Quizmaster and television show producer Siddhartha Basu, the man behind reality game shows like Kaun Banega Crorepati to Dus Ka Dum, was in town to conduct mock sessions for what he believes will be “an exciting and boisterous” new game show, Jabab Kintey Chai that goes on air on Sananda TV from May 28. A t2 chat with everyone’s favourite quiz whiz!

What is the format for Jabab Kintey Chai?

This is based on an international show called Sell Me The Answer. It’s a very high energy, exciting, boisterous and lively game show. The strategy you have to use in the game is bargaining. Here the questions are top-of-the-mind general knowledge stuff but they come without choices. You have a bunch of traders sitting in the audience who may or may not know the answer. The one on the hotseat has to pick the right one who will try to convince him that they have the answer. The player has to strike a deal with whatever he has in his trading pot on how much he wants to buy the answer for. For every question the prize money increases. The player tries to keep the money and the trader tries to take it away, so the traders gain too. Both the players and the traders are decided from the calls for entry.

Why did you think this would work with a Bengali audience?

Bengali audiences enjoy a level of general awareness more than in other parts of the country. At the same time they love a good deal or bargain or a good argument. There are the argumentative Indians on one side and the argumentative Bengalis on a different level altogether! Here of course it’s a purposive argument and the top prize is Rs 25 lakh. The atmosphere will be as excitable as you see at a stock exchange or a fish bazaar. It’s going to be an exciting knowledge game with strategy that is entertaining including a very entertaining host (Mir). He thinks on his feet and is very bright. I’m very happy with the way it’s shaping up.

Tell us about your Calcutta connection…

I was born in the city but never lived here really. My father was posted in Bombay when my mother came to Calcutta just to give birth to me. We’re very much a Calcutta family and my parents are both Calcuttans. My paternal grandfather Santosh Basu was the third mayor of Calcutta. My mother’s place is on Keyatala Road but it’s been locked after she passed away. The first professional play I did was at 19 here in Calcutta with the group called The Red Curtain, an experimental interpretation of Macbeth, then Equus and later television work.

Why did you choose to become a quizmaster?

I didn’t decide. It was quite by chance. I used to do a lot of emceeing by default as a student of theatre. A few of my friends were making Quiz Time for Doordarshan. The first time I ever quizzed was when I hosted it. Somebody else directed it and prepared the content. The second time around I took charge of the content. One thing led to the other and we built up a television production house and now we do so many different kinds of shows — from food to dance to general knowledge. We’re about to begin fiction shows as well but it’s too early to talk about it.

How would you rate yourself as a quizzer?

I was never a quizzer. I would rate myself as a very averagely informed person. I enjoy reading and I’ve come to know a lot of things as an editor and compiler of quizzes but I’m neither an exceptional quizzer nor exceptionally well-informed.

Why are most game shows designed after international concepts?

Because they’re tried and tested and proven. It’s such a crowded field with 823 channels at last count beaming in India. They’re vying for attention and space and looking for a game changer to make an impact. Most broadcasters feel that for a big-ticket show that will make a difference they want to pick something that has proven itself in other countries, cultures and situations. For example, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? has been successful in more than 100 countries as a humongous number one show. It’s partly the track record of a show and partly an intuitive decision one makes and we go with that. At the same time efforts are on to devise shows of our own like Aap ki Kachehri with Kiran Bedi which was quite popular. What we do is we culturally adapt it.

How do you adapt it to the Indian sensibility?

Make it much more sensitive, compassionate and empathetic than the international ones. We try to make it relevant to people here through the host, his conduct. In a sense it becomes like a psychological drama. It can be light and fun, which to a certain extent is what it will be in Jabab Kintey Chai, or the emotional kind. In between if there’s singing, dancing and laughter, that’s great!

Do you workshop with your show hosts?

Always. A host combines many roles — from being an MC to being a friend-philosopher-guide to a running commentator and an informant, also being able to draw out people and being a master dramatist. The sense of drama is very important. Each kind of show has its own set of requirements. They need to be not just Amitabh Bachchan but Amitabh Bachchan-plus. So you try to find what is special about the host and a meeting ground between what the format requires. Before each series we always do mock sessions. Amitabh Bachchan still does it considering the fact that we’ve had 500 shows and he’s a performer par excellence. Some are not performers in that sense.

What are some dos and don’ts?

On a quiz show you can’t really give out the answer even if you know it. We seldom provide or inform the hosts with the answers. So they have to be poker-faced and not let players read it off your face. Also, it’s the contestant or the person on the hotseat who’s the star. For a big star he has to listen to the other person, not dominate but draw the other person out, which Mr Bachchan does.

How do you see KBC moving forward?

The sixth series is imminent in the second half of the year. Each time we try to reinvent it in spirit, if not in form. We broke through to the aam admi and we’ll go further down that road.

What advice would you give to young quizzers?

Read, read well and read lots. Learn to sift the wheat from the chaff. Listen and watch well because we’re surrounded by so much information.

And to aspiring quizmasters?

Edutain and infotain as much as entertain.

Finally, any chances of seeing you in front of the camera again?

My time is gone. I’m very happy behind the camera. I was always happier behind the camera. For eight years I was making documentary films before coming anywhere close to quizzing or facing the camera. I did it then because of the opportunities but I’ve never enjoyed watching myself on TV or screen. I’ve always been happier shaping it, which is what I’m doing. I keep getting asked... but I don’t enjoy it. People should see younger, dynamic people.