The big news in Indian television is that Amitabh Bachchan is back as the host of Kaun Banega Crorepati . This will be the fourth season of this very popular show which is based on the UK game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
The fourth season will go on air by the end of this year. However, the broadcaster will not remain the same. “The show will now be aired on a different channel,” says a top source from the TV industry.
Kaun Banega Crorepati was Bachchan’s first appearance on Indian television in 2001. In 2005, the show’s second season was called Kaun Banega Crorepati Dwitiya in which the final prize amount was doubled to Rs 2 crore. However, the second season was abruptly stopped when Bachchan fell ill in 2006. Bachchan announced he would return as soon as he recovered, but it was Shah Rukh Khan who finally hosted the show in 2007.
Anil Kapoor was also being considered to play the host in the forthcoming season. However, most well-wishers of the channel insisted that Bachchan should be brought back.
Elaborating on why Bachchan is being brought back to the show, our source says, “Both, Bachchan and Shah Rukh, respectively brought their distinct individuality on the table, but frankly speaking, Shah Rukh’s histrionics did not do go down well with the audience. There was a vast difference in the TRPs between the two seasons hosted by Bachchan and the third season hosted by Shah Rukh.”
It may be recalled that the hysteria, which prevailed during Amitabh’s stint in Kaun Banega Crorepati, remains unparalleled on Indian television. Dinner time at most homes was changed to either before or after Kaun Banega Crorepati went on air. Mondays to Thursdays, cinema halls reported a slump in night show bookings because everybody was busy watching Kaun Banega Crorepati in their homes. Reportedly, a theatre owner in Delhi, who knew Bachchan, had even written to him to change the timing of the show.
We sent a text message to Bachchan but he did not revert. The channel too chose to remain quiet. “An official announcement will be made very soon,” adds the source.
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