Factual
Sony BBC Earth explores wildlife in 3 shows with Steve Backshall
MUMBAI: It is said that jobs fill your pocket but adventures fill your soul. Sony BBC Earth presents three shows, Extreme Mountain challenge, Extreme River challenge and -Deadly 60- Pole to Pole, featuring Steve Backshall, from 18 November, Saturday and Sunday at 9 pm.
Backshall has been interested in wildlife since his childhood. His parents encouraged his interest in the natural world. He says, “I grew up in a small farm; I kept many animals from a very young age; lots of rescued animals, and lots of big animals as well. All these things had fuelled a lifelong love for natural history.”
His first show – Extreme Mountain Challenge – is all about encountering strange creatures and ancient mysteries. He and his team also attempt to explore the ancient, sheer-sided mountains and lost worlds cut off from the jungle.
In the second show Extreme River Challenge, he explores the Baliem River in the island of New Guinea. His mission is to discover the ancient tribes that live along its banks and meet the dangerous animals lurking in the river and the surrounding jungles.
Backshall’s third show – Deadly 60- Pole to Pole- encounters deadly forces of nature, from exploding volcanoes to mighty glaciers and travels with his crew from the Arctic to the Atlantic.
Sharing his experience while shooting his third show-Deadly 60- Backshall said that it’s not about the animals that are deadly to human beings. In fact, animals are deadly to other animals, so they might feature creatures like bull sharks or king cobras or Komodo dragons.
“But we could also feature things like eagles and perhaps even something as small as a tiny beetle that feeds on other insects. So it is a big mix of mostly predators,” he added.
Big cats like tigers, jaguars, snow leopards and clouded leopards were the dangerous animals that he had encountered and were hard to handle. “I have spent months trying to film jaguars without succeeding. And it is something that is constantly a problem,” he said.
MUMBAI: India’s most famous hot seat is about to welcome an unlikely first-timer. For the first time on Hindi general entertainment television, industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla will appear on Kaun Banega Crorepati, the iconic quiz show hosted by Amitabh Bachchan.
The special episode marks a rare meeting point of boardroom heft and prime-time television, bringing one of India’s most influential business leaders face to face with the country’s most enduring screen legend. It is a crossover that blends intellect, leadership and popular culture, all under KBC’s familiar spotlight.
Birla’s appearance dovetails neatly with the show’s current theme, Jahaan Akal Hai, Wahan Akad Hai, which celebrates the confidence that comes from clarity of thought and knowledge. His presence lends weight to the idea that sharp thinking and conviction are as vital in life as they are in the quiz chair.
In a thoughtful conversation with Bachchan, Birla shared an upbeat view of India’s economic journey, pointing to the nation’s rapid growth and the scale of opportunity opening up across industries and communities. He spoke of momentum, ambition and a future shaped by enterprise and ideas.
The episode is not all serious talk. In lighter moments, Birla confessed his long-standing admiration for Bachchan, calling him his favourite actor and admitting to a touch of nervousness at answering questions in front of the Shahenshah himself. The candour adds a human touch to a man more often seen in headlines than on television sets.
The special episode airs on Monday, 29 December at 9.00 pm on Sony Entertainment Television and Sony LIV.
