Journalism of Courage
The Bengali version of KBC becomes the perfect pitch for former Team India captain-turned-quizmaster Sourav Ganguly to get his fan following back
With their hair carefully parted and tied into a bun,the bright trail of vermillion in the middle is resplendent while the red-bordered pallu of the dhakai saree trails on the floor. These women gather around Sourav Ganguly,who looks dapper in his dhoti-kurta,on a promotional hoarding that entices viewers to watch the former Indian cricket captains new show Ke Hobe Banglar Kotipoti,the Bengali version of Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC),being aired on a local TV channel.
The focus on women audience in the publicity campaign is obvious. Most promotional billboards have been designed with a stress on the Bengali stereotypes concerning women. Even guests on the show are selected keeping their popularity among the fairer sex in mind.
From the heartthrobs of Bengali cinema such as Dev and Jeet,to Bollywood personalities Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao,the guest-list is custom-made to draw woman viewers attention.
A sports icon like Ganguly has a crazy female fan following. The response of female viewers has been overwhelming to say the least, says Yubaraj Bhattacharya,CEO,Regional Channels,Mahuaa Media Ltd. However,with Ganguly as the host,the channel is assured of attracting more viewers than just women. Gangulys appeal cuts across social classes and professional interests. Sport is such a leveller, says Rianka Roy,a research student at Jadavpur University.
Channel insiders say that Ganguly was put through a rigorous training session by producer Siddharth Basu before they started shooting. The cricketer even studied old episodes of KBC. Sourav joked that these sessions were more rigorous than the net practice sessions. Eventually,he formulated his own distinctive style for the show, says Bhattacharya.
On the show,Ganguly remains affable,soft-spoken and suave. In an earlier interview he had said: The contestants are not starstruck really. Also,I see to it that they dont feel overwhelmed in my presence. He can be seen asking a contestant about how he wooed his girlfriend or,a middle-aged mother if she allows her son watch TV. He then goes on to persuade the mother to allow TV time to the boy.
Such easy charm and ability to interact with guests seem to have earned the show high TRPs and given Ganguly yet another opportunity to entertain his fans.
