The brave victim of an horrific acid attack as a teenager has
The brave victim of an horrific acid attack as a teenager has won the jackpot on India’s most popular TV quiz show.
Sonali Mukherjee was left completely disfigured by the attack which happened when she was just 17-years-old and her family have since spent all their money funding her treatment.
But the 27-year-old, from Dhanbad, in the eastern Indian Jharkhand region, will be able to pay for another round of plastic surgery after scooping the top prize on India’s version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire?
Sonali, who was attacked by a spurned suitor and his friends, won Rs 25 lakhs – the equivalent of almost £30,000 – as she appeared on show with Bollywood actress and former Miss Universe Lara Dutta.
The show’s host Amitabh Bachchan, known as Big B in India, praised Sonali’s bravery in appearing on the show.
He said: ‘Denied justice, she pleaded publicly to end her life. Denied that too because euthanasia is illegal in the country, she decided not to remain silent and suffer.
‘Her story is one of immense courage.
‘The nation salutes her as do all of us, but simultaneously hangs its head in shame for this dastardly act.’
Sonali, who has undergone surgery 22 times since the 2003 attack, said that the win was the perfect treatment for her wounds.
Her attackers are currently out on bail after serving just four months in jail with no one ever properly convicted of the crime.
Sonali’s winnings will pay for the next round of plastic surgery but she is still appealing for donations to help fund further operations once the money has run out.
The show, which is called Kaun Banega Crorepati and is in its sixth series, was famously featured in Oscar winning Danny Boyle film Slumdog Millionaire.
Sonali’s appearance came as part of a one off show called Doosra Mauka, or Second Chance, which featured contestants who have shown courage in the face of adversity.