KBC...UNLOCK KIYA JAAYE
12 frequently-asked-questions about the new KBC.
How much money is there for the taking?
Sameer Nair: The prize money is the same as before—Rs 2 crore.
How many questions have to be answered?
Sameer Nair: Again,like before, it’s going to be 15 questions. It’s still the same show, with a different anchor. Yet, I can confidently say that KBC will never be the same again...STAR Plus will never be the same again...Indian television will never be the same again...
Why isn’t Amitabh Bachchan coming back despite his contractual episodes still in the balance?
Sameer Nair: Last year Mr Bachchan fell seriously ill and shooting had to be cut short. And even when he was on the path to recovery he was disinclined to continue. We’ve been in talks all along and sometime in July-August he very clearly communicated to us that he would not be returning to the show. Since, in the meanwhile, STAR India had signed a five-seasons contract with Celador for the format, we had to look around for a new host.
Why did they zero in on Shah Rukh Khan?
Siddharth Basu: Shah Rukh made a very entertaining celebrity guest when he appeared in the first series of KBC. He would have won the Rs 1 crore prize had the hooter not gone off. I was not present on the scene since I was shooting Master Mind at the time, but I saw the episode on TV. After Mr Bachchan if there is anyone else who can host the show in a very different way—his own way—it is Shah Rukh Khan. He has everything it takes to be a superb anchor—wit, charm, energy, style, intelligence and youthfulness...He’s a people’s person and with him at the helm, the reborn, rejuvenated KBC should be able to draw in the Generation Next. We’re looking forward to recreating the same magic...with a different magician.
Will Amitabh Bachchan return to the show as a contestant? Who will be the other celebrity guests?
Siddharth Basu: Mr Bachchan has always said very categorically that wild horses couldn’t drag him to the other side. However, if he were to change his mind Sameer, Shah Rukh and I would cordially welcome him on the show. At the moment however, we haven’t started thinking in terms of celebrity guests.
With the second series of KBC Bachchan had promised “Milega ummeed se dooguna”—a doubling of the prize money from the earlier Rs 1 crore. What’s SRK promising?
Shah Rukh Khan: I’m promising that har koi jeet kar jayega. And I’m not just talking money here though I’m aware that big bucks can change a person’s life for the better...Or may be for the worse if brothers start fighting over the booty. I hope that being on TV with me will be a turning point in my audiences’ life. This may sound a little girlish but mere dil mein bahut pyaar hai jo main sabke saath baantna chahata hoon. Main ummeed se dooguni khushi baatoonga.
Why has the colour scheme changed from blue to red?
Shah Rukh Khan: It was a creative decision. The blue was apt earlier because Amitji woh aakash hain jo hamesha hamare oopar chhaye rahenge. It’s red for me because main iss desh ka laal hoon. (Flashes a dimpled smile).
Why has KBC moved from being a weekend special back to its original 9-10 p.m. slot, Monday to Thursday?
Sameer Nair: Last year when KBC returned in its second instalment as KBC2, we were looking for a viable weekend programme, and it redefined weekend strategy on TV. Now we have weekend shows like Prithviraj Chauhan and Baa Bahoo Aur Baby that are doing well,so we have decided to go back to the original slot.
Does Shah Rukh intend to retain Bachchan’s familiar terminology like ‘Computerji’, ‘Sure, confident, lock kiya jaaye,’ ‘Oooo...!’ or will he develop his own vocabulary?
Shah Rukh Khan: (With a grin) I think I’ll retain the “Ooooo...” Siddharth was telling me the other day how Mr Bachchan, he and the writers of the show sat together to come up with the terminology that is now stuck in our minds. We’ll go through the same process too when we start working on the creative. (With another flashing grin) Back then Mr Bachchan came up with “Lock kiya jaaye.” I might do a “KkkkkkkKBC.” May be people will like that too.
How much is Shah Rukh being paid for his two-year contract?
Shah Rukh Khan: There’s been a lot of speculation about my remuneration, particularly in the daily papers. Today, whenever anyone asks me about it I say don’t ask me my wage and I won’t ask you your age (Laughs). Of course, I realise that this thought is uppermost on everyone’s mind and it is a relevant question given that we are living in a very materialistic world. But all I’ll say is that since I’m working with very gracious and large-hearted people, the pay is good and that sure makes the job enticing. However, I’ve been working very hard for the last 17 years and today, given the stage at which I am in, money is not my main reason for accepting KBC. What makes the job interesting for me is the personal interaction it promises. I’m very excited at the thought of interacting with the aam janta. I do that a lot on my live shows and I love it. For a while now I’ve been wanting to get in touch with the people who’ve made me the actor I am. KBC gives me a chance to say thank you to my fans...with someone else’s money (Laughs).
KBC today is the most expensive property for STAR Plus. Sameer, you must be spending sleepless nights wondering how you are going to achieve your targets?
Sameer Nair: Six years ago, KBC took the channel from No. 3 to No. 1 in just three days. At that time we were reaching 25 million TV homes. In 2007 we will be airing into 70 million homes. The new avatar will also feature the largest deployment of communication technology to ensure more calls through landlines and mobile phones. We’re hoping to reach out to 115 million mobile callers this time. The targets were always high, and they’ve just become higher. It doesn’t scare me because nothing in life is ever easy. The high expectations make KBC all the more exciting for me.
Has the rigging controversy that cast a cloud over KBC 2 momentarily blown over?
Sameer Nair: There was no controversy. Some questions were raised over the participation of certain BSNL-MTNL employees and the fastest-finger-first round. We’ve cleared the air. The answers are there on the website.
:SugarwareZ-064:
12 frequently-asked-questions about the new KBC.
How much money is there for the taking?
Sameer Nair: The prize money is the same as before—Rs 2 crore.
How many questions have to be answered?
Sameer Nair: Again,like before, it’s going to be 15 questions. It’s still the same show, with a different anchor. Yet, I can confidently say that KBC will never be the same again...STAR Plus will never be the same again...Indian television will never be the same again...
Why isn’t Amitabh Bachchan coming back despite his contractual episodes still in the balance?
Sameer Nair: Last year Mr Bachchan fell seriously ill and shooting had to be cut short. And even when he was on the path to recovery he was disinclined to continue. We’ve been in talks all along and sometime in July-August he very clearly communicated to us that he would not be returning to the show. Since, in the meanwhile, STAR India had signed a five-seasons contract with Celador for the format, we had to look around for a new host.
Why did they zero in on Shah Rukh Khan?
Siddharth Basu: Shah Rukh made a very entertaining celebrity guest when he appeared in the first series of KBC. He would have won the Rs 1 crore prize had the hooter not gone off. I was not present on the scene since I was shooting Master Mind at the time, but I saw the episode on TV. After Mr Bachchan if there is anyone else who can host the show in a very different way—his own way—it is Shah Rukh Khan. He has everything it takes to be a superb anchor—wit, charm, energy, style, intelligence and youthfulness...He’s a people’s person and with him at the helm, the reborn, rejuvenated KBC should be able to draw in the Generation Next. We’re looking forward to recreating the same magic...with a different magician.
Will Amitabh Bachchan return to the show as a contestant? Who will be the other celebrity guests?
Siddharth Basu: Mr Bachchan has always said very categorically that wild horses couldn’t drag him to the other side. However, if he were to change his mind Sameer, Shah Rukh and I would cordially welcome him on the show. At the moment however, we haven’t started thinking in terms of celebrity guests.
With the second series of KBC Bachchan had promised “Milega ummeed se dooguna”—a doubling of the prize money from the earlier Rs 1 crore. What’s SRK promising?
Shah Rukh Khan: I’m promising that har koi jeet kar jayega. And I’m not just talking money here though I’m aware that big bucks can change a person’s life for the better...Or may be for the worse if brothers start fighting over the booty. I hope that being on TV with me will be a turning point in my audiences’ life. This may sound a little girlish but mere dil mein bahut pyaar hai jo main sabke saath baantna chahata hoon. Main ummeed se dooguni khushi baatoonga.
Why has the colour scheme changed from blue to red?
Shah Rukh Khan: It was a creative decision. The blue was apt earlier because Amitji woh aakash hain jo hamesha hamare oopar chhaye rahenge. It’s red for me because main iss desh ka laal hoon. (Flashes a dimpled smile).
Why has KBC moved from being a weekend special back to its original 9-10 p.m. slot, Monday to Thursday?
Sameer Nair: Last year when KBC returned in its second instalment as KBC2, we were looking for a viable weekend programme, and it redefined weekend strategy on TV. Now we have weekend shows like Prithviraj Chauhan and Baa Bahoo Aur Baby that are doing well,so we have decided to go back to the original slot.
Does Shah Rukh intend to retain Bachchan’s familiar terminology like ‘Computerji’, ‘Sure, confident, lock kiya jaaye,’ ‘Oooo...!’ or will he develop his own vocabulary?
Shah Rukh Khan: (With a grin) I think I’ll retain the “Ooooo...” Siddharth was telling me the other day how Mr Bachchan, he and the writers of the show sat together to come up with the terminology that is now stuck in our minds. We’ll go through the same process too when we start working on the creative. (With another flashing grin) Back then Mr Bachchan came up with “Lock kiya jaaye.” I might do a “KkkkkkkKBC.” May be people will like that too.
How much is Shah Rukh being paid for his two-year contract?
Shah Rukh Khan: There’s been a lot of speculation about my remuneration, particularly in the daily papers. Today, whenever anyone asks me about it I say don’t ask me my wage and I won’t ask you your age (Laughs). Of course, I realise that this thought is uppermost on everyone’s mind and it is a relevant question given that we are living in a very materialistic world. But all I’ll say is that since I’m working with very gracious and large-hearted people, the pay is good and that sure makes the job enticing. However, I’ve been working very hard for the last 17 years and today, given the stage at which I am in, money is not my main reason for accepting KBC. What makes the job interesting for me is the personal interaction it promises. I’m very excited at the thought of interacting with the aam janta. I do that a lot on my live shows and I love it. For a while now I’ve been wanting to get in touch with the people who’ve made me the actor I am. KBC gives me a chance to say thank you to my fans...with someone else’s money (Laughs).
KBC today is the most expensive property for STAR Plus. Sameer, you must be spending sleepless nights wondering how you are going to achieve your targets?
Sameer Nair: Six years ago, KBC took the channel from No. 3 to No. 1 in just three days. At that time we were reaching 25 million TV homes. In 2007 we will be airing into 70 million homes. The new avatar will also feature the largest deployment of communication technology to ensure more calls through landlines and mobile phones. We’re hoping to reach out to 115 million mobile callers this time. The targets were always high, and they’ve just become higher. It doesn’t scare me because nothing in life is ever easy. The high expectations make KBC all the more exciting for me.
Has the rigging controversy that cast a cloud over KBC 2 momentarily blown over?
Sameer Nair: There was no controversy. Some questions were raised over the participation of certain BSNL-MTNL employees and the fastest-finger-first round. We’ve cleared the air. The answers are there on the website.
:SugarwareZ-064: