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 either, 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.
