Star TV ropes in Amitabh Bachchan as host

After acquiring the rights for the show from a British source, Star TV’s “obvious choice” for producer was Siddharth Basu. “Basu is an expert in the format of quiz and game shows,” Nair said, adding, “we’ve worked with him earlier too, so when we thought of this show, we immediately thought of Basu as producer and Bachchan as host.” According to Nair, Bachchan was a unanimous choice, “because he is, after all, the biggest B. And this is to be the biggest show on Indian television.”

Basu admits that getting Bachchan to host the show was Nair’s idea. “I thought it was a wonderful idea because Bachchan is such a wonderful performer. He’s absolutely right for the show,” he said.

Basu said Bachchan “has a certain persona and a manner, along with the skill and charisma which will add immense value to the show.” The show itself, Basu said, is number one in 26 countries including the UK where it originated. “There is something about the format that is unique,” Basu said, explaining that “firstly it depends on mass interaction on a scale which is unprecedented. Then there is the size of the award. “In India, the prize money amounts to a crore of rupees, which is a huge lure.” Finally, despite sophisticated technology, Basu insists the show is very simple. “It’s all about participant versus computer, because although there’s a bunch of questions lined up, nobody including the host knows what is coming up. And there are only 15 questions separating the participant from the big prize,” Basu said.

However, Kaun Banega Crorepati? is an expensive show. “I have no clue about the ramifications of that, but I know it’s much more expensive than any other game show because of the technology and equipment going into it,” Basu explained. Surprisingly, Basu said, the channel isn’t complaining. “They aren’t using the conventional this-programme-costs-so-much banter. We are still finding out many other things as we go along. For instance, if we get this expert or this equipment, it’s going to cost so much more.”

The show will be shot at Film City because few other studios in Mumbai offer the infrastructure required for the programme. Basu, who recently participated in the shooting of a few promos for the show with Bachchan in London, said the British crew were very impressed with the actor’s personality. Nair said the crew were confident that the Indian show would be very successful because of the host’s presence.

Basu is also sure that Bachchan’s popularity will not be affected by his presence on the small screen. “Here he’s a guide, helping an ordinary guy win a big prize. I think it goes with the image of the persona,” the producer said.