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It seemed as if the most successful show on Indian television would see a new anchor thanks to the exchange of gunfire that was taking place between Star TV India CEO Peter Mukerjea and cine star-turned anchor Amitabh Bachchan. Mukerjea was insistent that the show was larger than AB. AB was insisted he wanted a piece of the advertising revenue windfall that Star TV was making out of Kaun Banega Crorepati. The negotiations had reached feverish pitch and rumours were that AB was considering an offer from James Packer to do a show for 9 Gold on DD.
Mukerjea had told certain advertisers that it was quite possible that KBC would have AB only till February. But apparently, things have been sorted out between the two. At least that‘s what AB has told BBC World in an interview which will be telecast next week.
AB told BBC World corrie Sanjeev Srivastav that he will continue with the show for at least another year. The four-times-a-week show , which went on air on 3rd July this year was to have an initial run of 130 episodes. AB is believed to have told the BBC that: "Mr Kerry Packer has been a good friend for the last five-six years. And yes, there were many offers. But I have reached an agreement with the Star to do many more episodes of KBC."
AB told the news channel that finer details on how the exclusive contract between the two will pan out were being out but he said that "it is understandable that Star will not want him to do a game show for any other channel. The condition of exclusivity is understandable and quite fine with me."
To top it all, AB has also started talking in Peter‘s lingo when he says that "I think more than me it is the format of the show which is responsible for the game show‘s huge success."
Meanwhile the show has got its first millionaire in a Mumbai youth Harshvardhan Nawathe who cracked the jackpot in an episode that is to be aired on 19 October. Indiantelevision.com‘s The Indian Cab&Sat Reporter had predicted that KBC would have a crorepati by mid-October during the peak of the festival season. Star TV had insisted that there was no way of predicting who would become a crorepati, because the entire quiz show is absolutely free of any rigging.
