Reviewing the Quiz Masters...

It is often said that while the young have energy at their disposal, the elders have experience to prove their superiority. And perhaps, not without reason. While energy is perhaps a great thing to have if one wants to get something done in the best possible manner, experience helps direct that energy in the best possible direction.

The new KBC or Kaun Banega Crorepati show, the Indian variant of the 'Who Wants to Be A Millionaire' show, started on Monday amidst much fanfare. The host, Shahrukh Khan, is touted as the incumbent monarch of Hindi cinema, and perhaps this was supposed to be a great qualification for a quiz-show host. Sure, he's popular, ladies swoon over him, and films cross the thin line between being a box-office hit and an utter failure just by his presence in the leading credits.

But somehow his personality is not up to the requirements of the show. Or should I say, it is not up to the high standards that the audience must have come to expect of the host of the show, considering that the previous host was the ever-graceful and ever-charming Amitabh Bachchan. Mr. Bachchan is also an actor of great repute, but I doubt that even he could have pulled off the show only on the basis of his popularity as an actor. On the contrary, when he assumed the role as the host, his career was in the pits, his media company bankrupt, and creditors baying for his blood. So, what does this man do?

He becomes a quiz-show host. And not just another quiz-show host. No, he becomes the best host that India has ever seen, a host who not just quizzes his participant, but also empathizes with the participant's joys, sorrows, dismay, disappointment, excitement, and happiness. His humility, his manner of speech, while formal, was endearing to all age-groups, quite like the proverbial Uncle Joe. He wasn't just there to give out money; he was there to help you get the money.

It isn't that Mr. Khan is not helping participants become comfortable. He's doing a good job at that, only I think he's overdoing it. His insistence on hi-fying the participant after every correct answer is perhaps the best example of it. Besides, while Mr. Bachchan's style was likeable by everyone, be they of rural or urban backgrounds, Mr. Khan stands the risk of being seen as an urban yuppie, an upstart. While Mr. Khan is a sharp dude, he isn't as witty as his predecessor, and doesn't make the experience of watching the show as enjoyable. When one watched the show with Mr. Bachchan, one learnt a lot, not just by way of the questions, but by way of Mr. Bachchan's conversations. His style of addressing his audience was respectful, yet comforting. Mr. Khan's is friendly, yet jarring at times.

One hasn't read many criticisms of Mr. Khan's performance in the dailies, perhaps because he is such a big star, and maybe because it is said to be too early to comment on Mr. Khan's performance, and also because Mr. Khan bears the onerous responsibility of being compared with Mr. Bachchan. Maybe, but Mr. Khan knew the burden of the job beforehand, and cannot claim to not having been prepared enough. I still hope that he improves his style and maybe infuses his own brand of originality into the show, originality that goes beyond freezing the answer instead of locking it, and hugging the participant at the end of his/her journey in the show. Until then, Mr. Bachchan will remain the best KBC host ever in my eyes.