Not So Small

Best of buddies in the fickle film industry,the two actors have delivered hits each time they collaborated on-screen.

Best of buddies in the fickle film industry,the two actors have delivered hits each time they collaborated on-screen. Therefore,when Sanjay Dutt joined Salman Khan as co-host on Bigg Boss Season 5 on Colors this year,it was hailed as the channels biggest feat. Yet,Dutts debut on television is one among the half-a-dozen entries of Bollywood stars on the small screen this year.

Hrithik Roshan packed in Just Dance on Star Plus between his hectic film schedules. Preity Zinta made a screen comeback after nearly four years with Guinness World RecordsAb India Todega,also on Colors,and followed it up with her chat show Up,Close and Personal with PZ on UTV Stars. Veteran actor Dharmendra co-judged Indias Got Talent on Colors. Even Sohail Khan and Lisa Ray dabbled in television assignments with Sonys Comedy Circus and TLCs Oh My Gold,respectively. And before the year could end,Aamir Khan announced his yet-untitled debut TV venture on Star Plus,making it the most-anticipated show of 2012.

Ever since the success of Amitabh Bachchans maiden venture on the small screen with Kaun Banega Crorepati in 2000,Bollywood actors have been encouraged to experiment with the medium. Actors such as Shah Rukh Khan,Akshay Kumar and even Ajay Devgn and Kajol have been a part of reality-based programming. However,the last two years have witnessed a significant rise in Bollywood stars TV debuts. Rajesh Iyer,Head-Marketing,Colors,attributes this to the mediums reach. While movies get them the one-time exposure at a theatre,with a television presence,celebrities are able to enter the viewers home everyday and build a long-term connect, he explains.

However,a major factor boosting the trend is also the channels desire for a star association. Colors went on air in 2008 with Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi (KKK) hosted by Kumar. The channel has since had a steady flow of stars often making their TV debut for their various shows,including Priyanka Chopra,who hosted KKK in 2010. We chose Akshay Kumar for his universal appeal; he helped make our presence felt in millions of households, adds Iyer.

What no one is willing to comment on,however,are the monies. Though exact figures are unknown,channels are known to have paid actors huge amounts to have them on the shows. While the combined remuneration of Dutt and Salman for Bigg Boss is rumoured to be up to Rs 5 crore per episode,Roshan came for a hefty Rs 2 crore per episode on Just Dance.

But both channels and actors assert that a shows format is the defining factor in the deals.

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