Amitabh Bachchan's much-loved show KBC - Kaun Banega Crorepati goes digital amid lockdown, makers swap on-ground selection process for online GK tests, interviews to choose contestants
Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; May 12, 2020)

'Har cheez pe brake lag sakta hai, sapnon pe nahin,' said Amitabh Bachchan in the first promo of Kaun Banega Crorepati that dropped online last week. With it, the megastar put out the message, loud and clear — the 12th season of the reality game show will kick off, unhindered by the ongoing crisis. The lockdown has compelled the makers to scrap the on-ground audition rounds that involved a GK test, followed by interviews conducted across different locations in the country. Instead, for the first time in the two-decade history of the show, producers Studio NEXT and Sony, the channel that airs it, have charted out a plan to conduct the initial rounds online. The registration process will wrap up by July after which the makers will decide the way forward.

Elaborating on the virtual selection process, a source reveals that contestants can answer the registration questions either via SMS or the SonyLIV app. Those who have answered it correctly will be shortlisted by the randomiser and will be reached out to, over the phone, for further assessment. "The audition comprising a general knowledge test and a video submission will be conducted online via SonyLIV. The final round is the personal interview with the shortlisted contestants, which will be conducted via video calls," informs the source.

The registration process began over the weekend with Bachchan posing an all too familiar question: Where in China was the Coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19, first identified? The megastar, who shot for the first promo at Jalsa, is also filming the daily questions at his Juhu home.

Confirming the development, Amit Raisinghani, head, business planning and communication, Sony, says that despite the lockdown, the number of aspirants has only increased. "This is the season of firsts as the entire screening and selection will be managed digitally. We are confident that this season will redefine the power of knowledge."