Last evening, I caught the first episode of KBC or Kaun Banega Crorepati hosted by Shahrukh Khan to see what was different. Kaun Banega Crorepati is India's version of the popular 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire Show' and has a prize money of 2,00,00,000 Rupees, 15 questions and four lifelines -phone a friend, audience poll, 50-50 and flip. Originally hosted by Amitabh Bachchan, it is now hosted by Shahrukh Khan. Here are some points which I thought I'd mention -
1. Shahrukh Khan started off KBC by saying he would not use 'shudh' or pure Hindi but the language of the people which is a mix of Hindi, English and Urdu. 'Lock kiya jaaye' became 'freeze kiya jaaye' and 'I want to quit' became 'Mein gale milna chahta hoon'. ( Lets' freeze the answer and Give me a hug). Shahrukh also used phrases like 'Inshallah' which added a totally new flavor to the show.
2. He wasn't stammering as usual - must have done the take a couple of times. He was nervous in the beginning but so was Amitabh Bachchan when he first started doing KBC. Amitabh got better but Shahrukh may do better than him coz he connects with a larger audience.
3. Shahrukh Khan was not looking good. The lights and makeup played havoc with his already ordinary looking features. Nose looked far too large and teeth were crooked. His smile does not touch his eyes and looks fake, so he should avoid it if he does't really feel like smiling. Most of his jokes on KBC fell flat.
4. Like a typical Delhi-ite Shahrukh Khan made himself the 'King' of his jungle - the KBC studio and decided to do and say whatever he wished. Poking fun at the contestants and laughing like a maniac at his own jokes. He renamed the computer from 'ComputerJi' to 'Compaq Da' and 'Compaq guru' with reference to the brand name and the region the contestants came from - Bengal and Andhra Pradesh. Shah Rukh spoke some rehearsed Bengali and Telugu which I could not understand and he did'nt bother to explain either.
5. Contestant One - Prasenjit Sarkar -This bengali dude is the rollover KBC contestant from the nine month old unfinished show hosted by Amitabh Bachchan which stopped due to his health problem. He is the only contestant to face both hosts and he seemed to make Shahrukh Khan pretty uncomfortable.
6. Contestant Two - Romesh Gugilla - After saying that Romesh and his family members names were difficult to pronouce, Shahrukh Khan decided to call Ramesh funny uncool names like Googy and Gooey !! This was even after Romesh said he wanted to be called Rom. Come on Shahrukh, you are not a firang !
7. Lastly the end - Shahrukh Khan hugs guests too tightly, massages them and blows wet kisses to 'boys' and girls back home. Yeah, Shahrukh we know you are bisexual but no need to make it so obvious. (Once when ShahRukh Khan was in Delhi shooting for a film, I actually saw him feeling up the lafangas or vagabounds who had gathered to watch the shooting!)
Why did Amitabh Bachchan quit KBC when he was getting great money for it ?
I'd say this was because of a real weird contestant who came on the show. He had spooky tantric eyes and kept touching Amitabh Bachchan's ring after each question. Though this guy did'nt win a dime, Amitabh Bachchan fell seriously ill a few episodes later. Knowing the superstitious person Mr.Bachchan and his family is I bet he quit cause he did'nt want to face this sort of situation again.
Lastly, who was better in KBC, Shah Rukh Khan or Amitabh Bachchan -
I'd say Shah Rukh Khan. Amitabh was quite monotonous and a bit boring.
Did you watch Shahrukh Khan in KBC - Kaun Banega Crorepati ?
Tags - Shahrukh Khan KBC Kaun Banega Crorepati
For my part, I never wanted to compare SRK with AB when I sat down to watch the show. But I had a secret desire to see how better SRK handles the show. I was waiting to see his so-called on-screen charisma translating into this live show and the spontaneity translating into witty one-liners. That combination of charisma and wit combined with the boyish charm that he exudes would have done wonders to KBC. But alas! SRK tries hard to do something he doesn’t need to and fails miserably. And what more, he tries so much not to be AB that you end up comparing the two of them and that’s where the “miserably” failing part becomes a ”disgusting” failure.
ReplyDeleteIt is just been SRK’s first day and there might be accusations of being harsh about him thrown at me. But then, SRK is an established star and has his own fan base. Any Indian who has an interest in movies definitely knows about SRK and unless he is somebody born after 2000, he knows about AB too. There is no point in SRK trying to tell the audience that he is going to be different from AB in all aspects in such a loud manner. By doing that he is only hurting the honour that the show has because of AB. AB brought a quiet dignity to the show with his humility, dressing sense and impeccable use of both the languages (Hindi and English). There were shows when AB came on with a leather jacket and looked suave and sophisticated in that too. It was all in the manner in which AB carried himself. The show ran on his shoulders. Despite being a tremendously popular concept outside India, it needed a man of AB’s calibre to acutally transform it into an Indian show. The show also revealed (PS: revealed, not deliberately exposed) the emotional side of AB. AB was an icon to millions of Indians. Whenever the ‘Phone-a-friend’ lifeline was used, the awe for AB was displayed in the almost choked voices of the speaker on the other side. I remember in one episode, as soon as AB delivered his customary “Namaskar, main Amitabh Bachchan bol raha hun Koun Banega Crorepati se” the lady on the other side broke down. I guess the same would happen to me however prepared I would be for the call. God save my friend who choses me as his ‘friend’ for this show now, because I will just start off with telling SRK what exactly I think of him! And I might break down because of the way in which SRK has brought the honour and dignity of the show down. Not because he wanted to, but he because he wanted not to be like AB. I wonder if the producers of the show were sleeping during the time when SRK decided to take this route to his first episode.
SRK tries to customize the show to the background of his contestant and is not consistent with it. He begins to call the computer “Compaq da” because it is Prosenjit Sarkar (a Bengali) who is sitting at the other end. And as time passes, he calls it Mr. Computer and what not, but never “computerji” because that’s what AB used even if it came naturally to him. Then when it’s Mr. Guggala (an Andhraite) the computer’s name starts with ”Computer gaaru” to the usual anything but “computerji”. Not only does SRK play around with the computer’s names he makes fun of the contestant’s names too. But I should say he carefully treads that line without getting derogatory. But it isn’t as funny as he wants it to be. You would have laughed at the same jokes a hundred times before and it only gets tiring. Then comes the “jhappi” or “hug” or “gale lagna” that’s SRK’s new introduction to the game. But his comment about ”Quitting the game” (coined by AB) being negative was uncalled for. Hitting AB below the belt when he is not actually bothered is so derogatory for a star of SRK’s stature. SRK’s options for language are quite limited and hence he chose to say that I will use the language that suits the audience the best. Quite good for a sales pitch but the entire coutnry knows about AB’s impeccable langugage skills and his ability to handle both with superlative flair. SRK can only speak what he knows and this shows and he should have been silent about it and we would have understood and taken him at face value. Unnecessarily speaking one sentence in shuddh hindi and asking if anyone understood now went to the extent of hurting those who were KBC fans. Unnecessary and totally uncalled for. And don’t pull me into mentioning his comparison with George Clooney and saying “Kyon, hum mar gaye kya?”. Ok, that was a good one compared to all the other ones he tried to crack!
If SRK is allowed to go on in this fashion, KBC will fade into oblivion even if the prize money offered is more than Rs. 2 crores. SRK needs to take his own place and make the show his own by being himself rather than not-being-AB. It will only irritate viewers and take them away from the screen. And there is a danger of failure that exists. And that failure can take a heavy toll on SRK’s brand equity on-screen too. And that will have huge implications on the film industry’s fortunes. So, take care SRK. A lot is riding on you.
I heard that AB quit because he asked for a salary hike, but the negotiations fell through.
ReplyDeletei think Shahrukh bombed miserably - for the same reasons - he tried so hard to not be AB. Also, you can't beat AB on diction and voice - his Hindi was a pleasure and his lock kiya jaaye an irritation. But what he did with that clear Diction.. was bring warmth to the hearts of hajaar Hindi heartland junta who have given up on their mother tongue not being marauded on the mass media..
ReplyDeletei havent wathced the kbc with srk but think he will be able to connect well enough. regd. AB it would be unfair to say he was boring bcoz he was able to connect too as a father figure and wellwisher.
ReplyDeletedidnt watch KBC....I was not a fan of AB's KBC...it was as u said monotonous....I'd rather watch a kiddie quiz show than KBC...the kids are smarter and the questions more interesting :)
ReplyDeleteThat wasnt the answer u were looking for :))
I like AB in all respect, but SRK is the best in all sense!
ReplyDeleteWah SRK Wah kya kamaal kiya toone you are the best..
ReplyDeleteI love AB too foresure
I managed to catch an episode of SRK's KBC, the other day.
ReplyDeleteMy vote is for AB.
SRK appeared a wee bit condescending towards the contestants, whereas AB was always respectful. 'Humility' is the keyword here.
I just want to say he should stop hugging the contestants (Men and Women) too tight.
ReplyDeleteEwwww!!! It wants to make me throw up!!
He loses control over the participants...
awww so many comments on him lol
ReplyDeletei like salman khan, so i dont care wat shahrukh does on KBC :D
which do u prefer, kitty-chan?????
Like Gauri, I too sat down to watch the first episode of KBC season 3 with an open mind and expecting a lot of changes due to the obvious change of host. However, as Gauri already mentioned earlier, SRK kept referring to AB, at times ridiculing him without a reason, scoring negative points for himself in the very first episode.
ReplyDeleteSRK need to remind himself that AB is a living legend and despite the obscene amounts of money SRK's films have made, he isn't even half the way to AB's position. We have seen the entire country joining together to pray for AB's well-being not once but twice over when he was ill. Something that did not happen when SRK underwent major surgery. In fact I recall how he begged people to pray for him at an awards function just before leaving the country for treatment. Isn't that hint enough for you Mr. self-proclaimed 'King Khan'?
The latest rumour I have heard about KBC 3 is that it is being taken off-the-air prematurely in April 2007 because of the consistently bad TRP's. I managed to catch an episode last night and could not help noticing that the number of commercials between segments have dropped and the channel has inserted promos of its other programs for place-holders. SRK ought to change his lines from Don to: Big B ko replace karna mushkil hi nahi namumkin hai.
Sorry SRK, AB outclasses you in every department and even your Tag Haeur freebies have failed to entice people into watching your silly antics 4 times a week.
And BTW Gauri, even those born after 2000 cannot resist the AB charm. My daughter, aged 2 when KBC 'dwitiya' was being aired, became an instant AB fan and dislikes his replacement.
Thankyou all for your comments.
ReplyDeleteIt's quite some time since KBC started and I have found SRK much better and more interesting than Amitabh...Infact, I watch it everyday unlike Big B's show which I hardly ever watched !
I like the way he makes fun of every contestant in true 'dilli' style...pretty entertaining.
p.s. I'm not a hardcore SRK fan.I like Salman.
Hey, you r sooooooo hot
ReplyDeletend i love you alot........cute stuff........i think you should give up smoking coz its bad for your health.
and i dont want anything to happen to you.....k
bye bye xoxoxoxoxoxooxoxooxoxooxoxo
love
SHABNAM
What a great article!
ReplyDeleteThanks
Shahrukh Khan
http://www.shahrukhkhan.eu