Superstars on your TV screen

The night shows of all films are suffering because big guns like Salman Khan,Amitabh Bachchan and Akshay Kumar are on television.

Its the prime-time bonanza. The night shows of all films are suffering because big guns like Salman Khan,Amitabh Bachchan and Akshay Kumar are on television. Why go to a cinema hall when you can see your favourite actor in your living-room,right? So lets see how the stars are faring on the small screen.

Salman Khan is completely himself on Colors big-ticket show,Bigg Boss. He wears glares because of a blood-clot,jokes around,does the Dabangg belt step,takes the cases of the contestants and doesnt even spare himself he has made references about his jail term and even jokingly told astrologer Bejan Daruwalla that only a daruwalla can understand another Daruwalla. Salmans anchoring style is very casual. He approaches Bigg Boss as if it was his house and he has called the viewers over. His spontaneity is most endearing and even if he breaks some TV rules on the way,it doesnt matter. If any other star had said stuff like Jalne do saalon ko or chided the contestants to remove all your clothes on national television,it would have been blasphemous,but Salman,being Salman,gets away with it. His style is unapologetic and his attitude is simple: Im having fun and I want you to have fun with me.

Meanwhile, the nations favourite quizmaster is back with Kaun Banega Crorepati on Sony TV. Sorry Messrs. Siddharth Basu and Derek OBrien, but nobody does quiz shows better than Mr. B. In the new edition of the game-show,Bachchan is as dignified and real as ever. He builds a rapport with the person on the hotseat,keeps the conversation going and tries to make the contestants at ease so that they open up. He listens,he reacts and keeps it very simple. He navigates his larger- than-life Bachchan persona and doesnt let it come in the way. Bachchans focus is always on the person sitting in front of him. He knows that for most of them this is a lifetime opportunity and he wants them to go home feeling special.

Akshay Kumar on Star Plus MasterChef India is no Matt Preston. I say this not only because he doesnt wear cravats on the show at least not in the first two episodes. Unlike Preston,who is only concerned with the food that he has to judge,Akshay also has to think about working his superstar charm on the contestants. He knows the small screen he was the first host for Colors Khatron Ke Khiladi. Bearing in mind his action star status,that show was the perfect brand fit. He held it together with camaraderie with his haseenas,the gentle flirtation,the teasing,the testing and that beautiful touch of reciting the Gayatri Mantra before every task. From the wild terrain of Khatron Ke Khiladi to the humble kitchen,its quite a leap. Unlike the Australian edition,our MasterChef is dramatic,a tad soppy and somewhat OTT. Just two episodes down and Akshay has already shed tears after tasting a homemakers halwa whose hand he also kissed in order to compliment her culinary skills. As a host,he is a bit stern and a lot emotional. The next few episodes will tell us whether Akshay can make cooking as adventurous as his first show.

We are watching.