Four contestants on Khatron Ke Khiladi 15, including Gaurav Khanna and Shagun Sharma, sustained injuries after being hit by rubber bullets during a “Pain Auction” stunt in Cape Town, South Africa. The task, which required participants to endure gunfire until two dropped out, sparked widespread internet backlash over the physical safety of the contestants, with some questioning why they were being ‘tortured’ for entertainment on the Indian show.
The high-intensity challenge forced actors Gaurav Khanna, Shagun Sharma, Karan Wahi, and Vishal Aditya Singh to stand with their backs to a shooter dressed in camouflage.
The Pain Auction: Rubber Bullets and Spine Protectors
The stunt functioned as a “fear fanda,” a mechanism used to determine which contestants would face an elimination stunt. The contestants were instructed to select two members from each team to compete; Gaurav Khanna and Shagun Sharma represented the new batch, while Karan Wahi and Vishal Aditya Singh took on the challenge from the old batch. The rules were blunt: participants had to endure the firing regardless of the duration until the first two players aborted the task.
“You guys have to keep bearing the pain even if it’s for the whole day; until the first two players abort the task, the firing will continue.”
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Rohit Shetty, Host
While the production provided spine protectors and sleeveless vests, the physical toll remained severe. The man in camouflage kept firing from a decreasing distance, sometimes with multiple bullets being fired at once, while Rohit Shetty smiled. Karan Wahi noted the novelty of the challenge, stating, This is something completely new; the good thing is they have given us spine protectors, according to NDTV. Despite the protection, Shagun Sharma was the first to break down and exit the task, followed shortly by Gaurav Khanna. Rohit warned the contestants that they would have to face more pain throughout the show.
Gaurav Khanna’s Physical Toll and Pre-existing Health Concerns
Following the episode’s broadcast, Gaurav Khanna shared a video on social media documenting the dark bruises across his back. He described the stunt as the most painful experience ever, noting on the show that his neck ache seemed pale in comparison to the pain he felt all over his body in the moment.
Photo: moneycontrol.com
“Thanks, Orry, for making this. I could still feel this pain watching it on TV. Most painful experience ever. All four of us went through this and still have these marks.”
Gaurav Khanna, Contestant
Shagun Sharma also took to Instagram after the episode aired, posting footage from the stunt with the caption: I know what it looked like from outside. Still healing from what it felt like from inside. She was also vocal on the show, stating that the stunt wasn’t good at all.
Photo: NDTV
The injury is particularly notable given Khanna’s prior transparency regarding his health. In an interview with SCREEN, he disclosed that he entered the competition managing a frozen shoulder, Golfer’s elbow, and color blindness. He framed himself as his own biggest competitor on the show, a sentiment echoed by his mother’s initial reluctance for him to join due to safety concerns, as reported by The Times of India.
Gaurav shared that his mother was very worried when she found out he was doing Khatron Ke Khiladi, noting that during Bigg Boss, she would get stressed and sometimes start hyperventilating while watching him under pressure. He explained that for her, this show felt even tougher because it involves physical pressure. He had to reassure her that there’s a proper team handling everything and that every precaution is taken.
Public Backlash and Allegations of Bullying
The footage triggered a wave of criticism across X and Instagram, with viewers questioning the legality of the stunt and whether the production had crossed the line into torture for the sake of ratings.
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Beyond the physical dangers, the episode highlighted interpersonal friction between the contestants. Shagun Sharma explicitly named Gaurav Khanna as a person she would not want to meet after the show, alleging that he bullied her during the competition. According to The Times of India, Sharma claimed Khanna would specifically pick on her when contestants aborted tasks, calling her weak and stating, Ye to chor deti hai.
This friction suggests a volatile environment where physical pain from stunts is compounded by psychological pressure. While Sharma noted that reality television often creates a different version of yourself, the combination of lasting physical marks and verbal conflict has left the season’s atmosphere fraught.
The show, which premiered on August 1, continues to air on Colors TV and stream on JioHotstar, with the fallout from the “Pain Auction” serving as a catalyst for broader discussions on the ethics of endurance-based reality programming.
