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Regular-article-logo Wednesday, 16 July 2025

KBC 4 quiz: Is Amit really joking? - No films on lips, back on TV show hosted by SRK and declined by Aamir

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SAMYABRATA RAY GOSWAMI Published 08.07.10, 12:00 AM
Bachchan, Shah Rukh

Mumbai, July 7: Amitabh Bachchan is back in the Kaun Banega Crorepati hot seat but only because he is out of work.

The actor today jokingly said he was returning to the small screen as he had “no films on hand at present”, playing down the fact that Sony had picked him over Shah Rukh Khan who hosted the game show in its third season.

At a news conference at the Marriott this afternoon, Bachchan brushed aside any comparison with customary modesty. “I don’t work keeping this in mind that I am defeating someone. They work very well and I appreciate them.

“As for me, I concentrate on my work and then leave it on the public to judge. I don’t want any kind of unfair comparison with anyone…. It is you who create the aura, I just do my work,” he said.

Although it’s anyone’s guess how serious Bachchan was when he said he had no films on hand, it is a fact that Bollywood is now in the grip of a slowdown. An industry insider had recently said things were so bad that many actors were contemplating switching to television.

Sony Television, which bought the rights for KBC from STAR Plus last year, had first approached Aamir Khan to host the fourth edition of the game show, scheduled to go on air in November/December. Aamir turned down the Rs 1 crore-an-episode offer, forcing Sony to sound Bachchan out.

“We were not sure Mr Bachchan would be ready to do KBC 4. He had refused the show’s producer, Siddharth Basu, in 2007 because of health issues,” a Sony source said.

Besides, with Colors having paid Bachchan around Rs 1.5 crore per episode of Bigg Boss 3, Sony had to ensure it was besting the offer, the source said. “Mr Bachchan raked in Rs 126 crore from the 84 episodes of Bigg Boss 3. We had to make a better offer, which we did, as money is not an issue to bring in Bachchan if he agrees to host KBC again.”

The source said Sony had not been keen on having Shah Rukh as the anchor because of the poor TRPs KBC 3 got vis-à-vis the first two editions hosted by Bachchan. While KBC 1 had opened with a TRP of 11.6, climbing to as high as 22, KBC 2 had opened with a TRP of 18+ and dropped to 12 later. In contrast, KBC 3 opened with a TRP of 6, gradually falling to 1.75.

But how come Bachchan agreed to play host despite being the second choice after Aamir?

“If it’s KBC and Big B, there’s simply no question of a second choice. Let’s not forget that it’s Mr Bachchan who propelled the show both in Season 1 and 2. Besides, I don’t think Mr Bachchan has any airs. Sony is confident that with Mr Bachchan back as host, KBC will get the same numbers as it did on STAR,” the Sony source said.

Bachchan is likely to be paid close to Rs 1.6 crore per episode, the source said. The superstar has promised the audiences “a new avatar with reduced weight and new spectacles”.

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