Quizzing becomes a culture

THE SPELL of bad films is over. It has been an eventful year for Amitabh Bachchan. He came clear of his financial crisis, worked with old colleague Yash Chopra after a break of 18 years and most importantly, restored his image with a television game show that has been assimilated into the culture of the country. ``Kaun Banega Crorepati'' has inspired music albums, textbooks, movie songs, agency presentations, our daily lingo and social conversations. It is a new phase and a new avatar, where it seems the actor can do no wrong. The 1970s and the '80s audience grew up with him. The 1990s generation caught up with him through the video. And now the millennium kid is befriending him through television. It is no mean achievement for an actor, without parallel, in showbiz. Come 9 o'clock, every home in every city is hooked on to the magical KBC show.

This year has been a roller coaster ride for you.

I do not view it like that. I feel all through the years I have had my highs and lows. Life is a challenge. Every day is a challenge and as a human being one tries and faces them as adequately as one can.

The same people who were writing you off last year are heralding you as a miracle man. Doers this make you cynical?

No, firstly because the bitterness is in them, so they should feel cynical, not me. Secondly, since I have not encountered negative feelings personally, I do not think I have a right to comment on their judgements.

During these recurring highs and lows and the frequently changing equations, how do you find your sanity?

By not attaching too much importance to what's written or said about me. These are everyday occurrences.

How helpful is criticism? There are instances when it has proved damaging to an artiste's psyche.

If someone is going to be critical of me, I would appreciate it if the person tells me directly, rather than via the press. When he communicates via the media, it means that there is a certain dishonesty about his feelings. His intention is not to communicate, but gain publicity in which case, there is no meeting point between us.

Would you say creativity suffers when your self-worth is low?

If the people attacking me are those who pay for my creativity, then yes, my self-esteem does get affected. The man buying the ticket for an actor's film has various ways of expressing his disappointment. Through fan mail, through box office, by not promoting his product and most importantly through his body language, which is very revealing.

Are actors always alert to such signals?

Most certainly. All actors are sensitive to these signs. We have our internal parameters telling us whether we are liked or ignored. The biggest and the smallest artiste knows this instinctively.

How sensitive are you to your surroundings? Does inefficient working conditions alter your productivity?

I would prefer to have a certain discipline and sincerity in my work surroundings. It definitely adds to my proficiency. Good vibrations always lead to good results.

What do you think clicked about ``Kaun Banega Crorepati''?

I think the game show by itself has great value. The way it is structured and presented add to the strong appeal.

You have left out the anchor, who is the USP of the show.

I read about it in the media and the people I meet make me believe in the visibility of the show. The feedback is very encouraging and the success is pleasing because this is my premier attempt on the small screen and I am happy if my producers are happy.

To what extent are the details in the script emphasised?

The ground rules are clearly defined but there is always room for improvisation and natural accommodation.

Your escorting the ladies to the chair and helping them settle down, is your own doing or part of the instructions?

It is common courtesy that you offer a chair to a lady. Besides, the chairs used on the show are slightly high and therefore it is a trifle uncomfortable getting on to it. I am only being helpful and perhaps a little courteous.

You hold the participants by the shoulder and frequently shake hands with them. Would you say you are demonstrative by nature?

The contestants have been through an arduous task of going through the preliminary rounds. They are my guests and I am the host of the show. It is my duty to put them at ease and make them comfortable, and if they have the acumen, help them to win along the way.

Viewers feel that you are softer on the women and at times mislead the male participants. Is this deliberate?

I never mislead any of my participants but I agree I am softer on the women. It is because I am habitually gentler with women. They are a gentler sex, not unequal for they are on a par with men, enjoying an equal status and facing the same challenges. It is marvellous to see so many academicians and housewives coming to the fore and participating in a show dominated by men and often beating them both physically, during the fastest-finger-first round and intellectually, during the higher rung rounds. It is not easy being in the hot seat on a set so intimidating. It speaks a lot for the women of our country.

You almost sound like a closet feminist.

I have a high regard for them. Women by nature are more expressive. They are unafraid to reveal their feelings unlike men who believe that they have to be in control all the time. This genetic difference where women shriek in ecstasy and weep in sorrow, helps them expand themselves and it is something for psychologists to explore. They have a natural gift for bearing the worst physical pain and that is why they breed children. I would like to see men go through pregnancies and survive!

KBC seems to have shed a lot of your inhibitions. Would you say you have undergone a personality transformation?

I think what is happening is that the public saw me through the cinema medium and made its impressions about my personality, which were inaccurate. They related to me through my characters. Now, for the first time, they are relating to me as an individual. But I have always been what I am. Those close to me will endorse this. It is just that outsiders never had a glimpse of these facets, hence the altered perceptions.

After three decades of relating to your larger than life persona, you cannot blame the public for its excitement when seeing you in close proximity.

I respect their sentiments. I agree it must arouse all kinds of emotions in them. On the big screen, I reflected different characters in different costumes and circumstances. Some they approved of, some they did not. On the small screen, there is less by design and more by ad libbing. There is more spontaneity and therefore it evokes such overwhelming reactions.

This is the first time you are interacting on a one-to-one basis with the common man. What have you learnt from the experience?

Meeting human beings is a very stimulating and an enriching experience. To meet so many different kinds of people from different backgrounds, cultures, social set-ups and professions, who speak different languages, pursue different dreams and encounter different problems, is enlightening. Their expressions and reactions to their companions, their equations and endearments with their dear ones when communicating on the lifeline make fascinating observations. I disagree with the term ``common man''. They are extraordinary people with unusual strengths and survival instincts.

BHAWANA SOMAAYA

(To be concluded)

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