Amitabh Bachchan and KBC are back with a bang but I miss the ‘phone a friend’ lifeline badly

Amitabh Bachchan is the perfect host of Kaun Banega Crorepati and I am glad the reality TV show has been renewed for a ninth season

By: Shalini Ojha |
August 29, 2017 6:20 pm

Amitabh Bachchan is definitely one of the most loved hosts on the small screen. When he started hosting Kaun Banega Crorepati in 2000, he brought the charm of a legendary Bollywood star into everyday households. On days when Mr. Bachchan came on the small screen and said, “Deviyon aur sajjanon, aap sabka swagat hai Kaun Banega Crorepati me”, everybody used to leave whatever they were doing and glued themselves to their television screens. With KBC returning for a ninth season, the memories this reality TV show have come back. The first episode of this iconic show aired yesterday, August 29, at 9 PM on Sony.

Just like millions of fans, I too switched on the television get encapsulated by the show. And Mr. Bachchan did not disappoint. His stentorian double-baritone voice gave goosebumps and he kicked off the show with finesse. The way he welcomed the fans, spoke inspiring words and more over his interaction with the contestant on the hot seat, all brought back fond memories of childhood. It was enough to transport me to the good ol’ days.

However, despite being perfect, there was one thing which was a buzz kill. It was the phone a friend lifeline. This time around phone a friend lifeline has got a technological up gradation. What happens is, that now when a contestant opts for the phone a friend lifeline, a video call takes place between the contestant and the person they wish to speak to. So basically, phone a friend has been replaced with “video a friend”.

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And that is a problem! In the earlier seasons, we could sense the elation of the person on the phone line. On more than one occasions, when the person said, “Namaskar main Amitabh Bachcha bol raha hun, Kaun Banega Crorepati se”, we could imagine the person jumping with joy, initially unbeknownst of who might have been on the line. For any Indian commoner, getting a call from Big B is nothing short of a dream. Sometimes even Amitabh Bachchan would burst in laughter after hearing the reaction.

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The uncertainty and excitement of getting a call from Big B and hearing a voice out of the blue are ruined with a video call. The most amazing thing about the lifeline was the way Amitabh Bachchan introduced himself.

Apart from the technological upgrade, everything about KBC 9 seems to be perfect. In the first episode, Mr. Bachchan spoke about how it was important to keep calm during the show. Once someone is on the hot seat, it is really important to not get nervous and play the game with a cool mind.

Before finishing this piece, I would take the liberty to state the obvious: No one can do a better job at hosting Kaun Banega Crorepati than the living legend, Amitabh Bachchan.

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