Saturday and Sunday at 9 PM. The controversy has sparked a broader debate about the limits of reality television and the responsibilities of broadcasters toward the safety and dignity of their participants.
