Over the decades, we have seen so many reality shows in India, but Kaun Banega Crorepati still holds a special place in the hearts of every Indian. Apart from being one of the greatest actors in India, with the success of KBC, Big B also cemented his status as an exceptional host. However, not many are aware of the fact that there was a time when Amitabh Bachchan’s wife, Jaya Bachchan, was not sure of his decision to play the host on KBC.
For the unversed, Amitabh Bachchan wasn’t getting good roles and was struggling in the film industry, which was why he had decided to move to television with the game show, Kaun Banega Crorepati. When the show's concept was explained to Amitabh Bachchan, he agreed to it as he received a good amount of money for hosting it. When reports were rife that iconic actor, Big B was in contention to make a move to the small screen in order to earn more money, most of the people of that era termed it as a ‘downfall’ in Amitabh’s career.
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Back in those days, people used to consider television as a way too small a medium in front of films. However, not just many people, even Amitabh Bachchan’s wife, Jaya Bachchan, was also not sure about his decision to work in television. Once in an interview with ace fashion designer duo, Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla, Jaya Bachchan recalled the time when her husband, Amitabh Bachchan, was going through the worst phase of his acting career.
Jaya talked about his tough time and how Amit received an offer to host Kaun Banega Crorepati. The doting wife admitted that she wasn’t with Big B’s decision to accept the offer as she thought that it would shrink him as an actor. She said:
"Can you imagine I never wanted him to do it? Somehow felt that it was somewhere not correct to shrink him into the small screen."
It was on July 3, 2000, when Kaun Banega Crorepati premiered for the first time on Indian television. Initially, the makers of the show offered Rs. 1 crore as the prize money. However, the show didn’t receive impressive ratings from the audiences after a huge drop in the TRPs. So, the makers reformatted the show as Junior KBC, where kids sat on the hot seat before Big B.
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It was well-received by the audiences, but for the show’s second season, makers opted for the original format and also even raised the winning prize to Rs. 2 crores. After a gap of four years and a series of creative changes, Amitabh kick-started KBC’s second season on August 5, 2005.
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However, just when everyone thought that Amitabh Bachchan and Kaun Banega Crorepati 2 were on track, the former fell ill, and it abruptly ended after 61 episodes. In Big B’s absence, it was Shah Rukh Khan, who hosted the third season. With the fourth season, Amitabh Bachchan marked his return to the set of KBC. Since then, there has been no looking back for the actor, who did the 1000th episode in 2021. In one of the episodes of KBC, Amitabh opened up about his decision to work in the game show during his low phase and explained why he cashed on the opportunity. He had said:
"Humari apni kuch paristhitiyaan aisi thi ke mujhe laga ke filmon mein kaam jo hai wohh mil nahi raha tha."
What are your thoughts on Amitabh Bachchan and Kaun Banega Crorepati’s legacy in Indian television history? Will he be regarded as one of the greatest hosts ever? Let us know.
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