3 min readMumbaiJun 12, 2026 07:13 PM IST
Anil Kapoor is all set to headline the reality television show India Ke Top 1%. The show’s first promo was unveiled on Friday evening, ahead of its premiere on JioHotstar and Star Plus. Described in an official press release as a format designed to challenge conventional notions of intelligence, India Ke Top 1% promises a high-stakes battle of wit, logic, observation and quick decision-making.
The promo opens with a visibly frustrated Anil Kapoor walking out of yet another board meeting, saying he is mentally exhausted. He is then seen speaking to his assistant about how tired he has become of people flaunting degrees from prestigious institutions such as Harvard. “Inki degree ka kya main achar daalon? (What am I supposed to do with their degrees?)” he asks.
Anil goes on to complain that whenever he asks someone a simple question, they rely solely on bookish knowledge instead of practical thinking. Moments later, he notices that one of the people present in the room is recording him. Rather than stopping him, Anil walks up to the person and tells him to keep recording.
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He then breaks the fourth wall and says, “Ek aisa show banayenge jahan degree nahi, dimaag chalega. Koi bhi dimaag wala ban sakta hai India ka Top 1 Percent (We will create a show where degrees won’t matter, only intelligence will. Anyone with a sharp mind can become part of India’s Top 1 Percent).” When the person asks him what exactly that means, Anil explains that it refers to the brightest minds in the country.
Opening up about why India Ke Top 1% resonates with him, Anil Kapoor said in a statment, “I have always believed that India is a nation driven by raw instinct, unmatched observation, and incredible street-smartness. Walk down any street in our country, and you will find people who can outsmart anyone under the sun, not because they memorized an encyclopaedia, but because their brainpower is sharpened by life experiences. In India, we take immense pride in being jugadu; it’s our ultimate superpower that makes Indians everywhere the top 1% of their fields. That’s why when I saw the format of ‘India Ke Top 1%’, it instantly clicked with me.”
