Get cracking with the all-new, nerve-wracking KBC

Sony along with Big Synergy is pulling out all stops to make KBC4 faster, sharper and as the host of the show put it, “iss baar thoda teekha hai”. For starters, the prize money to be won is 5 crores. The questions are 12 instead of 15. And a bonus question, the jackpot question which is up for grabs for 5 crores. The channel claims that the show has already got a staggering response with above 50 lakhs people having auditioned and five million registrations in just a week! As for Bachchan, this time he is dressed in designer Ravi Bajaj’s threads with a “new chashma, rest everything is the same,” smiled the host. In a response to a question he also added that he could never imagine himself on the hot seat “because I don’t my GK is very good.” This time, he will include the pearls of wisdom he would dole out at the beginning of every episode but has also invited responses from viewers. The makers have asked for viewers’ contributions on the website which if interesting could be part of Bachchan’s bol vachan. Another interesting aspect of the show this time is that in the first week of the show, all the 10 contestants would get a chance to be on the hot-seat, even after the bhonpu goes off at the end of the hour, the contestants on the fastest finger round would not be asked to quit the game, instead would get an opportunity to continue till a week. This would be only for the first week. There would also be a two week celebrity special but with a different format. There would be a group of celebs; from which the head of the group would be on the hot-seat to play the game. The advantage would be, if he/she gets stuck in a question, he can pass the game to another member from his group to continue the game. The show has already completed shooting seven episodes including those featuring John Abraham, Bipasha Basu and Sanjay Dutt. Some more interesting features and changes viewers could expect this season are as follows. The Pehla Padhaav or the first milestone and Ghadiyaal Babu – The first milestone could be reached just after two questions which should be answered within a time limit of 30 seconds followed by 45 seconds from question number 3 to 7 which forms the second milestone. The timer or the ghadiyaal babu will add to the anxiety and the tension-filled atmosphere. Post the seventh question there would not be any time-limit. Double-dip: Instead of the 50-50 lifeline, a double dip or as Bachchan has called it, a double dubki is introduced which gives participant to opt for two answers but this comes into picture only after the seventh question. Also, after using this lifeling, the participant cannot quit the game. Ask the Expert is another lifeline where contestants can ask the question to an expert of a particular genre who is present on the set. The promises are many and the claims are tall, now only if KBC4 can change the fortunes of Sony and repeat the success story that had begun 10 years ago.