s
 |
 |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
Master of the game
Getting Amitabh Bachchan to host
a game show is a sensational move.
Trust me, he’s going to be sensational
on the show. Basically, the format is quite simple. But the size of the
prize which goes up to one crore rupees, is unprecedented, almost humongous.
But the main thing on the show called Kaun Banega Crore-pati is the human
drama. The participants grappling with should-I-should-I-not constitutes
the crux of the game. You know, hardly anyone wins the actual million.
In the United States, four or five participants have gone all the way.
And still Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, the international version of
Kaun Banega Crore-pati is no.1 in 26 countries including the UK and US.
With the kind of clout this game show has all over the world, Mr. Bachchan
is going to be just sensational. He has a certain gravitas, a certain
aura. So it’s going to be Mr. Bachchan and the participants against
the computer. He’s going to be magic.
Have you seen him at work?
Yes. He’s been making inquiries and notes, asking questions and preparing
for his new role as an anchorperson. He’ll give the show a ballistic
beginning. To me, Mr. Bachchan is a nuclear bomb. His presence will simply
take audiences into confidence.
| He’s been a part of quizzers’
game-plans for as long as we can remember. First as the host on the
mythic Quiz Time India then as the man behind BBC’s mythic-in-its-own-right
Mastermind. Now Siddharth, who operates his own software company Synergy
Communications in Delhi, is all set to produce the magnum opus of
his career. A game show hosted by none other than Amitabh Bachchan. Details spill out as the suave anchor takes time off from his busy schedule to answer questions on his dream project. |
Was he the first choice to hoist and host Kaun Banega Crore-pati?
Yes, he was Star Plus’ chief of programming Samir Nair’s choice.
The show is already a roaring hit all over the world. The very fact that
Star Plus decided to acquire its rights warranted an extraordinary anchoring
presence. When Samir suggested Amitabh Bachchan I couldn’t believe
it. I told him if he could swing it, then nothing like it. It could be
no one but him. Anyone else would have been a pale shadow. The way that
Star TV has backed this project is amazing. They have pulled out all stops.
Was Kaun Banega Crore-pati your idea to begin with?
Not really. I have produced other shows for Star TV. We were just chatting
and we hit on this idea. I would imagine negotiating for Indian rights
of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire must have been tough. When we went over
to London for negotiations there was a team from France, Taiwan, Argentina
to swing deals with the British company Colodor. Star has put everything
into it. We are expecting an audience of crores. Out of the shortlist
of a hundred people, ten are selected to come on every segment. It’s
completely open to the public. The format and participation are unprecedented
worldwide. We can expect the same in India.
I believe participants are entitled to ring up their friends and family
for the right answers?
That’s right. They have three of what we’ll call lifelines.
Either you can speak to someone about the answer for 30 seconds or you
can reduce your four choices to two, or you can ask the audience. I’ve
seen participants during the show’s recording rejecting all the lifelines
for a few thousand rupees. Very few go all the way to a million. Informed
guesswork plays a role in the event. Otherwise the rules are simple: if
you know the answers you win. Apart from Mr. Bachchan being on television
for the first time, there has never been a quiz of this scale on Indian
television, and that too in Hindi.
Such a lavish quiz in Hindi?
That’s how the reach is maximised. I have kept out of the scripting.
We have taken on a team of Hindi writers to put together the questions.
So it’s quiz with a Hindi sensibility. Unlike other quiz shows this
isn’t an English-to-Hindi thing. Another outstanding feature of this
game show is, there shall be no time limit to provide answers.
This seems to be the summit of your achievements. What will you do next?
(Laughs) To do a popular game show in Hindi has been a dream. This is
an opportunity I have grabbed with with both hands. I hope audiences will
embrace the show. Actually, Mastermind with its rich questions is easier.
If you have to answer questions on a specific subject you can handle that
with aplomb. But when it comes to general knowledge, as in Kaun Banega
Crore-pati then it gets tricky.
| Kaun Banega Crorepati is an unbelievably elaborate show. The logistics of setting up an all-India telephonic service, and the production which is mind-blowing, not to mention Mr. Bachchan who insists on being completely prepared, all these are a huge high for me |
You already have a quiz show on Star Plus right now. What happens to
that?
Oh that goes off and Kaun Banega Crore-pati comes on. This is an unbelievably
elaborate show. The logistics of setting up an all-India telephonic service,
and the production which is mind-blowing, not to mention Mr. Bachchan
who insists on being completely prepared, all these are a huge high for
me. This is like a stage performance for Mr. Bachchan. And he’s enjoying
every second of it. He’ll add serious drama in the whole event. I’m
really looking forward to that. When we were recording portions of the
show with him in England, the Brits were wobbly at their knees.
Why was that?
They said with a voice like that who needs a set? All the production team
sitting there had their mouths hanging to their chests wondering who this
baritoned guy was. What a voice! They were really impressed by Mr. Bachchan.
Funny they didn’t know him when the BBC Internet has voted him
the most popular actor.
Mr. Bachchan himself has gone on record to say lots of Asians in Britain
voted for that. But Britishers on the whole don’t know him that well.
I am sure Kaun Banega Crore-pati is going to take him to greater heights.
It’s pure sound-and-light showbiz. I’m loving the challenge
and thrill of every moment. Its success depends on what the British call
the shoutability factor. Viewers should be able to shout out the answers
from their homes. The questions get scaled up in difficulty as the stakes
go higher. Can you imagine the tension as some participant goes towards
the crore?
Who dishes out the grand crore if someone goes for it?
The Channel of course. Star Plus has decided to go for it. Worldwide,
the stakes for this game show are unprecedented.
Why was the whole deal so hush-hush?
I guess acquiring the rights couldn’t have been easy, It’s one
of the most expensive shows in the world. The channel, Mr. Bachchan and
I am hoping it would be a grand success.
Subhash K. Jha