Birthday Special: I relate to Amitabh Bachchan as our host, not an actor, says Kaun Banega Crorepati director

Siddhartha Basu, who is known as the father of quiz shows following his immense popularity as the host, also has the distinction of being the first one to direct megastar Amitabh Bachchan on the small screen. The year was 2000 and Star Plus, which was facing tough competition from the Hindi GECs (general entertainment channels) decided to adapt the hit international show, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire in Hindi with none other than Bachchan as the host and it changed both the channel and Big B’s fortunes. Seventeen years and eight seasons later, the show produced and directed by Basu is still going strong, albeit on Sony. Here, the producer-director talks about his association with the superstar, what makes him indefatigable and why Big B is the best in business! 

What was your reaction when you got to know Amitabh Bachchan will be hosting Kaun Banega Crorepati and you will be directing him?

My jaw dropped when Sameer Nair, then head of Star programming, asked me what I thought of the suggestion of Amitabh Bachchan hosting KBC. It was obviously a great fit, given his gravitas, charisma and sense of drama, but no film star had hosted a TV show till then, leave alone a titan like him, and the prospect of pulling off a complex and elaborate show like that for the first time in India, seemed more daunting with a megastar as host. 

My response was — if you can convince him, great.

Did you feel intimidated by the superstar?

Not really. I’m fully mindful of stardom, but have never been daunted by it. Of course, I have all due respect for his talent and seniority, and relate to him accordingly. Given his personality, it’s a little like being a head prefect with an imposing headmaster.

Tell us about your first meeting with Bachchan.

It was a cold and windy day, outside St James’ hotel in London. We were on the way to an orientation meeting with EMI the partner company of Celador for the Asia -Pacific region. He was characteristically cautious, reserved and wary of what lay before him, as he was going to decide whether or not he was going to do the show, after finding out what went into the show, and watching a recording.

Being a popular quiz master yourself, what were your thoughts when Bachchan hosted the first episode? 

My role with him has primarily been as a quiz or game show coach and guide, based on what I know of the genre, and my personal experience as a host, apart from being the director/producer of KBC. The sessions went on over three months before we recorded the first show in 2000. Every season, we still do sessions and mocks before we get to the floor.

Having interacted with him for so many years, did you discover any new aspects to the actor?’

I relate to him, as our host, not an actor, but I know he thoroughly enjoys the art and act of performance in any role, including the act of anchoring. As a host, his thorough and diligent preparation for every episode, treating each episode on its own merit, conducting each game and drawing out each contestant with empathy and elan, are what mark him out as one of the best in the business, worldwide.

Even after 17 years, the superstar is as energetic and enthusiastic as he was in the first season. What makes him indefatigable? 

I believe it’s his passion for performance, the oxygen of appreciation, and an appetite for excellence, that fuels his amazing drive and stamina. He sets a punishing pace for himself, literally bounds on to the floor each time, raring to go, often working 12-14 hours a day on the floor with us, with rare concentration and energy. 

Do you feel more comfortable with Bachchan now? He is known to be guarded and doesn’t allow anybody in his inner circle.

Ours is a professional and cordial relationship. He remains what he’s always been — focussed on the job, intent on hitting high benchmarks. Off camera, he’s a great storyteller and has a fine sense of humour, but there’s little time to chill, given his kind of packed schedule, in which 24 hours a day are far too little. What the inner team of KBC gets to experience and support closely is how an actor, or rather, an anchor like him prepares. 

What was the biggest revelation about him after you got to know him personally? 

He’s his own hardest taskmaster.

In the earlier seasons, contestants would say they just wanted to meet Bachchan — the show and the money didn’t matter. Does that still continue or has it changed to some extent?

They are increasingly the true stars of the show, offering true glimpses of diverse and complex Indians, who seldom get the attention they deserve in our mass media. Their motivation to come on the show remain multifold, from meeting the Big B, to earning recognition and rewards. Since it came on to Sony, in the fourth season, the hallmark of the show has been that KBC has become a mahamauka, a mahamanch, for the aam aadmi to shine in khaas colours. What’s been critical to the selection of contestants, in addition to their gaming ability, is their articulation, personality, life experience, and their representativeness of a changing India. These are accentuated as they bask in the glow of a star host who shines a warm and empathetic light on them. The human story unfolding through a knowledge game, is, after all, the DNA of the show. 

Do you and Bachchan discuss how to better the show and keep an eye on the ratings? 

We’re constantly looking to innovate, experiment, make things better. The creative and content team are always in an ongoing dialogue with Mr B on how to keep raising the bar. He’s not so twigged on to ratings, just on doing his best. Which is exactly my attitude. Of course, it’s gratifying to rule the roost on the ratings chart. But beyond ratings, what matters most is the quality of appreciation, the range and depth of attention from viewers of all kinds, not just in India, but wherever it’s showing, all over the world.