Journalism of Courage
The promo shots of contestants with Amitabh Bachchan on KBC4 look promising and if the show delivers,it may well change the fortunes of Sony.
The air was filled with excitement. Giant screens were playing promos of Sonys upcoming big-ticket show Kaun Banega Crorepati 4. Journos were waiting with bated breath for host Amitabh Bachchan to make an appearance and see if he could bring back the magic of his fortune-changing show.
However,all doubts were dispelled,the minute the charismatic host took to the stage. So compelling was his presence that you could be forgiven if you forgot that he had missed one entire season of the show.
When he announced in his deep baritone,Chaliye hum aur aap khelte hai Kaun Banega Crorepati, it evoked a feeling of nostalgia transporting you straight to the sets of the first KBC. As Bachchan himself confessed,for him too it was nothing short of a homecoming. Yet the superstar,who has done around 200 films,prepared for the show meticulously with a lot of mock rehearsals before the shoot.
For anything that is for public viewing I want to be absolutely sure and in this case,know the mechanics of the show. I still have butterflies in my stomach while giving a take, reasons the actor. And though he has hosted two seasons of the show,Bachchan feels that everyday on the set is new.
Its the contestant who makes the show interesting and the game,of course. Its a life-changing experience for many who come from humble backgrounds and within minutes win lakhs of rupees, he reckons. He cites the example of a contestant who did not know there could be so many zeroes before a figure! The stories are telling where they come from, he philosophises.
In fact,KBC4 has consciously tried to include people from the interiors and far-flung parts of the country. 8220;For some peculiar reason,a certain section of the audience seemed to have been alienated whenever KBC was played. But there are large sections from mid-towns and even rural areas who are conversant with what is happening in the world thanks to mobilephones and the Internet and this time we have tapped into that, informs Bachchan,lauding contestants from villages who have displayed great level of knowledge and won up to Rs 35 lakh.
Would he ever be on the hot-seat? I would rather run away from the set, laughs the actor,saying that his general knowledge is not up to the mark.
Being the first superstar to do television,what is his take on others following in his steps? Isnt it fantastic that so many stars are on the small-screen? Priyanka Chopra is doing Khatron Ke Khiladi,Akshay Kumar is doing MasterChef and Salman Khans hosting Bigg Boss, quips Bachchan.
When asked about the competition now percolating to the small screen,Bachchan dismissed it with,We should dispel that idea. We are all very happy doing what we do. We should do our job effectively. How the show is faring and what its TRPs are the channels lookout.8221;
Promoting KBC4
A four-phase promotional campaign was rolled out for KBC4. The first phase announced KBCs association with Amitabh Bachchan and Sony,for which ads were aired on TV channels alongwith the outdoor activities from mid-July to August.
The second phase invited people for participation.
According to Danish Khan,VP amp; Marketing Head,Sony,The eight-day campaign across TV channels and print media got the channel a whopping five million entries,which is a record for any TV show so far.
The third phase Koi bhi sawaal chhota nahin hota was based on the philosophy that knowledge adds value to life. With the prize money raised to five crore,Sony wants to underscore that knowledge is truly rewarding.
The final phase that began on October 1 is a multimedia campaign with 25,000 spots on TV and 18,000 spots on radio to make an appointment viewing with Amitabh Bachchan at 9 pm on October 11,the day it launches. Sony,according to market estimates,has spent close to 12 crores on promotions.
With six associate sponsors including Axis Bank,LG,Tata Motors,Videocon,Sony Bravia and LOreal,one presenter Cadburys and powered by Idea,the channel is hoping to make around 100 crore.
The TRP game
Sony,according to sources,is banking on KBC to open with a TRP of 5 and make it the slot leader. Recently,Priyanka Chopras Khatron Ke Khiladi had an opening TRP of 5 as per the TAM ratings.
