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It is DD's turn now

Menka Shivdasani

Poor Anupam Kher! After making such a big deal about what a challenging assignment Sawaal Dus Crore Ka would be and how honoured he was to have been selected to anchor it, he was unceremoniously sacked for no fault of his.

What a pity that Zee chose to get rid of the one saving grace of the show. Kher does not have the presence or style of Amitabh Bachchan, but he is quick witted and has a sense of humour. If the programme has done so badly, it's not because of the anchor but because it was so poorly conceived and shoddily executed. Instead of roping in a new presenter -- and how much more embarrassing it will be if a second anchor doesn't measure up either! -- Zee should just wind up the show and stick to what it is best at -- serials.

The Sawaal Dus Crore Ka debacle, however, isn't stopping others from jumping into the fray. Cinevista Comminications Ltd., makers of programmes like Zara Hatke Zara Bachke, Jai Mata Ki and Saboot, have their new aggressively titled show, KnockOut, going on Doordarshan's national network on Sunday, January 28, 2001, at 9 p.m..

``There's lot of scope for more game shows,'' says Cinevista chairman Prem Krishen, ``provided you are good and original. We respect Kaun Banega Crorepati, but there is enough room for others''. Krishen admits that it was the success of KBC that ``inspir ed'' his own company to get into the game show business as well.

KnockOut will have one strong advantage -- an anchor to reckon with. Kabir Bedi is hosting the show and Krishen is confident that Kabir's international experience will give him an extra edge.

Kabir is well aware that he will be compared with the Big B as he presents the show, but this doesn't worry him at all, he says. ``Amitabh speaks shudh (pure) Hindi, and mine is a combination of Hindi, Urdu, angrezi (English). But then, I can only be mys elf, I can't pretend to be someone else.''

Getting Kabir Bedi on board is quite a coup for Cinevista. Kabir has just finished shooting for an NBC mini-series, The Monkey King, a story of how three characters from Chinese mythology (``and one American because the series has to be sold to Americans '') come down to save the world. The mini-series, says Kabir, kept him busy most of this year, and it ought to be released in February, being telecast most probably on Hallmark.

Now, he's going to be giving up foreign projects for a while to focus on the Cinevista show. ``An actor goes between being utterly unemployed to being utterly busy,'' he smiles, ``but I've got my hands full now; this show will be enough. I'm not stupid e nough to take on something as major as this, and do something else on the side. I need to focus.'' As things stand now, Kabir will be associated with the show ``for three years on an exclusive basis'', in the words of Sunil Mehta, Managing Director, Cine vista.

Cinevista isn't letting on yet what the format will be exactly. ``You know how it is, someone can just lift the idea'', says Krishen. The company is, however, promising big money (over Rs 100 lakh every week) and more winners at the end of each episode t han any other show. There will also, according to Kabir, be more than one quizmaster so that ``no one person will know all the answers and there will be no possibility of corrupting the system.''

Cinevista has also wisely scheduled the show for a Sunday, instead of in direct competition with Kaun Banega Crorepati. After all, says Kabir, ``why go head on against a tidal wave!''

What Krishen is also banking upon is the fact that the show will reach out to an audience much larger than any of the satellite channels can dream about. ``Our basic strength,'' he says, ``is that because the show is on Doordarshan, we are looking at a m arket where people don't really know what game shows are all about -- remote areas, villages... It will be a whole new experience for them.''

As Kabir Bedi says, ``the game show concept if done right works; it is one of the enduring staples of television, like soaps. In the US, during the 1980s, there were 10-12 game shows going on at the same time. In India, we haven't reached saturation poin t as yet.''

The operative phrase, of course, is `if done right', and as Zee has learned the very hard way, it isn't only big money that counts.

The author can be contacted at menkashivdasani@hotmail.com

Pic.: Kabir Bedi all set to deliver a "KnockOut" punch.