Soul of KBC remains unchanged

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Indra Daga

@IndraDaga

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Posted: 20 years ago

Soul of KBC remains unchanged: Siddharth Basu

Siddharth Basu, Producer 'Kaun Banega Crorepati' talks to Subhash K Jha on the aagerly-waited show which kicked off last week.

What provisions have you made to ensure optimum viewership for KBC this time?
I think there's always room for something good to come back. And KBC is something that viewers were waiting to retrieve. As producer I'm trying to make sure KBC is the best programme that can ever be. It was a responsibility that I took on, and I'm enjoying it.

As you know, the show's demography has changed dramatically since it was on air the last time. Quite simply, far more people will watch it now than they did the first time it can came out. The number of younger viewers has also increased. Though there're cosmetic changes, the soul of KBC remains unchanged. It's the original magic, plus….

Plus?
Mr Bachchan's whole range of style and performing abilities that became evident since he was last on the show. I think his persona is now different, more versatile. During KBC the last time, he was more formal and more of a traditionalist. This time he's more informal. I think there are value additions across the board. Everything is the same as the last time…only better. We've accentuated the positives.

It's like Sholay being remade…
(laughs) There you are. The prize is double…

Just the money isn't enough to lure audiences?
It never has been. Past experience on television, including several KBC clones, proves it. At the same time the huge prize money does heighten the excitement on the show. The drama will depend on the contestants and how much balls they have. If they wavered for the crore, imagine how many second thoughts they would have about the two crores!

Tell me about the nature of the questions on KBC this time.
We re-set the orientation of the questions. Last time there was much more focus on the Hindi heartland. Now we've decided to make the questions more across-the-board, accessible and young. It's not just about the 'geekay'. You can't do well on the show with just cramming. There'll be even less text-bookish stuff than the last time. The contestant needs to have a good head, has to be able to make connections. There's a lighter feel to the show this time.

Lots of questions on cinema?
Somehow cinema is not as pan-Indian as you'd think. You'd be surprised…but the biggest responses on the phone question are not for cinema but mythology which is ahead by leaps and bounds.

As the no.1 quiz producer did you have a hard time selling your ideas without Mr Bachchan?
I've been around for too long. I suppose everyone expected me to produce a Godzilla. You can't lay a golden egg each time. Mr Bachchan had a choice of doing multiple roles in multiple films whereas, I as the producer was expected to deliver a KBC routinely. But even globally the international version of KBC happened once in ten years. It requires a tremendous amount of resources and projection.

American Idol has had some successful spinoffs. But not How To Be A Millionaire (the KBC original). I did bring in the same professionalism and integrity to my other quiz programmes like Mastermind on BBC and Bluff Master, which is modeled on the American game show Dirty Rotten Cheater, on Star One. But you can't deliver another blockbuster like KBC.

How much does Mr Bachchan's personality matter to KBC this time?
More than before, much more. Between the last time and now he has experimented and succeeded with so many roles in cinema. As a performer he's more open to experimentation. He enjoys the tv medium. I share a good working relationship with Mr Bachchan.

Courtesy:sify.com