SRK's dreamz unlimited!

Finally, today is the D day when Bollywood's biggest and brightest star, Shahrukh Khan will (once again) enter our homes through the TV set! We're sure even his worst critics will be firmly glued to watch king Khan take over the baton from Amitabh Bachchan as KBC's new host.

Imparting his own brand of wit and humour, SRK will not just introduce a new jargon with phrases like freeze kiya jaye, kucchha kuchcha pukka pukka, but will probably set a new paradigm shift in terms of tele-viewing in the country.
On the eve of the Indian small screen getting bigger tonight, Seema Pherwani takes a closer look at SRK's journey in the entertainment industry, his life and his charismatic persona.
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Life comes a full circle

A student of Mass Communication from the capital, Shahrukh had big dreams of being a superstar. But to make it to films, this enthusiastic actor took up to theatre as a medium in his hometown to prove his worth. But soon after the death of his parents he moved to Mumbai to push his boundaries further in life. In 1988, he got his first break on television with Fauji where he played the role of Commando Abhimanyu Rai and in a very short span he left the audience spellbound. Later he did a minor role in the serial Circus.

But how could Bollywood resist his charm for a long time? He made a smashing debut in the hit film Deewana (1992) opposite the late Divya Bharati and from there started the journey of star to a superstar! Always known to ride against the tide, Shahrukh went on to earn critical acclaim for his performances as a paranoid lover in Baazigar and an antihero in Darr.

Later in 1995 he delivered another hit, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge which made many benchmarks and carved a niche with the overseas audiences. His unprecedented success as a romantic hero then rolled over to Dil To Pagal Hai, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Mohabbetein, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham and Veer Zaara. But, wait a minute, even then there was no stopping this phenomenon called SRK as he went on to establish his own production company, Dreamz Unlimited along with co-star Juhi Chawla and director Aziz Mirza. Later, he co-produced Main Hoon Na, Kaal and Paheli, which was India's official entry to the 2005 Oscars. So enterprising and successful has been SRK's life that many coffee table books and documentaries have been dedicated to him till date (and many more to come).

And now after almost 17 years later he's coming back to the small screen, though on a very big canvas with Star Plus' KBC. Unfazed by comparisons with the Big B, he is currently basking in the buzz created by the promos.

The real SRK

Many who've had the privilege of spending some with him say, "Time halts when you're with SRK." Cause, when you're with him nothing else seems to matter! One side of the coin shows a sagacious, articulate and charming family man and the other depicts a vulnerable, insecure, hungry-for-awards and greedy-for-success man who's ambitious to the core. But he himself justifies it by stating, 'If you're not hungry in life just get greedier!'

Is he a national icon? To quote columnist Shobha De on this, "He's still not reached the iconic stature, as he hasn't been able to give back to the industry in return of what he's achieved.

Interestingly, he's one Bollywood star who has not been linked with many of his co-stars. To put it in his own words, "My family and kids rule my personal; in fact when the KBC offer name, I first asked my kids should I take it up? Do you think I can do this?

What will SRK bring to KBC?

The first few episodes have already been canned and going by the response of the contestants it seems SRK comes across as an amiable host. The first episode contestant Sarkar has gone on record saying, "He's a big Bollywood star but can make friends with a common man."

Perhaps his effortless aptitude of connecting with audiences of all age groups, cutting across all strata of society is his asset. Like an interesting observation shows that SRK symbolizes 'achievement and dreams' for the Gen X and 'family values' for the older ones. His wit, sense of humour, charming persona and saleability will definitely rake in viewers.

What might perhaps work against him is the undue comparison to the Big B, as they are bound to miss the Big B's magnanimous presence and his baritone voice. Though care has been taken by the makers to package the show making it more SRK-friendly! To begin with the name of the show has been retained as KBC and not KBC 3. Well, that's how SRK wanted it. Also some of the signature terms have been rephrased giving Shahrukh new scope to connect with the contestants.

Hosting the show is a calculated risk for SRK who's known for his gumption and patience. Though, at this stage of career he doesn't need to prove anything to his detractors, but perhaps he needs to prove it to himself… that he too can do it like the Big B!