Talking Heads with Siddhartha Basu

Sheetal Patel - Televisionpoint.com | Kolkata
TV's original quizmaster Siddhartha Basu talks about KBC, Big B, SRK and how TV has evolved. Synergy Communications founder Basu is the creative consultant with a Midas touch when it comes to conceptualising content for television.

You were one of the most popular quiz masters on Indian television, then why this sudden shift towards producing entertainment shows?
People seldom look beyond the face they see on TV. In my case, if they did, they'd find that I've been a director and programme maker much before I was a quizmaster. With a background in theatre and performing arts as well, together with my company, I've produced a range of shows other than quizzes too.

After our recent merger with a well known distribution company, we now have the resources and infrastructure to diversify and expand across other genres as well. So we are producing talent and reality shows, fiction, shows for kids, quizzes, game shows et al.

How has the merger with Adlabs helped Synergy?
We now have resources to specialize in various genres and programmes and we were not able to do this as we were a small production house. We required manpower and the infrastructure to strengthen our hands as content producers to make programming across all genres.

What is your take on the way TV has shaped up over the years in India?
It's been a quantum jump within a couple of decades from a single state controlled network to today's scenario of 300 channels and counting. While India is among the most dynamic TV centres in the world today, it's an adolescent TV culture, with lots of energy and growth. But then this is also subject to awkward standards, dumbing down, sensationalism and herd mentality as well.

As a perfectionist on the sets what, according to you, makes a show on television a hit or a flop?
A combination of fine content with matching presentation, style and substance, which has a great connect with the viewers (is what'll work for the show).

When you conceptualised KBC with Amitabh Bachchan, did you ever think it would be such a huge hit?
The ingredients were all there for the show to be a super hit. KBC was the licensed Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, which was then making waves as an outstanding global hit the world over. And Amitabh Bachchan's presence on a TV show for the first time was another reason for the success of KBC. The prize money and promotion were also unprecedented. I'm happy it became a landmark TV show.

For the second season of KBC, why did you pick Shah Rukh Khan as the anchor and not anybody else?
Shah Rukh was the best possible successor and alternative to Amitabh Bachchan, not only because of major Star value, but because he would be a very different host. Bachchan is a revered icon, almost a demi-God with an awesome presence and style while Shah Rukh has a major connect with young people and women, his attitude is disarmingly friendly, he brought his cheeky charm and wit fully into play and the fact that he loves quizzes and games.

You are now producing dance shows for Indian audience. How difficult is the concept of a dance show as compared to quiz shows?
Jhalak Dikhla Jaa is the licensed Indian version of a BBC format, Strictly Come Dancing. It's a glamorous show which also reveals the grit behind the glamour, as achievers from different fields go through their moves on the dance floor.

Apart from dance, it's about the blood, sweat and tears, and the laughs that they experience as they go through the journey.

Is working with well-known actors on such shows a challenge?
We've been lucky to have an interesting mix of celebrity contestants who are not only enthusiastic participants, but are also highly competitive. The effort is to enable a lavish, world class production, spiked with 'chatpata desi masala'.

Tell us something about your new show on 9X?
Jiya Jale is different. It's a lot more realistic. We won't be having any Madras cuts or melodrama. Jiya Jale has a cinematic look. I can only tell for the time being that we have roped in Nitin Desai, Shantanu Moitra and Swanand Kirkire for technicals. The cast for the show includes Mahesh Thakur, Bharti Achrekar, Natasha Sinha, Sriti Jha, Tapeshwari Sharma and Saurabh Pandey.