New Delhi, Sep 19

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan shared a personal anecdote, talking about his surname, and revealed what he had filled in the section of â€˜casteâ€™ during the last census.

In the episode 26 of the quiz-based reality show â€˜Kaun Banega Crorepatiâ€™ season 15, host Amitabh welcomed Madhurima to the hot seat.

Talking about the contestant, the actor said: â€œMadhurima from Ranchi, Jharkhand is here with us. She's a section officer in the forest, environment, and climate change department. Madhurima, I do not know your full name.â€

Replying to Big B, she said: â€œSir, my name is Madhurima. I have stuck to the name Madhurima only. Sir, generally, we see that the father's name is the surname. After marriage, your surname is changed to your husband's last name.â€

â€œOr a woman's name has the suffix 'devi'. You don't get the respect a 'devi (goddess) deserves. It is very rare. I wasnâ€™t in favour of the suffix 'devi'. I thought I'd add a surname directly after I got married. When I got married, my husband asked me if I wanted to adopt his surname. I told him that my name was enough! I do not need it, you see,â€ she shared.

The â€˜Pikuâ€™ fame actor lauded Madhurima, saying, â€œThat's wonderful. You have such lovely views, Madhurima. They exude such strength. You told us about the tradition you just started. I wish to congratulate you on it.â€

The 80-year-old actor then went on to say: â€œI have done that with my name many times too. My father (Harivansh Rai Bachchan) was not a man who favoured caste system.â€

â€œIn India, a personâ€™s surname represents his caste. My father hailed from a Kayasth family. He adopted his pen name as a poet, which was Bachchan, as his surname. That became his name,â€ said Big B.

He said: â€œAfter I grew up, I had to be enrolled in school. At the school, my parents were asked my surname. As written in my father's autobiography. I have mentioned this on many occasions as well. My father and mother looked at each other and wondered what to do. My mother said, â€˜He should take on your surname.â€™ That's how I came to be Amitabh Bachchanâ€.

The â€˜Mardâ€™ actor said: â€œYour views are commendable. Questions are raised over one's surname and caste.â€

To this, Madhurima replied: â€œI agree, sir. People form groups. They make separate groups even at workplaces.â€

The actor said: â€œI'm sure you're aware of the census. It's a long list of people's names, ages, height and weight There's another section for caste. I did not fill that up. and I was asked what my caste was. I said I was Indian.â€

â€œI was told they knew that. â€˜No, sir. You need to mention your caste.â€™ I replied, â€˜I will not. I don't have a caste.â€™ â€˜I am Indian.â€™ My response for the next time will be, â€˜I am an Indian, and our Chandrayaan landed on the moonâ€™,â€ he added.

â€˜Kaun Banega Crorepati 15â€™ airs on Sony.

Big B says he writes 'Indian' in caste section of Census form