Kaun Banega Crorepati (KCBC) is Amitabh Bachchan’s most precious screen creation ever. In January 2000, Star TV’s star helmer Sameer Nair went to Mr Bachchan with the idea of an Indian version of ‘Who Wants To Be A Millionaire’, and Mr B was agog. Here is what happened.
Firstly, congratulations on your latest project , two collaborations with director Kabir Khan.
Our partnership with Kabir is fuelled by our mutual love for storytelling. At Applause Entertainment, our vision is to collaborate with powerful creative voices to tell stories that are unique, distinctive, and popular and resonate with audiences in meaningful ways. We look forward to exciting times ahead with Kabir.
Sameer, how did KBC begin?
I remember walking into the Bachchans’ home, where Jalsa was, armed with the VHS of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, the original version of KBC.
Were you sure that it was going to be Mr Bachchan?
Absolutely. I was absolutely sure it had to be Mr Bachchan. Only he had the clout to enter every household. At that point of time nothing else was certain.
Were you confident the concept work in India?
Mr Bachchan himself was advised by everyone to not get into television. I left the VHS with him, urging him to ‘Push Play’. This was in January 2000. After months of indecisiveness we flew to London with Mr Bachchan in April to witness the shooting of Who Wants to Be A Millionaire firsthand. That clinched it. On the flight back, Mr Bachchan finally said yes, and we were on. We erected a set for KBC identical to the one for Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. We didn’t cut any corners.
KBC was decisive for both Mr Bachchan’s career and for the Star channel. It resurrected Mr Bachchan’s career?
We had a viewership of 25 million in 2000. It went up to 90 million in 2010. What KBC did was to reinvent Mr Bachchan’s image. It made him the household favourite in every family. He was the hero of the father and the mother. They introduced their hero to the son and the daughter of the family.
You are the brain behind two Indian satellite televisions game changers, Kaun Banega Crorepati and Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, in the year 2000. Do you look back at show as your greatest triumph so far?
I do look back at KBC and KSBKBT with some amount of satisfaction.
KBC helped Mr Bachchan as well as Star TV. While it resurrected the Big B’s career, Star went on to become the number one channel in India. I see you as an big part of those two triumphs.
What were you smoking when you did KBC and Kyunki Saas?
Ha ha. A lot of tobacco. But now I’ve quit smoking completely.
As the CEO of Applause Entertainment you have built the company from scratch to its current position of a leading content provider. What is your secret formula?
The purpose of a storyteller is not to tell you what or how to think and feel, but to give you something to think and feel about. This is what we strive to do. Building a scalable creative business requires art, science and magic blended with considerable fiscal discipline. We feel a deep sense of gratitude towards every single person who helped make our vision to dazzle, disrupt, and delight come alive.
How would you describe the journey from being ‘Applause Entertainment’ to becoming the ‘House of Applause’?
It has been a dramatic yet rewarding ride and the love has been definitely worth all the risk. Heading into the future, we are excited to continue telling stories that are intensely local, but also aspire to resonate with diverse audiences across the globe.
