Most men would be quite flattered to be mistaken for Amitabh Bachchan. Not Puneet Bansal, who is annoyed at the very idea. Patiala resident Bansal found himself being besieged by people after his mobile number was read out — mistakenly — by the actor during the programme Kaun Banega Crorepati. Within
seconds of that faux pas, Bansal’s phone started ringing and he has so far received thousands of phone calls and over 2,500 text messages from people all over the world. Worse, when he denies he is the actor, the callers get abusive.
We sympathise with Bansal’s predicament. A mobile phone at the best of times is intrusive and to be woken up at odd hours can be a pain. Calls from telemarketers offering everything, from free holidays to platinum credit cards, are a nuisance of modern life, but they only come a few times during the day; Bansal’s phone has not stopped ringing.
But look at the bright side. To be connected, however briefly and tenuously, to India’s biggest superstar is a lucky break of sorts. It has got him some publicity and a story to tell future generations. And who knows, the makers of KBC may sympathise with him and get him a slot on the show, during which he could meet his doppelganger and exchange a laugh or two about this mix-up.