KBC, Kaun Banega Crorepati or ABC, Amitabh Bachchan Charisma...!

Kaun Banega Crorepati - We have become addicted to this programme and this is the 4th season. As everybody knows, Amitabh Bachchan hosted this show in 2000 (KBC 1), which is based on a UK game show 'Who wants to be a millionaire?'. I had seen a few episodes of the UK show and ours is a replica of that show. The way the anchor interacts with the hot-seat participants, like showing concerns in their personal lives and prompting them a little to use the lifelines when they give wrong answers (!), everything was there, too!

Still, we admire Amitabh who is conducting this show like a pro, yes, he is a pro, no doubt about that! He has got a fatherly figure, very intelligent, familiar face, everything. We can see him enjoying meeting common people and knowing about their day-to-day lives, their problems, their special qualities etc. Every participant is in awe of him! Harshwardhan Navathe won the one crore prize in KBC 1.

Many of his famous phrases were used in every household, like 'lock karen?', addressing the computer as 'computerji', etc. Often he uses the phrase 'aap oomda khel rahe hain'...I had never heard the word 'oomda' until then!

KBC 2 (2005) was also anchored by Amitabh and because of health grounds, the show was shelved after 61 episodes of the total of 85 episodes.

Then KBC 3 came, which was anchored by Shah Rukh Khan. After some episodes, we got used to him. He had a huge shadow of Amitabh hovering behind him, though!

In the current show, some interesting people did very well, many of them came from very small villages. Amitabh really loved to interact with them. He doesn't seem to have any ego problem. One person won Rs.One crore and the celebration of winning also was done, with flowers falling on him from the ceiling etc., but when he tried to attempt the Rs.5 crore question, he lost and went home with Rs.3 lakhs. Over confidence is not a good nature, Amitabh said.

A couple of days back, a 37 year old woman, Rahat Taslim from a small town of Giridih in Jharkhand, became the first woman to win the prize money of Rs. one crore. She is a simple but intelligent woman, a Muslim from an unknown village, still under the social and conservative norms of the 'purdah'. She was married off very early but did her BA (Hon.) in History, after her children were grown up and taught tailoring to the local women and children that earned her 2000-3000 rupees in order to run the house. Her husband works in a public sector concern with a salary of Rs.6,000. She has got a 17 year old son and a daughter.

In an interview to the NDTV, Amitabh says, "She never in her life had opened even a bank account of their meagre earnings, had never seen the lakhs that came to her in the form of the zero's on her checque (she counted the zeros in one crore... one, two, three, four - seven zeroes and her typical laughter came after that, with 'yakeen hi nahin ho raha hai'!) and had never ever imagined that she would get to the hot seat at KBC".

She never had any doubt while deciding upon using the lifelines or while answering the correct answers. Amazing. Yes, the questions were not that difficult for normal educated people, but even many of them (educated ones, who were always doubtful and used lifelines for ordinary questions!) struggled for replying ordinary questions. This lady answered happily and when she started winning 25 lakh, she started saying 'yakeen hi naheen ho rahaa hai' and kept on repeating the sentence until she won Rs. One crore.

We felt that Amitabh rejoiced more happily than Rahat, when she won the money! He was nearly jumping with joy! He kept on praising her in his blog and even in the next day's show! He said, "What a fantastic moment for the game. What a fantastic moment for women in our country - that given an opportunity, they had the ability to shine like never before. And that the heart of India resides in that little village or town which we know nothing about!"

Now, Rahat wants to open a boutique and study further! Have a look at her and her family with the great Amitabh!


You can watch here, the last 10 minutes of the programme, where Rahat Taslim wins Rs. One crore! I know most of you, must be watching this programme!




We are wondering how to spend the 9 to 9.30 evening time after this programme is over in a week or so! We are 'sighing' like Amitabh, laughing like him and use his phrases, often at home!



Edited to add (28.11.10): I came across this video now. This is the interview with Amitabh about his view of Rahat and the programme. He is still praising Rahat!



Some people said in the comment section that they were not able to view the video of Rahat winning the contest and some people were able to watch it. I have updated again with a better video. Hope all of you will be able to view this and enjoy!


Rahat Taslim family, image courtesy: Now running.com