Amitabh Bachchan calls participants KBC's 'heart and soul'

Mumbai: Amitabh Bachchan says the variety in "Kaun Banega Crorepati" (KBC) every year is brought by the participants. The megastar, who turns 72 Oct 11, also feels that though the response to his debut fiction show "Yudh" may not have been as expected, he had a great time working on it.

In an interview, the veteran actor spoke of the triumphant return of KBC and the underwhelming response to "Yudh".

Excerpts from the interview:

Q. How different and familiar does season eight of KBC feel as compared with the other seasons?

A. The format of KBC is unchanged by protocol, and it cannot be altered, but it is the worth and value and participation of the contestants that brings variety each year to this show. They are the heart and soul of KBC. It is they that bring in the stories of their struggle, their challenges and their attitude toward it, their determination to bringing a life changing moment, their concerns towards morality and social impurities and of course the joy and happiness in their victories.

Q. Somewhere, KBC has become a rallying point for middle class dreams. How do you, as the harbinger of those dreams, react to contestants who go home with money they had never dreamt of?

A. As I said, it is most heartening to witness the boundless joy and happiness the winners express on their winnings. The cheque given to them is a dream come true for them. They first begin to count the number of zeros that the amount carries. They have never in their lives ever seen money of this value. Life for them changes within the course of an hour or less. It is quite obviously an unbelievable moment for them.

Q. What goes on in your mind at a moment like this?

A. For me, there is the greatest joy of their accomplishment, not just for the value of the amount they win, but for the many burdens that they resolve as a result of this achievement.

Q. The eighth season of the show has witnessed the Narula brothers winning the maha-jackpot prize of Rs.7 crore. How did you react to this unprecedented triumph by your contestants?

A. It was an incredible moment! Not just for me but for the entire television community the world over. In the history of television in India never has an amount this large ever been won on a show, and I believe it is one of the highest in the entire universe. To witness the intellectual dexterity of the two brothers who came on as the family pair in our 'Jodi Special', their calm and collected knowledge, their fearless attitude towards the end, and their acumen in having the correct answers right till they won Rs.7 crore, as they used lifelines not to assist them but to reassure their responses, was an unimaginable feat. A rare occasion indeed!

Q. Looking back to the beginning of KBC, did you ever anticipate this kind of a far reaching impact for the game show?

A. No, never.

Q. Your first fiction show "Yudh" came and went. What do you feel about the way it was received by the audience?

A. It did not garner ecstatic TRPs (Television Rating Points) in the country, though on the valuation at IMDb, it did hover at 9.3/9.4, which was a huge accomplishment, knowing that some of the biggest shows from across the seas were in close proximity to this figure.

Q. Many of your fans were left underwhelmed by "Yudh". Do you feel the serial did justice to your presence and to audiences' expectations?

A. Yes, they were left underwhelmed, and if they did, then quite obviously the justification of my presence in the serial was not to their expectation. We shall learn and move on. But, I have to admit, that the days spent in its making were some of the most wonderful creative moments for me. I loved the concept, the atmosphere, the intent and the opportunity to be in the company of some very talented people.