KBC 3(with srk) : Concept and Articles - Page 49

Contestant is the hero of KBC not Shah Rukh Khan

2007-02-21 16:07:00
Gujarat Global News Network, Ahmedabad

For Shah Rukh Khan KBC is a great opportunity to entertain people. He does not deny big money in the big game show. But at the same time, he says, it is a big challenge to my acting. The actor in me tries to come out of the anchor Shah Rukh Khan. Explaining this, he says, as an actor I have to go by the script, show my acting skills while here as an anchor I have to be what I am, Shah Rukh Khan, responding to ever changing situation and mood of the contestant.

Recently, he had media interaction, at the set of KBC in Chitranagari Mumbai where he spoke about various issues ranging from the talk in media about him and Amitabh to his plans in the near future with the confidence of a mature mega star and candidness of a heart for people.

He finds the rims of media coverage comparing him with Amitabh Bachchan as a normal incident, part of the media game. It was bound to happen. We expected it. Explaining this, he says, earlier he acted in the new Don and now he was the host of KBC. It is natural for people to compare.

But I am what I am and I want to be me. I do not want to copy, but it will take some time before I establish my identity in the programme. See, Amitabhji is tall and so is his shadow and it will take some time to come out of the shadow, this is how he replies to a question about coming out of shadow of Amitabh.

I respect Amitabhji. He is a great artist. When I joined the film industry people use to compare me with Dilip Kumar. It goes on. Everyone likes to read about himself. I also like. It's all media game and I am also part of the media. This is how he describes all what is appearing in the media about him with reference to KBC.

The experience of anchor is new for him. He says that he is 90 per cent actor and this actor in him comes out of him the moment the camera is on. But as an anchor, I have to be me, Sha Rukh Khan. I will certainly like to be anchor of such a mega show, but it all depends on offer from people like Siddhartha Basu, he says with his imitable smile.

Though there is no script like in the case of acting, he does practice, particularly reading question. I get about 100 questions list, he says. He feels that people interested in joining KBC should come prepared. They should do home work. He recalls that he had prepared for almost one month when he was asked to be a contestant in the KBC of Bachchan.

With an obvious reference to the criticism of his hindi, he says I know my Hindi is not good. There are many whose Hindi is not good. But I am constantly trying to improve it, he says.

I really feel very sad when I know the answer and I find that the contestant has made a wrong choice. But, I can't help it. He says people talk about the KBC in terms of Amithabji or Shah Rukh. But the hero of the game show is the contestant. He goes from the show as a happy man.

As an anchor of the country's biggest game show he receives applauses and criticism both. At times, in a very rude way. However, here he shows his greatness. Scenes of the KBC might be censored, but live show on the set showed this greatness in the most natural way without any cut. A lady journalist fired a remark that he was very rude to old people. Without getting agitated, he explained how wrong the statement was. He says he receives SMSes that he copies Amitabh.

He says he likes humor and he wants to bring humor to the show. He tells about what his father told him about humor. Sense of humor should not hurt anyone and I am following this advice of my father, he says.

He feels that there was nothing wrong or to feel bad about one of the contestant Rachna Sharma saying that she was not interested in quitting the show in his style of having a hug. No one is forced and everyone is free to have his or her way. I offer three options for quitting- hug me, have a handshake or strangulate me.

He works for two episodes on a single day and has planned long holidays with his family this summer. He says at present he has Chuk De and Om Shanti Om and will think about new films only after family vacations.

He is a chain smoker. He himself admits that he smokes 35-40 cigarettes a day. When someone asked him about quitting smoking prompt was his reply, I have lot of tension of KBC. I will stop smoking after my KBC assignment!!

For news in Hindi see our Hindi daily Chaupal Chronicle

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Episode 19

SRK wins Kumud Award!


Kumud Bajaj from Noida is on the Hot Seat and she reads out a poem written by her husband for SRK and also says that she wants to make a "Kumud award" function where only he will be awarded. Kumud who is a big fan of SRK puts a condition before marriage that she wants to be allowed to spend time with SRK.

After Kumud, Dilip Jashvantray makes it to the Hot Seat who SRK thinks is cool and tags him DJ. Throughout the show he calls him "yo DJ'. DJ is accompanied by his wife Rashmi. SRK seeks permission from DJ and calls her "Rash baby' throughout the show. SRK asks him to say hindi lines in gujarati so SRK says his Dil toh pagal hai dialogues "meri aankhon main....", which DJ translates in Gujarati making everyone crack up.

Don't get on his bad side!

We've always wondered how SRK keeps his composure when certain participants get obnoxious or downright rude with the superstar on KBC3. Says Khan, "Honestly, I don't mind if they get rude or obnoxious, because they're probably thinking that they can go home and boast, 'I was rude to Shah Rukh Khan!' That doesn't bother me.

I'm all for making each and every participant who comes on my show happy in whatever way. Of course, if they got on my bad side off the show, I'd slap them!"
So you see, even super amiable guys have only this much patience! On that note, you can catch SRK doing an iski topi uske sar act on KBC tonight.

He has not only nicknamed the contestant Dilip Jashvantray as DJ, but also makes him wear a personally autographed thinking cap to help him answer the questions!

Courtesy: roshni kumar

From Times Online
February 01, 2007

Q. Who fronts India's millionaire quiz?

A. Just ask the audience

Shah Rukh Khan is Bollywood's most bankable leading man and has taken over as host of India's version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire?

Our correspondent in Bombay poses the significant questions to him


Ashling O'Connor

Shah Rukh Khan, India's hottest film actor, is patiently waiting for Ramakrishna Gugglia to give his final answer.

Who adopted the title Her Royal Highness, the Duchess of Cornwall in 2005?

A: J. K. Rowling;
B: Camilla Parker Bowles;
C: Princess Anne;
D: Zara Anne Phillips.

Gugglia, a doctor, has already phoned a friend — his cousin, in fact — who told him to go for answer B.

Under the glare of studio lights and the distraction of being seated opposite Bollywood's biggest superstar, however, the contestant on Kaun Banega Crorepati? (KBC) — India's version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire? — has had an attack of uncertainty.

In between long pauses and cheek puffing, Gugglia receives words of encouragement from his quizmaster, who gives him a shoulder massage to ease his stress. There are 80,000 rupees (925) riding on the question, a lot of money in a land where the average daily wage of a labourer is under 100 rupees. The jackpot is 20 million rupees (230,000) — enough to send anyone into fits of anxiety.

After ten minutes of painful prevarication, Gugglia finally gives the right answer (B) — only to crash out when he got the 640,000-rupee question wrong (Which was the first Indian company to trade on Nasdaq? Answer: Infosys), and tumbled back to 20,000-rupee mark.

Khan feels so sorry for the despondent contestant, he gives him his Tag Heuer watch, which is probably worth more than the prize money he just lost.

The segment is wrapped and Khan, or SRK as he is dubbed, strides off set to take a few puffs from one of the cigarettes that he chain smokes throughout the day. His make-up is retouched, his thick, black hair smoothed down and he is ready for the next contestant in the hot seat.

The format of the show is all terribly familiar, right down to the colours, the lighting and the over-dramatic soundtrack. But this is Millionaire with an Indian twist.

Nowhere else in the world, and the show is in more than 60 territories, is the host also the country's most bankable movie star.

Shah Rukh Khan, 41, is India's Tom Cruise, both in his status as the romantic lead and action hero of choice and in terms of box-office draw. A recent Bollywood power list put him at No 2 behind Yash Chopra, the studio mogul.

The entertainment industry was abuzz in the build-up to the launch of KBC's third season ten days ago, billed as the biggest TV event of the year in India after the cricket World Cup. Not only is it India's most expensive television production, costing about $13 million (6.6 million) — $8 million of which is Khan's fee — for two 52-episode seasons, but it brings with it an irresistible story-line for a media obsessed with celebrity rivalry.

For Khan, the King of Bollywood-in-waiting, has taken over from Amitabh Bachchan, the long-reigning monarch of Hindi cinema. Bachchan, a Harrison Fordesque figure, enjoyed huge success during the first season in 2000 only to fall ill halfway through the second. Despite the timely boost the show gave to a flagging movie career, Bachchan declined to do another season, opening the way for the young pretender to his crown. Before an episode had even been recorded, the newspapers were full of comparisons. Since the first show aired last Monday, a national debate has raged about who is the better host. Jammed TV phone-ins reflect opinion deeply divided between fans of the revered Bachchan and the irreverent Khan.

Executives at Star India, the country's largest broadcaster, whose parent company is News Corporation, the ultimate owner of The Times, could not have hoped for better publicity. Star Plus has been the No 1 channel in India since the first season of KBC propelled it to the top of the ratings six years ago, but in recent months its main rival, Zee TV, has started to creep back. Advertising revenues at Star's flagship channel have fallen by a fifth, its primetime dominance is under threat and several top executives — including the chief executive — have jumped ship. KBC3, aired four nights a week between 9pm and 10pm, is a quick fix, injecting revenues into a traditionally sluggish financial quarter, which will be further dented by the Cricket World Cup, for which Sony has the rights.

Ten bluechip sponsors have spent a collective $25 million to be associated with the show, while 30-second spot advertising is going for three to four times the normal rate. Initial figures suggest that the show is a hit. Whether it maintains audience interest for its full 13-week run, however, will depend on the strength of Khan's Everyman appeal.

Although he started in TV 14 years ago, the actor is in unfamiliar territory. With his pick of film roles and multimillion-dollar endorsements, he has invited comparison with the inimitable Bachchan. It is a gamble both for him and for Star. Eating brown-bread sandwiches and lighting one cigarette off another in his dressing room on set in Bombay's Film City the week before the launch, Khan acknowledges this with little ado. "Everyone tells me that this was a risk. I really don't know. I'll find out," he says, in an exclusive interview with The Times.

"The answer to the question 'Why do it?' is 'Why not?' actually? If it doesn't work I'll pick myself up and start all over again. I came from television, I'll go down in television!"

Khan, a Muslim married to a Hindu model, has pulled off the red tie he is forced to wear for KBC, ruffled his hair and unbuttoned his white shirt halfway down his chest.

He is remarkably open for a man tailed by insatiable gossip columnists and hordes of fans. When he leaves his mansion in Bombay's plush beach suburb of Juhu, he is escorted by a coterie of bodyguards and travels in cars with blacked-out windows.

Part of the attraction of hosting a game show is the interactivity. After a tiring day of filming, and a 4am finish on a KBC promotional music video (his idea) the previous night, he still has the energy to work the studio shaking hands and posing for photos. "I get to meet people, which I normally don't do as I'm in an ivory tower, stuck away," he says. "I'm shooting a film, then I go home and I have five or six security guards around me."

Khan's style on camera is quick and humorous. He gives the impression that he is ad-libbing, although most of the programme is carefully scripted. Before shooting started, the self-professed Trivial Pursuit fan took the Method-acting approach to heart by creating a mock set in his house and putting friends in the hot seat for five to six hours at a time.

Interspersing his rapid-fire conversation with informal Hinglish, Khan regularly has the audience rocking and shrieking with laughter. He is cheesy, but loveably so.

"He's a natural," Sidhartha Basu, KBC's producer and former host of India's Mastermind, says. "He gives the show a new lease of life. Amitabh Bachchan had gravitas and a demigod status — people were in the prostrate position before him. This guy is more accessible. He's a charmer."

It is all a world away from Chris Tarrant. Khan says that he has watched the British show and copied Tarrant's "snappiness" in his delivery. But it is hard to imagine the former Capital Radio DJ causing quite the same crush at the gates.

"When people come on this set, they're not just meeting some breakfast-show host," says Sameer Nair, the outgoing executive of Star Entertainment. "India is crazy about its movie stars."

The nature of Indian social commentary also means that there needs to be a top dog. Whether it is sport, politics or business, the question is, who is No 1?

Khan, who is from Delhi, is uncomfortable with the comparison to "Mr Bachchan", as he unerringly refers to his elder. "For years, it is has been 'I'm trying to oust Mr Bachchan' or 'He's trying to regain his position'. He never left his position," he says. "There is no comparison. I've never heard in the West people asking who's better, Brad Pitt or Tom Cruise? This is the sort of programme that requires changes. The show is the king, that's the main thing. The presenters will keep changing."

Still Khan, soon to be immortalised in wax by Madame Tussauds in London, appreciates his importance to KBC's success. "The expense taken on for this show perhaps would not be recoverable if you did not have a huge eyeball-catching anchor," he says. "More than just being a movie star, there is an attachment that people have to me. They sort of like me. I've done likeable stuff."

Associated with an international franchise, Khan, an economics graduate, has an opportunity to transcend a niche market. For the first time, KBC will be simulcast in the UK, where he is instantly recognisable to Bollywood fans, but otherwise unknown.

As an independent producer (his company is called Red Chillies), he is keen to expand the following of Hindi cinema and — at a time when being an Indian on TV is in sharp focus after the Big Brother racism row — proud to represent his country abroad.

"I would like to believe I am one of the ambassadors of the new India, not self-centredly or pompously," he says. "Whenever a country starts getting noticed, for whatever reason — economic, business or political — one of the few things that the world starts seeing of that country is the cinema. There is now a huge interest in India beyond the exotica — beyond Eastern philosophy, henna and the Kama Sutra. The real bricks and mortars stuff is being noticed."

Anyone arriving in Bombay this month would be blind not to notice KBC. Every major road, building and bus stop is plastered with imposing posters of Khan. Despite his pull, Star has not left anything to chance. The million-dollar question is whether the investment will pay off. India has its finger on the buzzer.

THE QUESTIONS INDIA ASKS

One million rupees

Who was the only Indian footballer to score a hat-trick in an Olympic match?

A: Neville D'Souza

B: P. K. Banerjee

C: Sailen Manna

D: Chuni Goswami

(Answer: A)

500,000 rupees

Which one of these personalities was born in present-day Tamil Nadu?

A: J. Jayalalithaa

B: A. R. Rahman

C: M. G. Ramachandran

D: Rajnikanth

(Answer: B)

320,000 rupees

Which Indipop star's original name was Sujata?

A: Sweta Shetty

B: Sunita Rao

C: Sharon Prabhahav

D: Alisha Chinai

(Answer: D)

40,000 rupees

Under which brand name does MTNL provide cellular services?

A: Shark

B: Octopus

C: Whale

D: Dolphin

(Answer: D)

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertai nment/film/bollywood/article1312270.ece

KBC News - Nerves got the better of me, says Kumud Bajaj

Kumud Bajaj feels her nervousness got her into trouble last night.

Last night's FFF contestant, Kumud Bajaj, feels she could have done much better than she did if she hadn't been that nervous. An engineer from Noida, Kumud says that the entire situation – being on the Hot Seat, playing opposite Shah Rukh and the fact that she was on national network all of it suddenly got too much for her.

"When I look back at the questions now I can say I know all of them. And it's not because I know the answers after seeing it on the screen but the fact that I genuinely knew all this. But at that moment I don't know what happened to me. I think it was pure nervousness," she says disappointedly.

"I would have definitely wanted to have done better. And I still can't believe I am walking away with just 1, 60,000. But to be honest the way things were going initially I wasn't sure I would get to this amount also. I'm sure Shah Rukh and everyone else must be wondering if I ever went to IIT for my degree also," adds Kumud.

Prior to the recording Kumud had told KBClive that if she made it to the hot seat she had something special to give Khan "I am a big fan of SRK and when I had got married I had already put a condition that I had to meet SRK. And today when I got an opportunity to sit before him I decided to read out a poem for Shah Rukh which my husband has written especially for him. I am happy I got this chance but I'm also very disappointed in myself because I know I have lost a chance that I may never get again in my life!"

Thursday, February 22, 2007




http://kbclive.indya.com/news/news_kumud.html

KBC News - Shah Rukh's endless gifts

SRK has been collecting endless gifts from his fans on KBC.

There's a famous English saying – 'Do unto others as you would have done to you.' And it can't be truer than in the case of Shah Rukh Khan. Famous for his generosity and passion for gifting things to his friends and more recently the KBC contestants, SRK is now on the receiving end!

Khan is constantly inundated these days with gifts, cards, posters, post-cards, scrap books and other memorabilia of the star.

And who gives him all this? None other than the contestants and audiences on KBC.

Being the man that he is, Shah Rukh finds it impossible to say no to any one of them. He makes it a point to take them all with him. Initially the gifts like scrapbooks, poems and messages from KBClive adorn his den on the sets and then every few days he replaces them with the latest lot.

And what does he do with the old ones?

He takes them home with him and has them all stored in his den in Mannat. Considering the number of gifts he has already received since the shoots began the only thing we can say is that it better be a huge den!

Thursday, February 22, 2007

http://kbclive.indya.com/news/news_gift.html

Too many emotions on the Hot Seat

Ladies and gentlemen….boys and girls… welcome back…

It's been a rollercoaster week as yet for me on KBC. We started the week with rollover contestant from last week Dr. Prashant Mannur who played very well if you ask me. Considering the shaky start he had I think he went onto do very well for himself.

Next on the hot seat was Hafeez and I don't know what happened to him. He was an intelligent boy and he could have gone onto win big. He was doing so well and he had lifelines with him too… but that was not to be. I don't like people losing and it upsets me a lot!

And then last night Bapu… I honestly thought he would go onto win really big. Both he and his wife had come with so many aspirations and dreams for their daughters' weddings and I wish he could have taken the entire 2 crores. Sadly it was not to be… I do wish him and his family the very best and I hope that they all have a brilliant life ahead.

But sitting with him hear him talk about his daughters it made me think about something else too. I'm sure you all know I have two kids. And I do love both of them immensely and I doubt there is anything that I wouldn't do for any of them but you know as far as fathers are concerned we have a real soft corner for our daughters. I think all fathers will agree to this. It's not that we love our sons any less! But our daughters … that's a different story all together and therefore last night when Bapu mentioned that he wanted to use the money for his daughters' weddings it just struck a chord somewhere…

It's very difficult to explain but I'm sure you all know exactly what I mean!

At this note I will log off… but I will be seeing you tonight.

Main aapka intezaar kar raha hoon…

SRK
February 21st, 2007, Wednesday

http://kbclive.indya.com/srkblogs/srk_blogs.html

Let's admit it - SRK is good in KBC III

AGKSPEAK

A G Krishnamurthy / New Delhi February 23, 2007

Irrespective of the bias against the anchor in the market — the show rocks!

What I've liked

KBC-III. Much talked about, the series has been the focus of many columns, analysis and audience participation programmes of late.

But rather than comparing this series with its predecessors, I would like to assess the show on its own. This is a show that hinges around its anchor and I must admit that the present host, Shah Rukh Khan, is coming through as a commendable one.

The show, of course, has been engineered very effectively. Every aspect of it, the script, the promos, and the mood have all been re-crafted to echo the host's persona. In this case, youthful, charming, suave, urban and lighthearted.

Shah Rukh rises to the occasion flawlessly every single time, delivering his lines with characteristic charm and ease. A word here about his clothes — his wardrobe too seems to be very carefully put together, so much so he looks straight out of a fashion magazine. Every show has him in a tasteful, well-turned out ensemble.

I can't think of a single area where this show suffers from lack of detailing. From the moment the host steps on to the show till the credits roll on screen, he is able to carry the audience along. The much famed finger-biting suspense that the show is well-known for continues to be present even in this series quite admirably, I thought, despite the jocularity of the host. To have achieved that balance too is quite a feat.

So here's my take on KBC-III. It is a very good series. Regardless of its history, its scores on the ratings chart and so on…if assessed for what it is, the show's creators and its host couldn't have done a better job. Long may it reign.

What I've learned
Body talk
Experts have concluded that it takes only 90 seconds for a stranger to form an impression about you — especially in formal, business situations where an introduction invariably takes places in a highly charged and judgmental environment.

Everybody is sizing each other up and this is how the cookie crumbles: A huge 55 per cent of the first impression you make is formed by your body language, a non-committal 38 per cent is awarded to your articulation and a meagre 7 per cent to content! I went through most of my career blissfully unaware of the nitty-gritty behind a "Hello, I am so and so…" but looking back on all my first encounters with clients and colleagues, I realise that there is a lot of truth behind this analysis.

A lot of what went into my "gut' feeling about people lay in the volume of communication that preceded the actual conversation. Come to think of it, I would invariably make up my mind whether I liked, disliked, trusted or was suspicious of a person long before we actually had a conversation!

The rest was just a confirmation of my initial impression. Every single detail gives you away in an encounter — the firmness or the slackness of your handshake, the length of your gaze — stare too long and you will be considered rude and intrusive, too little and it means you are ignoring their presence. The ideal length of a look apparently is 10 seconds. Look away after that, else your intentions will be misconstrued!

The general impression is that most people react positively when you have pleasantness about your face all the time, if you know how to listen and then answer, rather than doing a "fastest finger first" and blurting out an opinion before you understand the context, much like youngsters are trained to do these days. "Know-it-alls" are persona non-grata and again, oddly, most newcomers seem to have the impression that expressing an opinion on everything is a good thing.

To sum up, even though the extent body language can impact your career can be frightening, the good news is that if you are a good person your personality will manifest itself in subtle ways to win the day, even when all else seems against you…

agkbrandconsult@yahoo.com

For AGKspeak archives, log on to www.agkonline.com

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Enjoying a break from shoots

Ladies and gentlemen….boys and girls… it's great to see you again.

I'm off from shoots for a few days and it feels great to have some time for myself to spend with family and friends.

But I don't know about my wife though – she is used to me being out of the house so much that when I am around she says it's almost like looking after 3 kids! I think most wives feel that way when their husbands are at home… (Or am I just trying to convince myself?)

So what have I been doing in my break?

I've been catching up on some much needed sleep. I have also been trying to get back on my exercise regime – the past couple of weeks it's been very busy and I haven't had the chance to work out. So now that I had time I decided to hit the gym again. And the best part of my time off has been spending time with my son and daughter. It's been a lot of fun – playing games, reading books and generally running around the house driving Gauri mad.

On the show I did have some great fun this week. Although Hafeez and Bapu crashing is something I could have done without! But all in all it was a great week and I wish all my contestants went hope happy with their experience on the show. I surely enjoyed playing with them.

Now I'm gonna run and I'll see you next week.

I love you.


SRK
February 23rd, 2007, Friday