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The spotlight is unrelenting, the glare harsh.
Every little move is scrutinised; every comment reported; every figure analysed.
Shah Rukh Khan is in the dock; the verdict that will be delivered will decide the fate of Kaun Banega Crorepati 3.
When the Television Audience Measurement ratings were released recently, it showed that the show -- which began well with a rating of 12.33 -- dropped to 7.36 on Day 3, January 25.
Was it a comment on Shah Rukh Khan's failure as a host? Was he unable to match, and better, the aura of the show's previous host, Amitabh Bachchan?
This, in his own words, is what SRK told Savera R Someshwar and Saisuresh Sivaswamy:
"First of all, I would not like to comment on this because this is a business I don't understand. And, lately, I have even stopped understanding, or trying to understand, the business of writing by the media.
"When the TAM report came -- which I don't understand but which was read out by the Star (television) team -- we opened four champagne bottles. A huge cake was cut for the huge success of KBC. And, in the morning you read the headlines by, I think, an analyst who had overseen everything else except for the third day when India had won a cricket match after a long time and considered that a drop.
"Star had clearly explained to me that, due to the influx of CAS and stuff happening now, the ratings are going to be different from what they used to be five years ago (Note: The first KBC got ratings in the 20+ range, which was considered excellent. This is the kind of rating that a one day cricket match in which India plays gets). I mean, it's akin to saying Dhoom 2 is a bigger hit than Sholay because the former earned much more money now.
"There are different methodologies for rating it (television shows like KBC). I think, for the last four days, everybody seems to have picked the fact that the third day's rating dropped to 7.36.
"It is not that I am unaware of it. As a matter of fact, I personally saw the cricket match and not KBC. It's not surprising at all; I was shooting and one really wanted to see (the match) because one heard India was doing really well. So one saw (the match) and the ratings (for KBC) fell.
When we started off, we hoped the ratings would be in the range of 10 to 12 points, and settle down in the next couple of weeks. This would be very good considering that CAS still does not give you full coverage.
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On the other side, the report very clearly mentioned that KBC had beaten their competitor in the same slot by some huge percentage. I was told that they have recovered the 9-10 pm slot, which they had apparently been behind in in December.
Even my films, I don't go by figures, so I don't like justifying it. But I think the kind of reaction of a film or a show gets, when it does well, I can sort of understand it because I've seen a lot of good things and bad things commercially happening to me in my career. And I sense there are a huge amount of people who have loved what I have done to the show. And that, to me, is very heartening.
You know, when KBC 2 came, there was bit of a dip in terms of where it should have been in comparison to KBC 1 also. But I think somewhere the change in format is helping it (KBC 3) be perceived differently.
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And the fact that a newspaper can think of it as a headline certainly means it is in the news and it is a very important show. It is important enough to be the headline of a national daily; with due respect, however, I don't think national dailies' headlines nowadays are something to greatly go by. But, for whatever it is worth, if it can make it to the national dailies' headlines over the BMC elections, then I think we are making some kind of an impact in terms of television news and KBC.
I am very happy that people send me loads of messages after every programme which normally doesn't happen even after a hit film. It's good and nice. I am enjoying that. Of course it is a little saddening when they just keep on harping about the 7.32 or 7.39 drop on a Wednesday, on the third day (after KBC 3 started). I guess that's part of the business I am in."
DON'T MISS: The rediff interview with Shah Rukh Khan next week.