KBC has brought back old memories…

The iconic Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) episodes, in its entire new avatar, are back on Indian television sets. The difference is however that Amitabh Bachchan himself has grown ten years older since he appeared first time in the show, and of course the channel in which the show is aired is different. Although KBC had launched two more versions, I was not part of the audience to these. Two days back, I was witnessing KBC ten years after the first time it was masterminded by Siddhartha Basu in the year 2000.

I remember, back in 2000 KBC had created a huge hype and fan following because it was one of the first reality-shows on Indian television. Besides that, the curiosity that Amitabh Bachchan created was immense. It was after a long hiatus that he was being seen on the screen, and the first time on small screen. I was just a year into college that time and the excitement was even more. Every weekday at 9 pm, Maa, Baba, Dada, Thakuma and myself used to gather in our drawing room, leaving aside everything starting from studies to gossip to kitchen. It was a true family gathering. Every question asked on the show was discussed and we used to fight over the answers that were displayed on screen. If Baba said “Option B tai thik”, I used to oppose and opine that “Na go, Option A tai hobe.” Maa used to get irritated sometimes and shouted “Uff, tora ektu chup korbi ebar, ektu shunte dibi amai?”Every correct answer was cheered as well, by all five of us.

I remember once that a person from Kolkata won Rs 50 lakhs on the show and that was the highest winning cash prize that time. Till that time nobody had reached the magic figure of Rs 1 crore. The excitement that we were feeling for that gentleman, even though we would not get a penny of that, was amazing. KBC had become religion to the middle class household.

Ten years on, as I have started viewing the KBC again, quite a few things have changed in my personal life as well. Baba is no more, Maa does not enjoy such shows anymore, Dada has got married and is about to become a father in a months time, we have shifted into our new flat, Thakuma is suffering from incessant memory losses and I am staying alone in Bangalore. The moments of a hilariously filled drawing room are only in my memory. Right now, it is only I, and my empty drawing room here in Bangalore who absorb the special TV show, which had given our family one more reason to smile ten years back.