Siddhartha Basu on his 17-year-old show Kaun Banega Crorepati, Big B and making quizzing a household name
Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; September 3, 2017)

Siddhartha Basu is a celebrity in his own right. He is often stopped and asked for selfies. The veteran television producer-director, better known as the grandfather of quiz masters, says, "I oblige, but they [fans] do not leave before asking me a question." Just when you think they pose a random question to test his general knowledge, he laughs aloud, "It's far from that. People ask me, 'What has happened to your hair? Where has it gone?' There is always this negative connotation. Viewers still remember me as the way they have seen me on TV. I tell them, blame it [the receding hairline] on my genes. I don't think I will ever do anything for a better crop of hair."

Old connect
It's over three decades since he hosted Quiz Time on Doordarshan, "so people still expect me to look the same," he sighs as we catch up with him at an event for Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC), the quiz show he is best known for. "It has been 17 years that KBC has been running. There is an entire new generation out there."

Hosted by Amitabh Bachchan, a new season of KBC went on air last week. Except for one outing in 2007, which was anchored by Shah Rukh Khan, Big B remains the face of the show. "I have a warm, cordial relation with him [Bachchan]. He is meticulous and KBC is special to him. Given that our association dates back 17 years, it's a special bond -- an old one."

Basu rues the fact that Bachchan does not converse with him in Bengali. "He is only Bangla when he is with Shoojit Sircar [filmmaker]. Perhaps my Bengali is not all that good." Not many know that Sircar was part of KBC in its early seasons. "Shoojit is an old colleague, we used to work together." This was also the reason Basu agreed to turn actor in Sircar's critically-acclaimed film Madras Café (2013). So also the association with Dangal (2016) director Nitesh Tiwari, who directed the promos for the show. "He has conceptualised several campaigns for the show during his advertising days."

Online information
Over the years, Basu has had a task force making a bank of questions -- easy, tough and the impossible ones. Even though now information is a click away, Basu avers, "Some answers you still can't Google. There is so much of information out there including rubbish. You need to know how and where to find the authentic and correct stuff."

Basu is also producer of an open textbook kind of show for a news channel for students. "They are allowed to Google it but often it may not give you the the right answer."

When Bachchan was first offered KBC in 2000, those close to the actor were not keen that he take up television, but Big B was adamant. Basu, along with the star, travelled to England to check out the original show, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? They visited the sets and Bachchan told them to make it on identical lines. "We have been following the international format, except for some changes as it is in Hindi and to suit the Indian audience." The reason it has new terms like computerji and lock kiya jay. Terms that they brainstormed and which have become synonymous with the show.

Special moments
Basu says KBC has become more than just a quiz show. "It is all about those special and unforgettable moments. The DNA of the show is that a life changes in front of you. This season there are 15 questions for the Rs 7 crore jackpot." Several contestants claim they want to be on the show to meet Big B. "The show is about enriching the common man's life," he says.

Though the quiz master has also produced reality shows like Dus Ka Dum, Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa and India's Got Talent, he still remains synonymous with KBC.

Would he ever be on the hot seat? "I am a quiz maker and quiz master, not a quizzer. I find joy in finding information and unless you enjoy the process, it will not amaze you."

KBC's jackpot questions

Who among these does the Indian Constitution permit to take part in the proceedings of Parliament?
A. Solicitor General
B. Attorney General
C. Cabinet Secretary
D. Chief Justice
Answer: Attorney General
Answered by: Harshvardhan Navathe, the first crorepati, in 2000

Which colonial power ended its involvement in India by selling the rights of the Nicobar Islands to the British on October 18, 1868?
A. Belgium
B. Italy
C. Denmark
D. France
Answer: Denmark
Answered by: Sushil Kumar, who was the first contestant to win Rs 5 crore in 2011.

Who is the first woman to successfully climb K2, the world's second highest mountain peak?
A. Junko Tabei
B. Wanda Rutkiewicz
C. Tamae Watanabe
D. Chantal Mauduit
Answer: Wanda Rutkiewicz
Answered by: Sunmeet Kaur Sawhney, who was the second contestant to win Rs 5 crore in 2013.

Who commanded the Hector, the first British trading ship to land at Surat?
A. Paul Canning
B. William Hawkins
C. Thomas Roe
D. James Lancaster
Answer: William Hawkins
Answered by: Achin and Sarthak Narula who won Rs 7 crore in 2014