BOMBAY, 24 July 2003 — Indian film legend Amitabh Bachchan will make a television comeback later this year hosting the popular gameshow, “Kaun Banega Crorepati” (Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?), a Star television official said.
Amitabh is expected to start shooting soon for nearly 70 episodes under a contract with Star Plus. “We are working on the dates with him (Amitabh). We need to get the dates in a stretch which is the key thing considering his busy schedule,” said Yash Khanna, senior vice president of Star India.
He told AFP the quiz serial is scheduled to screen in October, a traditionally festive period in India when television viewing is high.
“Kaun Banega Crorepati” or KBC as it is popularly known was a huge success when it was launched in 2000 with Amitabh as anchor. The quiz show catapulted Star Plus into the top ratings slot, boosting the fortunes of Star’s other programs at the same time.
“Before the launch of KBC in July 2000 we used to have one or two programs in the top 50. After the launch of KBC we had 30 to 35 programs in the top 50,” said Khanna.
“We have a contract with Amitabh for around 380 episodes. We have already aired 307 episodes and we now plan to air the remaining once we have negotiated the dates with him,” Khanna said.
He said Star is working on another option for Amitabh should the immensely popular actor not be able to commit for the quiz show. “Knowing his busy schedule if it becomes difficult for him to give dates for KBC then we may toy with an idea to cast him in a comedy serial,” Khanna said, adding, however, that this idea was “still premature.”
Khanna said October would be the likely month for the relaunch of the show as by then the controversial Conditional Access System (CAS) would have been introduced in at least two zones in the country.
The government is currently engaged in a hot debate on the timing of the launch of CAS, a system which is directed at allowing viewers to decide their own choice of channels. Amitabh declined to comment on the television proposals, saying the contract was between his company and Star.
He told AFP, however, that his company, Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Ltd. was planning a series of other projects, including a new film starring himself and son Abhishek. “The movie will be directed by Rakesh Mehra for which the script is ready,” Amitabh said.
“AB Corp. is making another movie starring me which will be directed by Raj Kumar Santoshi. These two will be the immediate projects of the company casting me.” ABCL recently cleared a debt of a whopping 750 million rupees ($16.6 million) and is now making a fresh foray into film production.
“The company went through bad times. But things will now be good with these and many other such future projects,” Amitabh said. “I am also doing modeling assignments so as to pay back the investors who had earlier invested funds in the company.” Amitabh was last week signed on as brand ambassador for Scottish textile group Reid and Taylor, which also has Pierce Brosnan on board.
