Indian Acid Attack Victim Claims Top Prize in ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire’

The victim of a horrific acid attack has won the top prize in the Indian version of ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire’ – and now has enough money for her next round of plastic surgery.

Twenty-seven year old Sonali Mukherjee was attacked nine years ago while a student in the East Indian city of Dhanbad. When she rejected the advances of three male students they retaliated by throwing acid over her.

Sonali has already been through 22 operations since the attack, and remains blind and partially deaf. In despair at how to pay for her next treatments, she applied to take part in ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’, the Indian version of the quiz show – as seen in blockbuster movie Slumdog Millionaire.

Sonali pictured at the recording of ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’

Sonali successfully answered 10 questions, winning the top prize of 2.5 million rupees, or about €34,400.

Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan who hosts the show said of Sonali’s win; "Sometimes we think that our lives are miserable, everything is against us and then (when) we come across someone like Sonali we realise how lucky we are and how much we have got going for us. 

Sonali’s attackers have never been convicted for the assault, but Mukherjee now wants to use her profile to campaign for fellow victims and push for legislation in relation to such crimes.