Anything that the mighty Bachchan does must be beyond the ordinary. Even by his unerring standards of stardom the longevity and continuing popularity of Kaun Banega Crorepati(KBC) has stunned the world.
Never before,never again. That’s the prevalent feeling .
Speaking in an interview to me some years ago Mr Bachchan had said, “The format of KBC is unchanged by protocol, and it cannot be altered, but it is the worth and value and participation of the contestants that brings variety each year to this show. They are the heart and soul of KBC. It is they that bring in the stories of their struggle, their challenges and their attitude toward it, their determination to bringing a life changing moment, their concerns towards morality and social impurities and of course the joy and happiness in their victories .
Somewhere, KBC has become a rallying point for middleclass dreams.How does Mr Bachchan as the harbinger of those dreams, react to contestants who go home with money they had never dreamt of? “It is most heartening to witness the boundless joy and happiness the winners express on their winnings ! The cheque given to them is a dream-come-true for them. They first begin to count the number of zeros that the amount carries. They have never in their lives ever seen money of this value. Life for them changes within the course of an hour or less. It is quite obviously an unbelievable moment for them.For me there is the greatest joy of their accomplishment, not just for the value of the amount they win, but for the many many burdens that they resolve as a result of this achievement.This is in itself a staggering experience ! I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to be in such condition and weather.”
Initially when KBC was offered to Mr Bachchan he was not sure if he wanted to do it “Hesitancy and apprehension were prime when it was suggested to me and the fear, of what others felt would be diminishing my 70 MM film projection to a 25-inch TV screen. But circumstances were not very conducive. I never did have a 70 MM film projection ever, irrespective of what the market and Industry may have believed, more so at the juncture when KBC came my way , I had already begun reading my ’The End’ credits !I had no work, no money and a bag full of ill-mannered threatening creditors. Apart from the creativity of venturing into TV, something that I had always kept in the back of my mind years earlier, it was giving me an opportunity to, not entirely, but in a small way indicate to those I owed money, that I was working at it. This effort along with some financial guidance, helped me pay off each and every person. But the experience of KBC was much larger, in more ways than one .”
Would you say KBC has given you a chance to know people from every walk of life, better than you did before KBC?
Which are his most memorable experiences on KBC? “Oh,each and every interaction on KBC has been, not just memorable, but a learning of a lifetime. Who we are as a country, as Indians , what is it that human bearings contend with .. what motivates them, what extenuating circumstances humanity battles with each day .The varied emotions that each of us carry .What life does the rest of the country live, as opposed to us, who live cocooned lives .There have been alarming and disturbing stories of social and moral struggles, of the strengths and weaknesses, we tend to overlook in others.And in conclusion, what an incredible India we have that resides within each of our 1.2 billion souls ! It is most heartening to witness the boundless joy and happiness the winners express on their winnings ! The cheque given to them is a dream-come-true for them. They first begin to count the number of zeros that the amount carries. They have never in their lives ever seen money of this value. Life for them changes within the course of an hour or less. It is quite obviously an unbelievable moment for them. 14 years is a long time to be associated with it, with approximately 600 episodes that I have been involved in, it does seem like the enactment of a lifetime, but I have never felt the years go by. I feel as excited about meeting different contestants today as I did on day one … There are many contestants that come to the game show with great aspirations and expectations and if through the show and the game, we can give them an opportunity to become a game-changer in their life, it gives all of us great satisfaction.”
For Mr Bachchan every contestant matters. “The contestant that sits before me is the guest in my home. I would look upon them with the same care and attention that I would give to an invited visitor. If you are working at providing compassion, there is obviously something wrong in your demeanour, upbringing and your ethics. That is my belief and nature. If it sounds pleasant enough I am grateful and honoured.”