This could be the casting coup of the decade. The
buzz in the television world is that Aamir Khan has been approached to host Kaun
Banega Crorepati 4 which has had such icons as Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh
Khan as former hosts. While Aamir hasn’t accepted the offer, he
hasn’t rejected it e
ither, and as the buzz grows to a roar it seems the
only hurdle still to be negotiated is the price.
Reportedly Aamir has
been offered even more money than SRK was (Rs 75 lakh per episode) and once he
sorts his dates out, the deal will be inked. The fact that Aamir is a newbie on
television makes this even more of a casting coup for the channel that will
ultimately air the show.
Says a source, “Aamir’s initial
reaction was to decline the offer for the very reason why he was approached. KBC
had already been done by two other superstars. He didn’t want to generate
unnecessary comparisons. Also he had decided to set aside the whole year to put
finishing touches to his productions.”
When approached,
Siddhartha Basu, whose company Synergy is the licensed producer of KBC, the
Indian version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire says, “It’s too
early to talk about the next season of KBC. Sony Pictures, who now owns the game
show, might have had initial discussions with Aamir. But the details for the
next season will take a long time to formulate.”
While Aamir
himself refused to comment, his official spokespersons neither confirmed nor
denied the story.
If Aamir does the show, it will be interesting to
see what phrase he coins to lock the answer on the lines of Amitabh’s
“lock kiya jaaye” and Shah Rukh’s “freeze kiya
jaaye”. His demeanour too will be closely watched. Will he be affable yet
dignified like Amitabh Bachchan or chummy like Shah Rukh? Or will Aamir, who is
unique in every possible way including making radical career choices, just be
his utterly charming self?
Whatever, the winner is the viewer.
only hurdle still to be negotiated is the price.
Reportedly Aamir has
been offered even more money than SRK was (Rs 75 lakh per episode) and once he
sorts his dates out, the deal will be inked. The fact that Aamir is a newbie on
television makes this even more of a casting coup for the channel that will
ultimately air the show.
Says a source, “Aamir’s initial
reaction was to decline the offer for the very reason why he was approached. KBC
had already been done by two other superstars. He didn’t want to generate
unnecessary comparisons. Also he had decided to set aside the whole year to put
finishing touches to his productions.”
When approached,
Siddhartha Basu, whose company Synergy is the licensed producer of KBC, the
Indian version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire says, “It’s too
early to talk about the next season of KBC. Sony Pictures, who now owns the game
show, might have had initial discussions with Aamir. But the details for the
next season will take a long time to formulate.”
While Aamir
himself refused to comment, his official spokespersons neither confirmed nor
denied the story.
If Aamir does the show, it will be interesting to
see what phrase he coins to lock the answer on the lines of Amitabh’s
“lock kiya jaaye” and Shah Rukh’s “freeze kiya
jaaye”. His demeanour too will be closely watched. Will he be affable yet
dignified like Amitabh Bachchan or chummy like Shah Rukh? Or will Aamir, who is
unique in every possible way including making radical career choices, just be
his utterly charming self?
Whatever, the winner is the viewer.
