Shah Rukh's thoughts behind Karle Karle tu ek sawaal video

The KBC3 promotional music video “Karle Karle tu ek sawaal" directed, conceptualized, choreographed and sung by Ganesh Hegde projects the very charismatic Shahrukh Khan in a cool hip way. King Khan is happy with the way Hedge has choreographed the video. The album is releasing on the 10th of Feb 2007 on T-series.

Says Shahrukh Khan, “The thought behind the song is really nice…it encourages query and questions in a fun way, not like an exam. It says knowledge can be fun. First time Ganesh has lent his voice for playback and I think I am thankful he has done it with me. The conceptualization to present me in a different way was completely Ganesh's idea. Vishal Shekhar came up with the tune in a minute when they heard what Ganesh was planning. “karle karle…” has turned out to be an interesting mix of foot tapping way of encouraging the quest for knowledge.”

SRK has amazingly taken everything in his stride. He now seems unperturbed and accustomed to all sort of comparisons to Big B. Like people say, he has incorporated his own wit and style on the show (KBC).

Hats off to the undisputed ‘badshah of Bollywood’!

Shah Rukh Khan awaiting Amithabh’s response on KBC3

Amithabh has not able to watch KBC Tritya…He is busy no doubt, Big B is possibly ready to surprise all his audience worldwide by ‘Nishabd,’ where the he falls in love with a 17 year young girl played by Jiah Khan. Surely Big B is busy with all other production and Abhiash (Abhiash=Abhishek+Aishwarya) marriage plans.

The king khan Shah Rukh however, is eagerly waiting to get a comment from Amithabh for the KBC-III show. He told NDTV, ““I have still not received any message from Bachchan saab. But, I wish he sees it and gives his reaction on how I am carrying on the show started by him.”

He said he was encouraged by the positive response he was getting to KBC from his family and friends in the film industry.

“My children like my addressing the contestants as 'boys and girls' during the introductions,” he said.

Meanwhile, Amitabh Bachchan, who was in Delhi on Saturday, told NDTV that he was unable to watch KBC 3 due to unavoidable reasons.

He promised that he would watch the programme soon and send his opinion to SRK.

“I’m sorry Shah Rukh, but I will watch it soon and then we will sit and talk,” Amitabh told the channel.

Big B Amithabh's repsonse on SRK's KBC3

As the new season of ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ or KBC takes off with Shahrukh Khan taking over from the indomitable Amitabh Bachchan as anchor of the show, comparisons are inevitable. But the ‘Big B’ himself, refuses to take the bait.

KBC, back in a brand new avatar with a brand new quiz master, seems to be looking for a brand new image as well. But all the hype around Shahrukh seems to be lost on the man whom he has replaced. Amitabh Bachchan's first reaction was this disinterested comment:

“I haven’t connected to it, because I haven’t seen (the programme) yet.”

Amitabh Bachchan might have little interest in the fate of the new show, but that has not stopped the producers of KBC from trying out every trick in the book to reinvent a show haunted by the ghosts of last season when the formidable Big B over shadowed all.

Adman Prahlad Kakkar opines, “The new KBC is much more informal, it's much more in connect. There was a sense of reserve and tremendous sense of awe that Mr Bachchan invoked. Shahrukh invokes an equal sense of connect and being one with the contestants.”


Truly, gone is the straight jacketed larger than life father figure – replaced by the irreverent, relaxed and approachable Shahrukh. If Amitabh with his impeccable Hindi had the audience mesmerized, then Shahrukh in complete Bollywood style set the tone right in the first episode itself – even if it meant having a little fun at Big B’s expense! Khan briefly parodied Bachchan’s ornate style of delivery and concluding with a layman’s “Samjhe?” (Got it?)

Another departure from the old, is the conscious effort being made to rope in young viewership. The famous “lock kiya jaye” phrase has been replaced with “freeze kar do”, while “computerji” has been rechristened “Compaq-da”.

While Shahrukh plays on his charm for all its worth, one cannot also miss the nervous energy. And for those still hung up on the Bachchan baritone – you can catch him in the ad breaks as Bachchan’s brand Cadbury happens to be one of KBC'S chief sponsors!

KBC2 was more costly for advertiser

Here's another game that many have been looking forward to is KBC 3. Or shall we say the King Khan vs the Big B?

First KBC3 show went air on Monday, Shah Rukh Khan went into the Big B's shoes.

And there is no let up on the comparisons between the two mega-stars in their quizmaster avataars.

With Amitabh Bachchan as its host, popular TV show Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) amassed TRPs with élan and established Star as the market leader in entertainment television.

So other than energy and effervescence what does brand SRK bring into KBC?

A 10 second advertisement slot was priced at Rs 4.2 lakhs during Amitabh's era but it is priced at Rs 3 lakhs as SRK gears up to take over from Big B.

So what happened to the indisputable King of the advertising arena?

The very association of King Khan with KBC has brought in Videocon and Compaq, companies for which he is the star endorser.

And the latest to join the sponsors' bandwagon for KBC, in its third season are Pantaloon Retail, Godrej Sara Lee, UTI Mutual Fund, Jyothi Labs and the UB group.

Add to this repeat sponsors from KBC 2, namely, Airtel, Hyundai and Cadbury.

So even before the new-age Don dons the role of the quizmaster Shah Rukh Khan's KBC 3 is estimated to be worth close to Rs 100-130 crore and a figure that by-far surpasses Big B's KBC.

Shah Rukh Khan is definitely the Shahenshah when it comes to pulling the big brands. But will the King Khan match the charismatic baritone of Big B?

Well, only TRPs can decide.

Via

From Big B's Sure? Confident? 2 SRK's Kachcha-kachcha ya pukka-pukka?”

HT-It is not Computerji any longer, but Computerda if the contestant is Bengali, or Computer Garu if he is from Andhra Pradesh. The quizmaster does not say, “Lock kar diya jaye” but “Freeze kar do.” Instead of “Sure? Confident?” he says, “Kachcha-kachcha ya pukka-pukka?” Amitabh Bachchan is no longer the iconic host of Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC), Shah Rukh Khan has taken over the hot seat.

While King Khan may lack the gravitas of Amitabh Bachchan, he brings to the show his own brand of youthful charm and self-deprecating humour which Star Plus hopes will attract a new generation of viewers. There are some Bachchanesque moments — Shah Rukh rubs his hands just as the Big B used to — but he also has his own special little touches, such as giving a nervous contestant an impromptu calming neck massage.

Rival channels are guarded about the propects of Shah Rukh pulling off a class act like the Big B. Says Ashish Kaul, senior vice-president, Zee TV, “I think people will watch the show initially out of curiosity. But I don’t think it will be the grand success it was when Amitabh anchored it. Let’s face it, Amitabh is in a different category altogether.”

Equally predictably, Star Plus is very upbeat. Outgoing Star COO Sameer Nair, who watched the programme with Shah Rukh and the entire KBC crew at Mumbai’s Hotel Land’s End, said, “The reaction we’ve got from everywhere has been mind-blowing. SRK rocks! I think he has genuinely taken the torch forward.”

In the final analysis, what matters are the ratings. With Star Plus in a decline, a great deal rides on Shah Rukh Khan in KBC.

SRK worried, tense, nervous

King Khan unlike in his main-hoon-na-I-am-the-best-I-am-the-best mood with this interview. A bit tense, possibly worried about the furture of the show, KBC3, whose ad space is reportedly being sold for less rates than KBC2. Advertisers got away with bulk discount, may be the uncomfort is showing on King Khan distinctly. Star Plus Group CEO, Peter Mukerjea and CEO, Star Plus Entertainment, Sameer Nair both have resigned from the channel on account of their poor performance. Will KBC3 make it to the hit list? Only time will tell......

For the time being read on SRK's inetrview where he is at his modest best. I just can not believe this, SRK only took up KBC3 after his children aproved of it. Did he ask his children's permission before doing Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna. (KANK)


The INTERVIEW WITH SRK

King Khan’s life has come full circle — after Fauji and Circus, and big screen blockbusters in between — Shah Rukh Khan’s back on TV with a reality show, but says his nerves aren’t any steelier...


So, you nervous, confident or over confident?

• I am anxious. I’m always anxious. You people all think I am pompous but that’s a just a front for me. Inside, I’m anxious. For me it’s the creative process. You create something in isolation — alone with your thoughts in the moment — and when it is exposed, there is a huge explosion of public opinion. It’s like painting. You work in solitude and then you exhibit it. In the film industry, I am sure, I know. I know where I’m headed and whether it’s in the right direction. Here, I don’t know.

Are you coping with the obvious comparisons?

• There has been hype, pressure, comparisons with this other gentleman that I am not comfortable talking about. Because all this negative and positive carries to the children, and I’m wary about that. However what really hurts me are the SMSes.
SMSes?

• That newspapers carry in reader’s polls? When a Geetika from Bhayander says ‘SRK sucks’ that really hurts me. I read them all. The good and the bad. It’s like a pimple on the face. You don’t notice the rest of the face, but the pimple you notice. I remember the nasty ones. Some are very rude.

You and Gauri work hard to shield the kids from your public persona?

• Yes. Before I took up this offer, I went to my kids, because they are very fond of Mr Bachchan, the few times they have interacted with him that is. They said “You can do it if Crorepati uncle is not doing it.” Only then I took it up.
My kids have sensed that I am anxious. So they are doing something they have never done before — they drop by the sets and linger around, when I’m doing my make up, sometimes all day. They’ve never done that on my movie sets in all these years. I think children are the first to sense these things. Mine feel they need to be there for me this time.

Do you practice questions on your children?

• Yes, I do. But we always play a card game called ‘It’s cool to be smart’ which is fun for all ages. When the media reports that ‘The stars were spotted in revelry at SRK’s house’ what is really happening is that my friends and I — Farhan (Akhtar), Karan (Johar), Kajal (not the actor, another one), Farah (Khan), Gauri (Khan) are generally laughing at ourselves (no alcohol you know) — and playing this and ‘Trivial Pursuit’ till 4 am.
The kids are up till 4 am too?

• Well, actually it gets irritating when they join in because we are trying to play competitively and you can’t play to win when kids get in. I invite their friends over and we play few rounds together — and I make them all double crorepatis!
Is there any truth to ‘SRK vs Mr Bachchan’?

• See, no matter what I say nobody believes me. He’s an accomplished gentleman who’s 64, and I am where I am, and at the stage where I am the comparison is not fair to him at all.

But is there awkwardness? Are you two on speaking terms?

• Arre yaar, this is all because of that article that weekly news magazine carried. What’s that woman’s name? I’ll slap her when I see her next. I have been in this industry for 10 years now and I have never been thwarted yet. I may be anxious but I will never be thwarted. But nobody believes me.
You are doing Bhootnath with Big B? There were rumours of discontent on the sets too...

• See, I’m only doing a guest appearance on Bhoothnath because it’s a film being made by my AD (Assistant Director) whom I’ve worked with for many years. Also, as in any film, you look at who else is in the film, and you would want to work in a film that has the right star cast.

Is TV a break from the rigours of films, considering the health issues you’ve had?

• No, I’m not taking a break. I did get hurt while shooting for Chak de... but I’m fine now. I’m doing so much more at this point—I’ve never danced in a music video before and I’ve done one with Ganesh Hegde, and am preparing for my home production Om Shanti Om, so there’s no break at all. I’m healthy and wealthy and wise....
Wise we’ll have to see no?

• (laughs) Yes. We’ll see, but I’m definitely not the ‘early to bed and early to rise’ kind... just healthy and wealthy

SRK Attracts big brands for game show KBC-3

He’s not called King Khan for n o t h i n g . King SRK’s entry as the host of a popular game show KBC-3 has some of the country’s top brands jostling for adspace. We hear that brands are fighting each other to sponsor this one. And the fracas is only getting worse. Well, the ‘game show’ behind the scenes sure seems to be an entertaining one. It ‘ads’ to the fun. Let’s hope the real one is fun, too!

Star dishes out new course for Shah Rukh's KBC3

After announcing the third season of Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) with SRK, Star Plus is laying out the red carpet for King Khan on his return to the small screen from where he began his innings.

Star Plus is going all out to get the right combination in place —be it the promos or reshuffling of the on-air serials to accommodate KBC in the coveted 9 to 10 pm slot. The channel has come out with a novel promo that has managed to get the eyeballs and bring a smile to viewers’ faces. The 130-second commercial features SRK as a kid asking embarrassing questions at school, in the lift, at parties, et al. The inquisitive child never gets an answer to his questions. In the latter half of the promo, the child who has grown into SRK is in Mumbai, amazed with the opportunities the city offers.

The promo ends with King Khan on the hot seat adlibbing Kuchh sawaal zindagi badal saktey hain (Some questions can change your life). This promo has been conceptualised by O&M.

The concept of the game was the key to the promo, says Sagar Mahabaleshwarkar, group creative director O&M.

“Each and every one of us has as a child asked some embarrassing, stupid questions. We decided to explore this trait in the promo. KBC is after all about question and answers. Curiosity is the DNA of the game. With SRK as the quizmaster, the participant comes away happy as he has had a close brush with a super star.”

Remember the Big B’s baritone Umeed se dugna? The channel had then cashed in on his voice but with SRK, predictably a different line of communication has been adopted. “We wanted to introduce SRK differently. King Khan will bring new elements to the show and this is one of the reasons for coming up with a changed line of communication,” informs Mahabaleshwarkar.

A new promo was aired last night (Thursday). It revolves around questions again but this time it says how the right question in life can change the course of one’s life. “Here, for the first time there is just SRK for the entire 60 second duration and he is talking to the audience,” says Mahabaleshwarkar. A KBC is one of the biggest revenue maker for Star. Predictably, other shows on the channel are making way for King Khan’s show. The first serial to be hit is Karam Apnaa Apnaa, which will shift from the 9:30 pm slot to 8 pm, axing the sci-fi thriller Antariksh. Speaking about the reshuffle, senior creative director, Shailja Kejriwal says, “Antariksh didn’t deliver, so we decided to pull it off air. The show got ratings of two whereas Karam Apnaa Apnaa is delivering a rating of seven currently.”

Karam Apnaa Apnaa is now pitted against Zee’s Banoo Main Teri Dulhan, one of the leading shows of the channel. But Zee has decided to stay put. “We are not changing the time of any of our shows. The only new addition, Maayka Saat Zindagi Bhar Ka, will go on air on January 15 at 8.30 pm. This serial was conceptualised before KBC ,” says Ashish Kaul, VP, Zee Networks. Via Financial Express

BIg B Amithabh Bachchan on hot seat as guest before Shahrukh?

“I live in everybody’s hearts. And compared to that, the small screen is bigger,” said Shah Rukh Khan in his trademark style as he officially announced his comeback to television with the new edition of ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’.

Khan, who will take the game show forward in January from where Amitabh Bachchan left, refuses to be called a replacement. “It is wrong for people to say that I am replacing Mr Bachchan. I am here today and tomorrow may be there will be a new host for KBC. There is no question of replacement — that happens only when the person wants to carry on and is not being allowed to. Mr Bachchan decided not to carry on and I was the second choice. Comparisons are okay, but they should not be degrading to any person, they should be made in a healthy manner. Mr Bachchan’s shoes are too big for me. Hopefully I will not bring down the standard of the show,” Khan said.

Shah Rukh was particularly excited about coming back to Delhi — his ‘city of joy’ — and restarting his tryst with television from the capital where his acting career took off with TV serials like ‘Fauji’ and ‘Doosra Kewal’. “Delhi is where I spent my childhood. KBC will give me the opportunity to reconnect with the city. In fact, in my line of work, I rarely get to interact with the audiences I work for. This will be my chance to reach out and know all those people who love me and make all those who don’t like me fall in love with me,” said the actor betraying his superstar confidence.

About having celebrity guests on the show, Shah Rukh recounted his own experience adding if the show were to ever have Mr Bachchan as a guest he would go down on bended knees to personally invite him. “If Mr Bachchan were ever to come for the show, I would drive him down to the studio myself. It would be a great honour. I still remember the time when I came on the show for a charity episode. I was nervous but prepared for seven-eight days. And I think I fared well. As a host I plan to do my research well. I am going to download newspapers from the past two years and read them all,” he explained. Via DNA

Can the new Don ouster original KBC host, Big B?

Shah Rukh Khan is set to replace Amitabh Bachchan as KBC goes on air after its second interval. Speak Up probes the entertainment quotient of two Dons on television

SRK lacks maturity
The entire show should be revamped to suit SRK’s personality. Think KBC and it’s Big B who comes to your mind. If SRK is made to host it without revamping it, the entire show will lose its charm. SRK lacks the maturity, aura and voice of Amitabh. There were many shows hosted by different actors, but none could match Amitabh’s charm. Akshit Singh. Andheri

None of SRK dialogues are memorable
Shah Rukh lacks the personality to carry off a serious show like KBC. I feel the show should be revamped and made funnier and lighter to suit SRK. I can’t think of any patent line for him as none of his dialogues are memorable. There is no one who can replace Big B’s effectively. Gauri Acharya. Malad

Abhishek should have succeeded Big B
SRK’s cute looks gives him an edge over Big B, but as far as voice and personality goes, he is nowhere near the legend. His patent line should be “Biru final hai na”. There should be more variety in the show like star interviews. I feel Abhishek should have succeeded his dad’s throne. Vrinda Goyal. Thane

Time to drop the Big B baggage
One can’t compare SRK and Big B. They have made their mark in their unique way. People should watch the show with a new perspective and not with ‘Big B baggage’. May be, if a few Bollywood dialogues are shown at the end of the show, it will be a bit different and entertaining from earlier KBCs. SRK is okay, but my choice would have been Sanjay Dutt. Gaurang Verma. Bhandup

The original was the best
SRK represents the youth and has huge female fan following. This is the biggest advantage he has over Amitabh Bachchan, since women watch more TV than men. I feel the show is best the way it was, may be the organisers should have made it livelier by adding a few song and dance sequences. If you had to replace Big B, it should have been Hritik. Kiran Sharma. Kandivali

No one can better Big B
SRK lacks the personality and voice of Amitabh. What is to his advantage is that he represents the younger generation and has a huge young fan following. With SRK hosting KBC, the show will lose its maturity and seriousness. I don’t think the show needs to be revamped; it’s Shah Rukh who needs to revamp himself to suit the show. Brijesh Mathur. Goregaon

It's unfair to compare
SRK's major advantage is that he is young and full of life. It’ll be unfair to compare him to Big B. The show should be seen with new perspective. I feel there should be some lighter moments in the show. May be, Shah Rukh can make participants sing and dance. I feel Hritik Roshan should have been a better choice for KBC. Rekha Gadgi. Chembur

Bring back Big B
Nobody can replace Amitabh Bachchan. If organisers of Kaun Banega Crorepati think that they can have an as successful show with Shah Rukh Khan, they are mistaken. There is no need to revamp the show. What is needed is to replace Shah Rukh with Big B. Manoj Kannan. Worli. Courtsey: DNA

KBC: Shrey Bawa with SRK, sneak peek

The promos of Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) featuring its new host Shah Rukh Khan will be aired on all Star Channels from Friday at 2100 hrs.

The show goes on air from January 22 from Monday to Thursday at 2100 hrs.

The launch communication showcases a young child from Delhi, who always keeps asking questions. He keeps asking questions till he reaches a point where he realizes that he is not getting answers for the questions which really matter to him.

He then packs his bags and leaves town with a bag full of unanswered questions and lands up in Mumbai. To his surprise it is the city of Mumbai, which is now asking him the questions.

The promo picks pace from here and goes on to show - how having answered some of these questions, the young lad's life now comes a full circle, where he is again in a place where he is doing all the asking.

The rest of the film shows that the young boy has grown up as Shah Rukh Khan and is on the hot seat asking questions. Via: DNA

Compaq inks Rs 2.25 cr deal with Star for KBC-3

Compaq has entered into an agreement with Star India to be a part of the popular KBC-3 quiz show. The company is believed to have paid around Rs 2 - 2.5 crore for the integrated promotion of its PC as the ‘computerji’ on the show, said sources close to the deal.

Last year, for KBC-2, Lenova managed to strike a last minute deal by paying around Rs 60-70 lakh, sources said.

"This deal has certainly taken a while and we finally have Compaq onboard for KBC3," confirmed Paritosh Joshi, president ad sales & distribution, Star India.

The situation was a tricky one for Star, last year’s show had Lenova as the integrated computer on the show and in the fresh season with Shah Rukh Khan playing host, who also is the brand ambassador for rival company Compaq, it was a tough call to make.

"Though the deal with Lenova was signed on the last minute at a highly discounted rate, KBC2 has helped Lenova build a brand name across households," Joshi said.

The new version of KBC is slated to hit the small screen on January 22 and will continue for 52 weeks before ending April 22.

Apart from the ten main sponsors the channel has ropped in for a whopping sum of around Rs 130 crore, Airtel, Hyundai and Cadbury, UTI Mutual Funds, Videocon, Godrej Sara Lee, Jyothi Labs, Pantaloon Retail (Big Bazaar) and UB group, Motorola, other sponsors on board with KBC3 are Bharat Matrimony, Bharti Airtel, Eureka Forbes and Union Bank. Source: Business Standard. January 14, 2006 Delhi Edition

KBC will get splash of red

A lot of red color will be used in both the KBC promotion/publicity and the set. The production guys are changing the earlier set hosted by Amithab Bachchan.

Well, I hope Pepsi does not mind the move. If you did not guess me, let me tell you, every brand associate themselves with a particular color. For Pepsi its blue, and its arch riveal, Coca Cola wears red. I wish that does not bring any confusion to the attribute after all Shahrukh is very much campaigning for Pepsi also. When asked about the infusion of new color SRK in its trademark style says, "The red colour is because I am a son of the soil."

Hmm, thats Shahrukh's modesty which speaks. He also said the other day that only two Khan exists, Sharukh Khan and (historical) Chinggis Khan. Wonder, if that was modesty, too...