TV wars: Salman vs Big B... but where is SRK?

• Bindu Suresh Rai

The verdict is in and superstar Salman Khan has proved once again that voyeurism is still king on the Indian television airwaves, with Bigg Boss 7' doling out its fair share of hell-istic battles and ammunition-laden catfights in its first week alone.

While the researchers at Colors TV will no doubt be working overtime in the next few weeks to milk this cash cow even further for more figurative on-screen bloodshed and even higher TRPs, the slightly more family-friendly men and women at Sony TV are equally hard at work to ensure the enthusiasm for the money-spinning Kaun Banega Crorepati?' is just as passionate as the fan-following for show host, the legendary Amitabh Bachchan.

The bankability of both Khan and Bachchan as Tsars of Indian reality TV has been proved without question with each passing season; yet, even as the duo pave the way for other celebrities to follow suit, one actor who appears to have been left out of the race and the chiming cash registers at the end of the marathon is Bollywood's King, Shah Rukh Khan.

Shah Rukh, who has broken box office records around the world with his Chennai Express' thundering into the station with a Rs2.17 billion bounty in its wake, has been unable to achieve such as successful track record during his television outings.

When he briefly hosted KBC' in 2007, the response was lukewarm at best; Kya Aap Paanchvi Paas Se Tez Hai?' lasted all of one season in 2008, before it was taken off the airwaves, incidentally the same year that arch-rival took television by storm with Dus Ka Dum' on Sony TV.

Meanwhile, the TRPs for Shah Rukh's 2011 show, Zor Ka Jhatka: Total Wipeout', were so abysmal that it was cancelled after a mere 15 episodes.

While trade pundits are unable to explain Shah Rukh's reality TV fail on the small screen in the wake of his three shows, few are now also unwilling to experiment yet another vehicle on the basis of his star power.

In the meantime, celebrities such as Anil Kapoor are taking the opportunity to step into this breach as the actor readies for his thriller 24' to air on Colors TV from October 4.

After purchasing the rights of the hit US show, Kapoor has roped in veteran actors such as Anupam Kher and Shabana Azmi to add credibility and TRPs to the show.

If Kapoor's ventures proves successful, then maybe Shah Rukh may have an avenue other than reality TV to rule the airwaves.