MxMIndia

Tag: Kaun Banega Crorepati

  • Given the sameness to shows over the last five years, the new 'Daily unscripted content' format merits attention, writes Shailesh Kapoor

    Reality Check

     

     

    By Shailesh Kapoor

     

    Shailesh KapoorThe linear television business in India has been struggling to find its next big idea. The streaming originals marketplace in India is operating more cautiously too, with economic and industry considerations, both global and local, slowing it down. Amid this relatively low-action period, a new format is making its presence felt: Daily unscripted content.

     

    While Bigg Boss and Kaun Banega Crorepati have been around for years as dailies, non-fiction has largely been seen as a weekend content type. GECs rightly expect daily soaps to build loyal weekday audiences. In any case, most non-fiction shows in India are in the broad genre of talent competitions, and they tend to be upto five to 10 times more expensive that fiction shows, making them unviable as a staple proposition.

     

    But the advent of streaming may have changed things a bit. Sony LIV recently launched MasterChef India only for OTT. The show has been around on GECs for years, across two networks, but has never quite found the success it would have hoped to. No surprise, then, that Sony has given up on its ambitions for the show related to mass television.

     

    Shark Tank India is a more recent, and a more obvious, example of a streaming-friendly show failing to deliver on linear TV, despite the network backing it with up aggressive marketing. The third season will follow the MasterChef India template, with daily episode drops on Sony LIV.

     

    JioCinema (earlier Voot) has done two seasons of Bigg Boss OTT. MX Player did its own homegrown variant, produced by Balaji Telefilms, titled Lock Upp, in 2022. Tonight, the first-ever season of Temptation Island India, starts on JioCinema. All these shows are in the daily format.

     

    The weekday-weekend distinction related to fiction and non-fiction seems to have blurred in recent times. It could be a result of many factors: Less compelling fiction content on TV, change in audience habits in the OTT era (such as low appointment viewership), episodic content being more preferred to continuity-driven stories, etc.

     

    While the reasons are a subject of further analysis, daily non-fiction is finding its takers, both at the platform side and the audience side. The new season of Bigg Boss has opened very well from TV standards. The show has original content in the form of interstitials and spin-offs on OTT, which are carefully designed for better monetisation. In what’s increasingly an AVOD-SVOD hybrid environment for original content (compared to 2020-22), monetisation via advertisers has made non-fiction a more relevant option on streaming.

     

    The Indian non-fiction market needed this boost in its thinking. There has been a sense of sameness to the shows over the last five years, with the same formats being rehashed. But formats that were safe bets till before the pandemic have struggled to deliver numbers in recent times, and viewer fatigue is evidently one of the primary reasons.

     

    Daily non-fiction may help GECs and OTT platforms, especially those with a strong AVOD service, find a new business model. It may be just the right time too, given that the web-series (fiction) content on SVOD is beginning to look just a tad jaded. The audience will surely not be complaining if they get a legitimately-different option on the menu.

     

  • Host Amitabh Bachchan stars in a Sonal Dabral-directed promo for the show's 15th edition

    Badal gaya hai KBC ka ad & positioning

    By Our Staff

     

    Sony Entertainment Television has launched a promo campaign of the 15th edition of Kaun Banega Crorepati directed by senior adperson Sonal Dabral.

     

    Said Neeraj Vyas, Business Head – Sony Entertainment Television, Sony Sab, Pa,, and Sony Max Movie Cluster: “Kaun Banega Crorepati is a legacy brand, and in tune with the changing times – its 15th edition will embrace the transformation that we are all experiencing in this new India. A flagship show for Sony Entertainment Television, KBC will soon return in an all-new exciting avatar, the elements of which will be unveiled in the coming weeks, and it is sure to capture the imagination of the entire nation. This season will also welcome new opportunities for brands to drive innovation and build engagement with audiences across the spectrum. The recently launched campaign film sets the tone for KBC, ek naye roop mein and the fan favourite format, helmed by the legendary Amitabh Bachchan, will continue to foster cohesive family viewing.”

     

    Posted Dabral on his Facebook post: “Had a great time directing this year’s KBC promo! Working with Bachchan Sir is always an inspiring and learning experience.  Huge thanks to Neeraj Sir, Vaishali and the teams at Sony Entertainment Television for an amazing experience!  Great working together again and writing this with you Anshu Arthjam”

     

  • On Sony Entertainment Television of course

    KBC Season 13 to start on Aug 23

    By Our Staff

     

    The 13th season of Kaun Banega Crorepati is to start on August 23 on Sony Entertainment Television. Produced by StudioNext, and hosted by Amitabh Bachchan.

     

    Said Ashish Golwalkar, Head – Content, Sony Entertainment Television and Digital Business: “For a show like KBC that has followed a certain creative pattern, it was time for us to break the mold and approach it differently. While digital auditions replaced the regular audition process, it didn’t deter the volume of entries. In fact, the ease of digital audition encouraged a lot more aspirants, based in the remotest areas possible to participate. We are happy with the spiritedness of each contestant, and we are hopeful that they fulfil their KBC journey.  Furthermore, while we did introduce AR (Augmented reality) in the previous seasons, this year, the use of AR is far more superior and immersive. From refurbishing the entire set with the play of lights to the graphical elements and LED panels, India is the only country to host the format with inclusion of such refined technological detailing. With distinct modifications to the game this season, we look forward to a rewarding gameplay and promise an enhanced viewing experience to the audience.”

     

  • The show will air every Monday-Friday at 9pm on Sony Entertainment Television

    KBC Season 12 to start on September 28

    By A Correspondent

     

    Sony Entertainment Television has announced that the 12th season of Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) will start next week – September 28, to be precise. Produced by StudioNext, and hosted by actor Amitabh Bachchan, Kaun Banega Crorepati will air every Mon-Fri at 9pm on Sony Entertainment Television.

     

    The show is co-powered by Vedantu and Tata Salt. And Associate Sponsors are IDFC FIRST Bank, LIC, Asian Paints, Ultratech Cement, QuickHeal, Sensodyne and Nissan.
    Interestingly, the Reserve Bank of India is the Special Partner on the show.

     

    Said Ashish Golwalkar, Head – Content, Sony Entertainment Television and Digital Business: “Reinvention, they say, is the key to success. And thus, we began the preparation of the 12th season of Kaun Banega Crorepati, a show that has been nurtured as a brand over its 20-year history in India. Considering the current times, the interest in participation through digital registrations has been very encouraging this year. And the numbers showcase that people are readily embracing the ‘new normal’ brought on by the pandemic. This year’s theme, ‘Jo Bhi Ho Setback Ka Jawab Comeback Se Do’, reflects in the real-life stories and experiences that contestants will be seen sharing on the show, thereby serving as inspiring examples for the millions of viewers.”

     

    Added Indranil Chakraborty, Head – StudioNext: “For the 12th season of KBC we have consciously looked at re-engineering the set so that the distancing norms are met while the impact of this property is retained. Due to no studio audience, we have changed the lifeline Audience Poll to Video-A-Friend. Having said that, we are certain that Mr. Amitabh Bachchan’s charisma and the interesting on-screen and off-screen journeys of contestants, will keep the audiences engrossed. The show continues to be iconic in many ways and is sure to raise the bar this season as well.”

     

    Said Siddhartha Basu, Consultant, KBC – Season 12: “KBC turns 20 in 2020, and with all the challenges of this tough year, looks to come back as strong as ever, reviving the much-loved magic of the khaas khel with the aam aadmi and the adwitiya host. While adapting to the realities of today, the show still packs a punch, reaching out to both the mind and the heart, touching lives in a very real way. Viewers can also look forward to playing along with the contestants, as they watch, with richer pickings than ever before.”

     

     

  • For the first time, KBC rolls out a completely digital selection and screening process

    Lock kiya jaaye! Sony announces KBC 12

    By A Correspondent

     

    Sony Entertainment Television has announced the 12th Season of Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC). The show will be produced by StudioNEXT and the selection process will be conducted digitally, through SonyLIV.

     

    Sony Entertainment Television will commence registrations for the 12th Season of KBC from May 9 until May 22. Anchor and megastar Amitabh Bachchan will ask one new question every night on Sony TV and users can answer it either through SMS or through Sony LIV.

     

    Said Amit Raisinghani, Head – Business Planning and Communication, Sony Entertainment Television: “We are certainly excited to announce the 12th Season of our iconic show – Kaun Banega Crorepati. And for the first time in the history of KBC, the entire screening and selection will be managed digitally. Each time we embark on a new season of KBC, we are pleasantly surprised with the growing numbers of aspirants, which speaks volumes about the show’s popularity. This is the season of firsts and we are confident that this season will redefine the power of knowledge.”

     

     

  • The all-women version will air from December 23 onwards, Monday to Friday at 8 pm

    Colors Tamil to air all-women KBC

    By A Correspondent

     

    Colors Tamil will air a Tamil all-women Kaun Banega Crorepati titled ‘Kodeeswari’ . To be hosted by Tamil film and TV actor and producer Radikaa Sarathkumar,  ‘Kodeeswari’ will premiere on December 23r at 8 pm on Colors Tamil and Voot.

     

    Said Ravish Kumar – Head, Regional Entertainment Cluster, Viacom18: “The Tamil market is an incubator for path breaking content, be it in films, art, print or television. Colors Tamil has, since its inception, pushed the boundary in terms of innovative content – through the stories we tell and through the way we tell them, How apt a homage to the culture and ethos of this market that one of the world’s most successful format shows ‘Who Wants To Be A Millionaire’ will go in for a global first with an all-women version on Coors Tamil.”

     

    Added Anup Chandrasekharan, Business Head – Colors Tamil: “It gives us great pleasure to put together this experiential stage that will empower women who are smart, aware and knowledgeable. We have had an overwhelming participation from the Tamil speaking women across the nation whose life stories are heroic in their own unique way. While the format of the game remains unchanged, our endeavour is to encourage strong willed women to challenge stereotypes and emerge victorious. We are happy to have onboarded the indomitable superstar Radikaa Sarathkumar in this journey who will multitask as a host, a friend and a guide.”

     

     

  • Kaun Banega Crorepati provides a certain comfort with the familiar, writes Shailesh Kapoor

    Ageless Wonder

     

    By Shailesh Kapoor

     

    It’s that time of the year again. India’s most iconic television show Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) is back again, this time with its 11th season. The first four episodes have set the tone for a 13-week entertaining and engaging ride. The story has been no different, after all, over the last few seasons.

    Ninety minutes a day for five days a week is quite some commitment to content. Yet, a sizeable section of the Indian audience makes this commitment year-on-year. Not to mention the various regional versions that have done immensely well over the last decade.

    ‘What keeps KBC going’ is not such a difficult question to answer. Its exemplary host Amitabh Bachchan, and its family-engaging format, one that’s full of positivity and interactivity, are the two cornerstones on which this 19-year old property rests. But over the years, KBC has acquired more value than just what its content is. And that’s the more interesting aspect to explore here.

    We live in times when it’s a matter of days that something that seemed so fresh until very recently, begins to look stale and jaded. This is happening with brands, ads, films, TV shows, cricket, everything. Product lifecycles of media products have reduced in general, as a distracted consumer moves from one to the other in a tearing hurry. In this context, KBC provides a certain comfort in the familiar. It’s that one show you don’t need to wrap your head around and figure out.

    Comfort in the familiar is quite an under-rated media thought. Very few shows on Hindi television today can offer this value, because it takes a lot of time and effort for a show to acquire this status. Of the Hindi GEC shows currently on air, only KBC, Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah and Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai benefit from this idea. And all three have gone to be enduring successes, bucking the growing consumer demand for short-term programming.

    In all three, there’s a sense of togetherness and family-inclusiveness. They are ensemble shows, despite very strong lead protagonists helming them. It’s the collective nature of the three, where multiple characters (host and contestants in the case of KBC) keep the flame burning.

    But KBC has two advantages over the other two shows in this coveted list. One, it is on air for only about 13 weeks every year, making it much sought-after when it hits the telly. Two, its interactivity is organic and central to its premise. Knowing an answer, when a family of 4-8 members is sitting and watching together, can lead to a moment of pride. Therefore, KBC also fuels family conversations like no other show can.

    Would KBC have acquired these values with another host? Almost certainly not. The fit between Bachchan and KBC’s values can only be a freak once-in-many-years kind of happy accident. And that’s why, he keeps getting better with each season, fitting the show even more, by giving a part of himself to it.

    Ratings will tell us how well this season does, but KBC may have transcended that test in the last 2-3 seasons. May the legacy live on!

     

     

  • Shailesh Kapoor presents his list of the shows that drove the GEC category

    Top 5 Category-Defining Hindi GEC Shows of 2018

     

    By Shailesh Kapoor

     

    Even if only in relative terms, 2018 has been a better year for Hindi GECs than the last 2-3 years. The category, on a share decline since 2015-16, did not see a further downward trend, and there was some recovery too by the end of the year.

    In a year when original content in the OTT space, led by Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, grabbed most headlines, the Hindi GEC category tried to find its footing back. And though the ‘success’ achieved can only be considered partial in nature, it sets a good base for 2019 to emerge as a revival year for the category.

    Here is my list of five Hindi GEC shows that drove the category and its perceptions this year, eventually leading to a respectable year.

     

    5. Kaun Banega Crorepati

    KBC had another successful season, both in terms of viewership and its revenue impact on the channel (Sony), with the latter benefitting considerably from the digital revenues that have become a strong force for the show since the last season in 2017. All the classical elements remained, and the show was virtually a replica of the successful one last year. KBC is emerging as India’s comfort family viewing in the prime-time year-on-year. And you don’t mend what’s not broken.

     

    4. Kumkum Bhagya-Kundali Bhagya

    The 9-10 PM block on Zee TV has emerged as a fortress of sorts, owing to the two Balaji Telefilms shows that continued to thrive in 2018. In times of content fatigue being a real concern among viewers, Kumkum Bhagya managed to stay fresh and relevant. Kundali Bhagya, the more recent of the duo, found its peak towards the end of 2017, and held on to it through this year. The combo delivered a solid package of traditional and the modern, covering wide-ranging and engaging characters and emotions between them. How long can Zee-Balaji milk this double bill remains to be seen. But in 2018, the combination was rock-solid.

     

    3. Radha Krishn

    Star Bharat’s RadhaKrishn launched at the start of the last quarter of the year, and immediately propelled the channel’s viewership. It is bizarre to think that Indian television has not had a TV series of Radha and Krishna’s love story till this show came in. The idea was a winner at the get go, and the visual execution, supported by top-level music, made the show a quick audience favorite. Mythological shows tend to have a shorter shelf-life than family dramas. But RadhaKrishn has just about taken off and should have a good early 2019 at least.

     

    2. Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah

    Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah (TMKOC) is the KBC of television comedy. Nothing else that happens in the category can seem to shake up the staunchly-loyal viewer base the show has built. The difference, of course, is that unlike KBC, TMKOC is on-air all year. Now, that should make it doubly hard for a show to stay fresh and relevant. But no such concerns with TMKOC. Aided in no small measure by its immensely-popular lead character Jethalal, TMKOC may be a fixture of the Indian viewers’ watchlist for another 2-3 years at least, if not more.

     

    1. Kullfi Kumarr Bajewala

    Star Plus adapted its very successful Bangla show Potol Kumar Gaanwala into Kullfi Kumarr Bajewala in an early-2018 launch. The show found its real footing after the IPL, finding levels of viewership that were out of reach of new shows for the last 2-3 years. The endearing Kullfi even usurped Jethalal briefly to become the No. 1 fiction character in the category (Ormax Characters India Loves). Differentiated stories, when rooted in viewer relevance, can be runaway successes. And with Kullfi Kumarr Bajewala, this combination was achieved by a mainstream (read non-mytho-historical) Hindi GEC fiction show after a long time.

     

    Shailesh Kapoor is Founder and CEO, Ormax Media. He reviews trends and insights on MxMIndia every week. The views here are personal

     

     

  • It’s the classic sit-together-and-watch show… and is a runaway hit, writes Shailesh Kapoor

    Four reasons why KBC has Aged so well

     

    By Shailesh Kapoor

     

    We have known for years that there’s no one like him. But how he keeps getting better at it is still a mystery of sorts

    In its 18th year and its 10th season, Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) got off to a solid starting, catapulting Sony to the No 1 position in HSM Urban in the process. In the second week too, the show and the channel maintained the momentum. It’s one thing to rate 2+ over a 30-minute daily show. But managing that over 90 minutes is thrice as hard, if not even more. Yet, KBC has done that. Last year, and now this year too, for the first two weeks anyway.

    The pioneering format has met with limited success internationally over the last decade. But in India, it is a runaway hit. Two out of the previous nine seasons performed at levels that can be termed below par. But every time there was talk about KBC being past its expiry date, it has bounced back.

    In a media environment where fatigue is an increasing issue and new things become passé before they even establish themselves firmly, how has KBC managed to age so well?

    Here are four reasons:

    4. Because the soaps have not aged so well

    While most credit for KBC’s success goes to the show itself, it has also benefited from the inert evolution (actually, the lack of it) of the daily soap genre over the last half a decade. When the staple fails to deliver, the alternative will become the staple. Daily soaps have struggled to keep pace with changing viewer expectations, leaving a yawning gap between the quality of entertainment expected from Hindi GECs and the actual quality being delivered. Every season of KBC, for the last few years at least, has cashed in on this opportunity.

     

    3. Evolution of the idea of ‘Entertainment’

    As tastes evolve and exposure to entertainment widens, aided by digital exposure in particular, the expectation from ‘Entertainment’ itself will evolve. Over the last few years, the dichotomy of frivolous entertainment versus meaningful content has melted away. You need not be all-masala-no-brains or all-brains-no-masala. Viewers are increasingly looking for the golden middle, where Entertainment and Meaning (call it Awareness or Inspiration or anything else on those lines) merge seamlessly. The film industry has understood this to some extent over the last few years. The biggest film director today is a master craftsman of this amalgamation. If Raju Hirani even made a reality show, it will be like KBC in its spirit. Meaningfully relevant, yet highly entertaining. Again, this is something daily soaps have missed (barring exceptions that you can count of the fingers of half your hand), making KBC’s presence even more striking.

     

    2. The family factor

    In a nation of 95%+ single-TV households, KBC offers that unifying quality that can connect members of a family across their age and gender. It’s the classic sit-together-and-watch show. It was always that since its launch in 2000, but as the need to sit together and watch goes up, so does KBC’s appeal. It helps, of course, that unlike daily soaps, KBC is not a 52-weeks-a-year show. The anticipation of an upcoming season works at a familial level today. Even the youth, who till a few years ago thought of KBC as the not-so-cool show for their parents, have warmed up to it nicely.

     

    1. Because Bachchan has aged so well!

    KBC without its host Amitabh Bachchan is unthinkable. With every passing season, he seems to find a subtle new way of engaging differently with the participants and the home viewers alike. Incredibly, even at his age, he is very aware of the emerging trends in the young generation today, and often makes fun of them, in a way that’s adorable and entertaining, but never condaescending. Watch him comment on the lyrics of new Bollywood songs whenever a question to that effect plays out. In context of entertainment, respect and awe often have a secondary connotation of boredom. In Bachchan’s case, he can entertain you and inspire you, while you look at him in awe of the sheer gift of gab, and the unmatched grace his personality exudes. We have known for years that there’s no one like him. But how he keeps getting better at it is still a mystery of sorts.

  • The channel has never shied away from innovating… clearly not a fad that blew away, writes Shailesh Kapoor

    Colors: Ten Years of a Glorious Journey

     

    By Shailesh Kapoor

     

    It will be 10 years, to the day, tomorrow (July 21, 2018) from the launch of Colors in India. To say that the launch of Colors has been the most significant TV channel launch in India since satellite TV came in would be stating the obvious. The launch was that and a lot more. Let’s rewind.

     

    The 90s were the fledging decade for Hindi GECs, with a low consumer base restricted to the top urban centres. In 2000, when Star Plus brought in Kaun Banega Crorepati and (what came to be known as) the K-serials, they ‘massified’ television, making it relevant to a wider audience set pan India. By 2005, however, fatigue was setting in fast. Audiences K-serials of the times were fueling negativity in the name of drama. Incidents of marital tension in real-life couples because of what they saw in these serials were not uncommon. Neither were stories about broken remotes.

     

    In 2006, K-serials (and non-K ones of their ilk) widened their net to Zee TV, but it was still more of the same. The ground was getting prepared for a change that will shake up the category. Ideally, one of the top existing players of the time should have done it. But they didn’t, paving way for a new entrant to disrupt and rule.

     

    There was a lot to like about Colors when it launched. The first, and the most memorable, visuals in my mind are from the first week of Balika Vadhu. The show looked nothing like the K-serials. K-serials were generally red-hued and ornate, set indoors, and had a lavish but claustrophobic feel to them. Balika Vadhu was earthy in its tone and hue, its characters spoke a language that was authentic, and unlike anything you saw in the K-serials, its visuals were open and refreshing, even in the indoor scenes. That the protagonist was a child multiplied the differentiating factor further.

     

    Khatron Ke Khiladi (KKK), the tentpole launch vehicle, did its job. In the four weeks it was on air, it set the ground for viewers to sample Balika Vadhu and Jai Shri Krishna, aired back-to-back in the 8-9 PM slot, creating a base of loyal fiction audiences very early in the channel’s life.

     

    But KKK was only the start of the channel’s long and successful journey with non-fiction content. The channel quickly launched Bigg Boss to follow it up. Over this decade, Bigg Boss has emerged as the channel’s flagship non-fiction show. If it was not for Colors, one may have never seen Bigg Boss on Indian television again after the first season on Sony in 2006-07.

     

    With Balika Vadhu, the channel found a content space that it could bank on. It was a curious mix of social issues and child protagonists. Uttaran was the next big success, with some of the episodes touching 7-8% TVR, an unreal number even in those times. While there were other successes too, like NaaAanaIss Des Laado, the channel went a little overboard in trying to replicate its success formula in the 2009-10 period, after it had become a clear No 1 in early 2009. So, when Star Plus came up with its ‘RishtaWohi, SochNayi’ proposition in late 2010, it managed to cease the initiative back.

     

    But Colors was not a fad that would go away. Through the eight years since then, the channel has managed to keep the category leaders Star Plus and Zee TV on their toes, topping them on viewership in several weeks, including currently. This performance has largely come on the back of content outside the traditional fiction space, driven by reality shows and weekend series like Naagin, now in its third season. The channel has never shied away from innovating, and the launch of a live prime-time format Rising Star in 2017 is a testimony of that.

     

    The Colors’ journey is one of many glorious achievement, though there have been the odd disappointment here and there too. I often wonder how this category would have shaped up if this channel had not launched. The answer is that the category would have poorer without Colors. Less differentiated, less vibrant.

     

    Congratulations to everyone at Viacom18 and Colors, who has been a part of this journey, including the founding team, that has moved on since. Hope the next decade is even more remarkable, even more colorful.

     

     

  • The agency wins mandate to promote the Telugu version of popular game show format Kaun Banega Crorepati

    Orchard wins mandate to promote ‘Meelo Evaru Koteeshwaru’ on MAA TV

    By A Correspondent

     

    Orchard Advertising has been assigned the mandate of promoting the launch of Meelo Evaru Koteeshwaru, the Telugu version of Kaun Banega Crorepati on Telugu entertainment channel MAA Television Network Limited. Going on air from mid-June 2014 and hosted by South Superstar Nagarjuna, MAA TV aims to raise the bar in the Telugu TV general entertainment space.

     

    Ratnakar Rao, CEO of MAA TV said, “Having known Leo Burnett for many years and looking at the agency’s track record in promoting KBC and other big shows, the obvious choice for us was to work with them on this project. We have been working with Orchard, Leo Burnett’s entity based in Bangalore for a while now and for our latest show, the fit seemed right and it didn’t take long before we signed up with them.” Adding further he said, “The team at Orchard came up with an insightful and relevant concept that connects the essence of the program’s benefit with the aspiring participants of the show. We are working with Orchard on an integrated campaign for the two phases – one to promote participant registrations and two, the viewership build up.”

     

    Neha Contractor, Branch Head and Vice President, Orchard Advertising, Bangalore added, “We are very excited about this partnership. We have put together an extensive mass media campaign that has been designed using all media platforms like TV, newspaper, radio, hoardings, digital and social media to promote the show in every nook and corner of the state. Ratnakar himself is a veteran from the advertising world and it has been wonderful working with him in co- creating this successful campaign.”

     

    MAA TV has received 1.2 million calls for entries already through the initial reveal and CFE ads executed by Orchard Advertising.

     

  • The call for participation communication for this season has kicked off with the line – "Iss manch se koi bhi khali haath nahi jaata"

    KBC returns, with a new premise

    By a correspondent

     

    Popular entertainment show Kaun Banega Crorepati is set to return on Sony Entertainment Television with familiar host Amitabh Bachchan. The call for participation communication for this season has kicked off with the line - “Iss manch se koi bhi khali haath nahi jaata”.

     

    KBC is not just a quiz show about winning money for participants; it is about gaining knowledge, respect and also a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet their idol Mr. Amitabh Bachchan. Being a part of this show imbibes pride and instills confidence amongst the participants establishing it as an ideal platform to enhance aspects of their life. Starting from the 5th of May, questions will be asked regularly on Sony TV at 9pm every night. Potential participants have to answer these correctly in order to have a chance to be on the hot seat. This season aspiring contestants have access to two new platforms to reach the hot seat. One can download the KBC Official App and register by sharing the correct answer, their age and gender. Registration is also possible via sending an SMS to 5252525 with the correct answer along with necessary details. Idea users can register themselves simply by sending an SMS from their Idea mobile. Additionally, viewers can also opt for registration through BSNL landline phones or via Idea IVRS code.

     

    Gaurav Seth, Senior Vice President and Head – Marketing said, “KBC is a reflection of the hopes and aspirations of millions of people who are looking at transforming their lives. This year we are attempting to bring the show closer to our viewers by engaging various mediums through which they can enhance their chance to be on the much coveted Hot Seat. We are confident that once the season gets underway, it will strike a deep emotional chord with the entire country, like never before.”