Shah Rukh's joke on Balmiki irates people

His dimpled smile and witty humour won hearts and made him the king of Bollywood.

But looks like it will take some time before Shah Rukh Khan earned the same status on the small screen.

SRK’s remarks on Maharishi Balmiki on TV show Kaun Banega Crorepati has landed him in a fresh controversy. Activists of a religious group — Bhartiya Balmiki Dharam Samaj — on Wednesday burnt effigies of Khan and the director of Star Plus to show their resentment against the derogatory remarks.

The community described his comments as “derogatory” and claims that they have “hurt their religious sentiments.” The activists have even demanded a written apology from Khan and the channel, its president Hans Raj said.

Going by the Television Audience Measurement (TAM) ratings, a lot of people haven't liked SRK as a replacement to the previous show anchor — Bollwood star Amitabh Bachchan.

The TAM ratings showed a dip in viewership for the popular quiz show, suggesting that Shah Rukh Khan is perhaps not doing a good job on KBC3.

Shah Rukh, on his part, feels fairly pleased with his small-screen performance. "I think I am doing good and the reason I know that I am doing good is because I get to hear it from a lot of people. There are also a lot of figures and analysis that speak only good things," he says.

I dont want to hug you, Mr. Khan

A mind boggling totally Shah Rukh inclined article from Shobori Ganguli on how Amithabh Bachchan falls from grace after making some not so kind remarks to Shah Rukh Khan.

The article is piercing enough but however revolves around the premise of ‘what-would-happen-to-Big-B-without-KBC’ through out.

Jodir kotha nodi tey felun madam…now all must have realized how different the two actors are…can anyone dare to say to Amithabh ‘No…I own hug you, rather I will quit.’ That’s what the Haryanvi lady actually said to Shah Rukh on episode 8.

Shah Rukh’s strategically whitewashing people’s mind with ‘Jadu ka Jhappi’ syndrome actually losses its sheen there. Actually SRK wants to hijack the idea of hugging all and sundry from the original Jadu ka Jhappi dude Sanjay Dutt. He is certainly not copying Big B there….he is copying Sanju Baba. The way he tried to copy Aamir Khan by making Asoka after Lagaan and wants to sell deshprem in Swades...a original copycat..sheep...mehmehmehmeh

Why the Haryanvi lady, even Leeladhar from Rajasthan (episode 7) also was not comfortable hugging Shah Rukh. He also wished to quit when Shah Rukh asked him “wont you hug me?” Embarrassed Leeladhar then murmured, ‘Hug me Shah Rukh Bhai.’

Shobori Ganguly's article here:

Amitabh's fall from grace


The most thankless comment of the year: "KBC was becoming monotonous. I felt I was becoming mechanical. As an artiste, I needed to have the butterflies in my stomach - that had stopped." The most pompous comment of the year: "That's too little" (on Brand Bachchan being worth Rs 700 crore). Finally, the most graceless comment of the year: "I would like to see Shah Rukh Khan as an inspiration. I want to do better, make better films, so he can copy me." Coming from a man seen as the millennium's most humble living legend, these remarks betray a curious pomposity in Amitabh Bachchan, an unbecoming fall from grace. This is certainly not the man who once said, "I have never really been confident about my career at any stage."

Memory, they say, plays strange tricks with the human mind, but surely Bachchan's cannot be such a traitor. Time perhaps for a recap. In the year 2000, satellite television witnessed a phenomenal revolution when Star TV unleashed the Indian version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire? on an audience whose entertainment bouquet had hitherto contained intellectually indifferent yet hugely popular family soaps. The step was bold but Star had little option. India's first celebrity game show Kaun Banega Crorepati went on air amid grave doubts. The odds were firmly stacked against the channel. A beleaguered Star TV was desperate to arrest its sagging fortunes. Since the Indian audience had never tasted a gameshow before, its reaction was completely unknown. With the risks enormous, no contemporary movie idol was willing to wager his or her fortunes on the small screen.

Treading uncertainly Star homed in on a jaded Amitabh Bachchan who could be occasionally seen frolicking around women half his age in films like Bade Miyan Chhote Miyan, essaying roles which served his age and image ill. Although a star of yesteryears, Amitabh in 2000 stood as a failed actor and businessman. The box office had clearly abandoned its one-time darling with Amitabh posting four flops in 1999. His fledgling company faced imminent death - ABCL was running a stupendous debt of over Rs 90 crore. With no big banners coming his way, Amitabh was desperately clutching at opportunities, not all of them very savoury. KBC was just one of those opportunities.

The show was first aired on July 3, 2000. That day marked a unique concert on Indian television. Star TV needed a break, Amitabh needed a lifeline and the Indian audience needed some novel excitement. With KBC television entertainment finally shed its mindlessness. The show was a smashing success and as the Big B returned night after night to millions of homes across the country, one knew that Indian television's, also cinema's, history was being rewritten. While Star Plus saw its TRP ratings soar to unexpected heights, the show also initiated the process of Amitabh's reinvention in Hindi cinema. The legend of Big B returned to the silver screen and the actor went on to bag some of the finest roles of his career in the next few years.

Clearly, another time, another channel, another actor, another audience may not have been able to create the magic KBC did then. Without Amitabh, KBC could have been an also-ran. Without Star TV, the Big B would not have found an opportunity to resuscitate his terminally ailing film career and business. And without an entertainment-starved audience neither the channel nor the host could have dreamt of raking in the moolah they subsequently did.

Seven years since, times and indeed Amitabh Bachchan have changed. Entertainment has undergone a dramatic makeover. Satellite television has become a gigantic entity, the competition for TRPs acute. As for Amitabh, things have never looked better in his career. He is once again a top draw in Hindi cinema. Having regained a firm foothold in Bollywood, he is giving his younger counterparts a serious run for their money. His son Abhishek too has overcome his jinx at the box office and tasted stardom. As for the Big B's wife Jaya, she is today an articulate Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha.

Given the umbilical link between KBC and the Big B's new avatar, Bachchan's comments on the show, Shah Rukh Khan and his own net worth at the box office seem to lack the pleasing elegance that has hitherto defined the star. For one, had Star never approached the Big B for KBC, Amitabh would have been relegated to the annals of Bollywood, remembered as the "angry young man" who once set the screen on fire with his social messages but who was now prancing around with women as young as Shilpa Shetty in eminently tasteless films like Lal Baadshah. Pre-KBC, it was clear that the once cult figure was refusing to age with grace, caught as he was in the vicious trap of his yesteryear image that ill-matched his advancing years. Saddened by the trajectory, Big B's die-hard fans mourned the decline of an actor who once moved the masses and classes. Bachchan, it seemed, was unable to follow his own advice that, "we will age and age is not always flattering."

Then came KBC and Amitabh's immensely successful image makeover. Here, the Big B played his age, wore classic jackets, sported the now-trademark graying beard, looked comfortable in it, and created for the first time in Hindi cinema a niche for an older actor who could carry an entire film on his shoulder. Cinegoers simply fell in love with this reinvented Amitabh. Don was forgotten and Sexy Sam was warmly welcomed into the hearts of a whole new generation. Indeed, it was through KBC that Amitabh discovered the image that makes him one of the sexiest and most talented 60-plus actors in the world. Today, when he does a 'Kajra re' or a 'Rock 'n' Roll Soniye', the audience's eyes seldom travel to his co-stars. No more jeers about dancing with women his daughter's age.

Had Amitabh not touched the lives of millions of Indians through that television show seven years ago, where would Brand Bachchan be today? Unfortunately, Bachchan has chosen to write away the most successful chapter of his career as monotony. Despite a fan-following that far outpaces that of any other actor, he has chosen to speak about Shah Rukh Khan as "competition". Finally, despite knowing the emotional hold Hindi cinema has over the masses, he has chosen to tastelessly dwell on the "commercial" value of his star family. Indeed a sad commentary.

Big B: I'm tired and bored of KBC now

Boring!!! Did he say? Yes, you have heard that right.

Obviously Shah Rukh’s intention of cashing in on Big B’s success route, be it remaking Don, wanting to remake Deewar, bagging the endorsement contractsfor products earlier done by Amithabh Bachchan like Dabur, Navratna, ICICI, actually makes the once angry young man, Amithabh Bachchan too much irritated. For, the always humble (a bit too much sometimes) Amithabh would not given this sound bite to the media. That
"I was getting tired and bored of KBC." Big B told CNN-IBN on Sunday.
Shah Rukh’s naayia seems like not sailing smooth as the TRP started dropping from the very second day, after the initial euphoria oozes off.
Amithabh’s remark most possibly would reinforce the perception that KBC is not in-thing any more. That ever humble Amithabh Bachchan is not saying kind words to the show may make lot of people disinterested.

By all accounts, it doesn't look as if the Big B is going to give full marks to SRK. He also testifies the fact that there indeed lie some rivalry between him and Shah Rukh Khan.

Television ratings show SRK's KBC witnessed a decline in the very first four days of the show. TV rating agency aMap's data showed King Khan's KBC started off on a steady note, but then showed signs of slipping barely three days into the week.
The show witnessed a steady decline from episode on episode. While the show initially got off to a good start with a 5.3 television rating (TVR), almost doubling its channel share in the 9 - 10 pm slot, the second episode saw the show plummet to 4.8 TVR. The third day saw a still steeper decline in ratings, with the show garnering only 3.5 TVR.

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.

Shah Rukh sinking with KBC- Part 2

Here is an interesting article on Shahrukh Khan's whole KBC experience and you can also read it on the IBN Website.

New Delhi: If Shah Rukh Khan's romance on television or his un-masterly gestures of giving body massages to contestants left you puzzled as to what hesrk_kbc_248.jpg was up to, King Khan has a clear answer to this. "I am trying to make it ( Kaun Banega Crorepati ) more light-hearted," he would tell you.

King Khan knows too well that, given his chatty image and his propensity (or should we call it penchant) for glib, he can ill-afford the pregnant pauses of Big B, which had brought in an aura of awe and academic gravity to the show.

So, SRK wants to capitalise on his own assets and bring in a transition there even though he has tried to ape Big B endlessly in every other aspect – from his efforts to build suspense after a question is answered, to the way he interacts with the contestants and their companions, to the way he carries out the ‘fastest finger fast’ part and so on and so forth.

For a moment, it gives a feeling as if the producers are more interested in SRK’s presence on the show rather than his performance. Or else, why would someone try to pack new wine in old bottles.

"We are trying to make it more light-hearted, more approachable so that it would be a fun for everyone to watch," SRK now says. So, in his effort to be friendly, SRK won't mind giving body massages, romancing with young contestants and even dropping a naughty hint here or another there.

It is all right in modern television till the time purists cry foul, saying the show may have lost focus of the numerous young audience that it once boasted of.

Now, if that is one of the reasons why TRP ratings showed a decline for KBC III from 5.3 to 3.5 in the first four days since its debut on Monday, Star Plus is yet to find out.

But the decline is real. Quoting aMap data, Economic Times reported on Friday that Star Plus’ big gamble Kaun Banega Crorepati with King Khan started off on a steady note, but has since shown signs of slipping barely three days into the week.

In fact, aMap data showed KBC III has witnessed a steady decline from episode on episode. While the show initially got off to a good start with a 5.3 television rating (TVR), almost doubling its channel share in the 9 - 10 pm slot, the second episode saw the show plummet to 4.8 TVR. The third day saw a still steeper decline in ratings, with the show garnering only 3.5 TVR.

Star has rubbished these figures though. "We do not subscribe to aMap ratings, and will wait for the TAM ratings to judge the performance of the show," a Star spokesperson told the newspaper.

King Khan also says he is happy with the response to the show. "I am very happy. Everyone has worked hard on the show. The show has achieved 50-60 per cent of its target and would make more progress in the days to come," he claims.

Khan is also excited about his TV romance. "One lady has approached me while another has said that she does not like me," he says about the "exciting responses" that he is getting from the participants in the show.

Shah Rukh sinking with KBC- Part 1

While Star Plus’ big gamble - Kaun Banega Crorepati with King Khan, started off on a steady note, it has shown signs of slipping barely three days into the week.

According to aMap data, the overnight TV rating panel, KBC III, which debuted on Monday has witnessed a steady decline episode on episode. While the show initially got off with a 5.3 television rating (TVR) start, almost doubling its channel share in the 9 - 10 pm slot, the second episode saw the show slip to 4.8 TVR. What is interesting the third day, witnessed a steeper decline of ratings, the show garnering only 3.5 TVR. “We do not subscribe to aMap ratings, and will wait for the TAM ratings to judge the performance of the show,” a Star spokesperson said.

The slot share which accelerated from 12.4 to 24.2 on Monday has come down to 15.4 on Wednesday. However, Zee TV, which is supposed to have supremacy over the 9 - 10 pm slot also didn’t gain by KBC’s loss. In fact, Zee also suffered with its 9 - 10 pm slot moving from 2.8 TVR on Monday to 2.4 TVR on Tuesday and down to 2 TVR on Wednesday.

Media planners attribute the Wednesday decline in ratings to cricket, which is where eye-balls must have flocked during 9 - 10 pm, as the match took some sharp turns then. However, Tuesday’s dip in ratings still seem have no rationale. According to Group M national director, central trading group, Lakshmi Narasimhan, “The ratings dip indicates that the additional audiences that came on to the time band to sample, are dropping off. These viewers are essentially light TV watchers and are normally difficult to reach.”

Another point in note was made by Starcom South Asia CEO Ravi Kiran: “The fact that there is nothing new in format, coupled with the fact that Shah Rukh Khan is still uncomfortable and Star seems to be counting on his presence rather than his performance. For ratings to spruce up, the show formats need to be fiddled with and SRK needs to be in his acting avatar.”

The novelty of KBC per se seems to have got diluted according to media professionals and with the wide range of emerging entertainment options coupled with the fact that TV viewing also coming down, holding audience attention is a lot more challenging task.

The first week of KBC has traditionally had the most impact in terms of reach and ratings, and hence if the show does not manage to sustain it in the first week, the road ahead is going be quite rough.

Also, given the fact that cricket which had made a comeback, will be strong counter for KBC at all points, and the given format may not be able to withstand such competition.

On the other hand, day three of KBC which clocked a 3.5 rating is still higher that what the 9 - 10 pm slot was garnering pre- KBC which stood at 2.75. So, to say that the channel has not gained would be unfair. Zee’s rating for the slot have also dropped, so clearly audiences have moved, but there does not seem to enough stickiness to ensure larger sampling of the show.

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!

SRK went to Big B’s residence to meet him after KBC shooting

The news of cold vibes between the King Khan and Big B must have worried the pompous Shah Rukh Khan to the extreme. So much so that, after done with the day’s shooting Shahrukh directly landed up at Sr. Bachchan’s residence. Very surprising, isn’t it. Amithabh was then getting ready for one of the film shootings. Two met and shared mutually honoring words for each other.

The only hitch of the conversation moment arrived when some inquisitive and twisted, demented guy asked Khan, within the earshot of Bachchan, whether the King Khan thinks now he is matching up to the Big B on the show.

Analysis of Sharukh's first day of KBC3 and more

So now we know what the nation -- or at least that section of it that has access to cable television -- will be doing between 9-10 pm Mondays through Thursdays: watching Kaun Banega Crorepati or, more accurately, Shah Rukh Khan, in his latest avatar as game show host.

Disclaimer: I am no Shah Rukh fan; his acting style, to me, resembles nothing so much as badly set jelly. But as a live host, he really has no equal -- the qualities his closest friends say are his strengths as a person, are precisely what he brings to the table here.

Shortly before the premiere of KBC, circa 2007, I spoke to a cinematographer who has known him, and worked with him, extensively. He mentioned three traits: warmth, incredible energy, and a habit of talking 19 to the 12, with the gift of repartee thrown in.

Warmth, and an ability to convey genuine empathy with a contestant's fortunes, made Regis Philbin, advancing age notwithstanding, an unparalleled host of KBC's original, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.
Shah Rukh has both these qualities: he is warm as the weather, if not warmer; when he hugged carryover contestant Prasenjit Sarkar at the end of the latter's run, he held the hug long enough to have satisfied his closest friends.
And in his interactions with the contestants, there is -- or, as a competent actor, can portray -- genuine empathy, can suggest that he really wants the contestant to win the greatest amount possible.
Those two pluses would be enough to not just carry the show, but to lift it to a level higher than the previous anchor, Amitabh Bachchan, managed. But to this, Shah Rukh adds a run-at-the-mouth style laced with impromptu humour that has you chuckling even at the distant remove of your own home.
Those two traits -- humour and non stop chatter -- were in evidence right from the outset, when he segued into 'shudh' Hindi to underline the impossibility of speaking in it.
From then on, you upped the volume, and watched the show not so much for the contestants, but to make sure you didn't miss any of his impromptu moments.
Maybe it is good scripting, sort of like the guy who said he spends a lot of time preparing his impromptu remarks -- but his delivery is spot on, and there are occasional signs that he is riffing as he goes along -- like the time he walked around to the second contestant of the day and gave him a little massage to relax him.
Where Bachchan came across as imposing, even aloof, Shah Rukh if anything swings to the other extreme -- his 'gimme five', his teasing Prasenjit Sarkar's wife and trying to get her to say 'All the best, I love you' to her husband at the start of the show, his insistence that a contestant who has had enough doesn't say I am quitting, but instead says I want to hug you (Main tumse gale milna chahta hoon) -- it is all guaranteed to create in the audience the sense of watching a favourite friend do what he does best: be the life and soul of the party.
There were little moments of ersatz magic strewn through the show; enough to ensure that a sizeable section of the population will, here on in, leave work a half hour early so as not to run the risk of being stuck in a traffic jam while the show is on.
So what's not to like? That tacky song that introduces the segment, for starters, with Khan cavorting in the midst of a bunch of under-dressed babes -- eminently avoidable, and if it is the regular intro to the show, I'll pass.
Overall?

When Super Millionaire was launched in February 2004, the then struggling network ABC struck gold, drawing an audience of 17/5 million viewers on average and earning the rating of the most watched TV program on debut night -- and also for the next three episodes writes ibnlive. With Shah Rukh helming KBC -- and, likely, getting better as he eases into this new role -- a few viewership records will likely tumble.
Oh, and by the way, SRK's KBC will also be aired on Vijay TV for those who want to watch it in Tamil.

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

King Khan Shahrukh damn busy preapring for KBC-3

Just before Kaun Banega Crorepati goe son air, KBC3 rehersal rolls, Shah Rukh Khan is damn busy with prepartions, the perfectionaist that he is in nature, he sets all his concetration on becoming the no. 1 persona of the country.

The actor, who will take home a huge pay packet for hosting the gameshow (is believed to be much higher than the Big B), has had the KBC sets erected at his home to practise.

Whether he can fill Amitabh Bachchan's shoes is anybody's guess.

Kaun Banega Crorepati, KBC-3 will start on January 22 at 9 pm, Monday to Thursday on Star Plus. Keep your eye on the TV set when the program is on and later here on this blg, for all the updates, preidctions and lotz more.

SRK in Madame Tussauds

Bollywood King Khan, Shah Rukh Khan will be soon adding another feather in his cap with finding place in the London's Madame Tussauds wax museum.

Shah Rukh Khan follows Big B footsteps with the remake of the Don, followed by Kaun Banega Crorepati and now with the London's Madame Tussauds wax celebrities.

Earlier Amitabh Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai were the only Bollywood actors who are part of Madame Tussauds.

SRK's wax statue will be unveiled in March and actor is expected to be present on the occasion.

From BIg B to King Khan, the bong connection

Who is the only link between Amitabh Bachchan’s KBC and Shah Rukh Khan’s KBC? A Calcuttan in the hot seat! And it has been a roller-coaster ride spanning 15 months for the rollover contestant.

October 2005: Kasba’s Prasenjit Sarkar gets a call from STAR Plus to participate in the studio show of Kaun Banega Crorepati Dwitiya after clearing the three preliminary stages.

November 2005: Prasenjit shoots with Amitabh Bachchan, but after winning Rs 80,000, the episode ends because of lack of time.

March 2006: With the ailing Bachchan out of the game, Prasenjit is given the option to quit and take home the Rs 80,000 or wait till a new season of the show is announced. Prasenjit chooses to wait.

December 2006: Prasenjit gets a call from STAR Plus to return to the new show, to be hosted by Shah Rukh Khan.

January 22, 2007: Prasenjit becomes the first contestant of the SRK-hosted KBC and also the only one ever to be quizzed by both Bachchan and Shah Rukh.

So, the 39-year-old inspector of central excise and customs is on the brink of making game-show history.

When he takes the studio hot seat “this weekend” for the January 22 launch episode, he will “almost surely” be the first Who Wants To Be A Millionaire (KBC is an adaptation) contestant in 106 countries to have faced two quizmasters.

And that too, Big B and King Khan.

“I know as the rollover contestant, I am the only link between the two KBCs,” Prasenjit said at his Ruby Park residence. “I am happy I took the right decision by not quitting the game and waiting for more than a year for the show to restart.”

And when Prasenjit was flown in for a mock shoot a couple of days back, Shah Rukh welcomed him to the hot seat as “Babumoshai” — rewinding to his Devdas and his predecessor’s Anand days! But when asked to choose his favourite quizmaster, Prasenjit went 50:50.

“I am a huge fan of Mr Bachchan but thanks to my 12-year-old son, I also like Shah Rukh a lot... And whatever little I saw of him as the host, puro jomiye debe!”

Is Big B the best ‘host’ of KBC?

“Some questions can change your life” is the new ad-bait which STAR Plus is throwing to promote its ‘hottest’ property KBC 3 starring Shah Rukh Khan.

Such appointment has naturally catalysed comparisons between earlier host, the Big B, and SRK-both iconic brands.

Question is: will SRK prove as or even more popular than Big Abby with TV audiences and hence advertisers?

Will KB3 match the viewership chartbusters of KBC 1 and II? Mudra’s media specialist, Optimum Media Solutions (OMS), probed these topics in a recent survey across the three big metros of Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata, a substantial part of the Hindi viewership belt.

Hansa Research conducted the survey for OMS sampling 200 men and women in each city among SECs A, B and C and age bracket of 25 - 44 years.

Hold the Hot Seat. It seems that our hearts still collectively beat for the Big B first. ‘Lock kiya jaye’ on this one: Amitabh Bachchan is clear top choice as KBC host across generations, cities, gender and SECs.

SRK needn’t muse on Kal Ho Na Ho, though. A generous 71% of the polled audience are willing to give SRK a chance, and an encouraging 21% say they will definitely continue to watch KBC3.

What’s more, an overwhelming 92% of viewers polled say they are going to ‘try’ the first few episodes of KBC3.

Advertisers of upper-collar brands have some cheer. The roster of advertisers on KBC3 includes most of the brands that SRK is brand endorser for such as Airtel, ICICI, Pepsi, Compaq.

Those already onboard are Hyundai, UTI Mutual Funds, Videcon-the latter two are also endorsed by SRK. That decodes to a mix of class and mass advertisers for this programme-and one expects more upper-tier brands.

There’s no screen-room for complacency though. Although 20% of viewers polled are likely to remain loyal KBC viewers, there are still 50% of viewers who are ready to flirt with other programme options.

This is manifested in some initial scepticism about the change in host for a ‘host-centric’ program like KBC.

The combined ad-spend on KBC3 and World Cup 2007 will be Rs 350-400 crore. Cricket will obviously pose tough competition for the game show as polled viewer preferences suggest.

If the KBC3 episodes clash with any cricketing event, 30% of the show’s viewership base will bat for cricket, reveals the survey. This swing will be seen particularly among 25-30 year-old males and Kolkatans.

An issue of concern will be the time slots. According to the study, although the weekday 9:00p.m slot is the most preferred one, the next most preferred time slot is the weekend primetime slot-especially for the viewer segment over 40 years and among lower socio-economic classes.

Viewers in different cities have different expectations of the KBC3 show: Delhi-ites expect easier entry into the show, Kolkatans hope for more fun/humour, while Mumbaikars expect the least change.

There’s a help line for SRK: “Aaj bhi hai pakdi ummeed ki dori: Don’t lose hope is the moral of the story.” Via

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

Shahrukh Khan: The New king of the hot seat

Bachchan’s old world charm or Khan’s energy and enthusiasm — what do 60-plus viewers prefer? R Naliini and Divyya Subrramaniam report

Faithful followers of Bachchan as well as Kaun Banega Crorepati had a lot to discuss last week when Shah Rukh Khan took over Amitabh Bachchan. There have been heated debates over whether Khan will be able to create the same magic that Bachchan did. For many older viewers however, the change is not merely from one super star to another.

It is a mirror of the change that they have witnessed in their own lives. It is the younger generation receiving the mantle from the older. The overwhelming vote is for the older and the more dignified Bachchan, but the dashing Khan has not been really written off. Most faithful viewers feel that although Bachchan’s voice and old world mannerisms cannot be duplicated, Khan might be able to bring a whole new atmosphere to the show.

Some viewers feel that age has little to do with how good an anchor is. They feel that it just depends on the personal ability of the anchor. But there are many who feel that Khan’s main appeal is to the younger audience. While most viewers are looking forward to the change, there are few who say that the charm of the show is lost.

It’s not just about younger or older — an anchor is an anchor. Khan is a good actor but he may not be a good anchor. Bachchan is good at both. I have been watching Khan since his initial acting days. I don’t consider him an option for KBC at all. Bachchan’s voice, presentation style and the way he interacted with the participants are unmatched qualities.” Vastupal Sheth, 76

Bachchan attracts people of all ages; Khan will appeal more to the younger generation. When it comes to dignity, maturity and experience, Bachchan scores over Khan, who is quite young. Bachchan is genuinely nice. Khan is not as serious or deep as Big B’s. Bachchan’s voice commands attention. His mere presence is enough.” Indu Shedde, 79

I clearly remember how he would adjust the chair level and help participants sit comfortably and only then take his seat. He would talk to the participants and also the relatives or friends accompanying them. Khan is like his son. He’ll do well.” Nirmal Bhambri, 67

Bachchan has his own presentation style and Khan will have his own. There will be a difference in the way the show will be conducted. Bachchan has a knack of doing things that has come through experience. Age and experience won’t be barriers for Khan, if he perseveres. At least, the Badshah of Bollywood has dared to take it up.” LP Dubey, 69

We had a face-to-face experience with Amitabh Bachchan on the sets of KBC’s couples episode. Bachchan was very impressive, humble, polite and spontaneous. Khan’s plus points are his wit and humour. Those who’ve not seen Bachchan’s KBC will think Khan’s is the best. The youth (those aged 15 to 20) will be more impressed with Khan. That is because of the generation gap.” Vinod Behl, 67. Via DNA