Amitabh Bachchan breaks down, reveals he was compelled to host Kaun Banega Crorepati in 2000: ‘Wasn’t getting films’

Actor Amitabh Bachchan has revealed that he took the decision to host Kaun Banega Crorepati in 2000 as he was not getting films. In a new promo shared by Sony Entertainment Television, Amitabh’s daughter Shweta Bachchan asked him how he felt as the quiz show clocked 1000 episodes. In the episode, Shweta and her daughter Navya Naveli Nanda appeared as guests.

Replying to Shweta, Amitabh Bachchan said, “Darasal, ikkis saal ho gaye hain. San 2000 mein iski shuruat hui thi. Aur uss samay humko pata nahi tha. Sab log keh rahe they ke aap film se television mein jaa rahe hain, bade parde se chhote parde par aa rahe hain, aapki image ko nuksaan hoga (It has been 21 years. The show began in 2000. At that time, I had no idea. People warned me that moving from the big screen to the small screen would harm my image).”

“Lekin humari apni kuch paristhitiyan aisi thi ke mujhe laga ke filmon mein kaam jo hai wohh mil nahi raha tha, lekin pehle broadcast ke baad jiss tarah ke reaction aane shuru hue, phir aisa laga ke puri duniya badal gayi hai (However, my circumstances were such that I wasn’t getting any work in films at that time, but after the show premiered, the kind of reactions I received made me believe that the world changed for me).”

As the audience cheered and clapped, Amitabh also said, “Sabse achhi baat jo mujhe lagi woh yeh ki humare jitne bhi contestants aaye unse prati din, prati contestant se mujhe kuch na kuch seekhne ko mila (The best part is that I learnt something every day from every contestant).” The audience as well as Shweta and Navya were seen applauding.

After that, glimpses of the journey of the game show from 2000 till date, was shown. As the video came to an end, Amitabh was seen getting emotional and wiping away his tears. KBC marked his first appearance on Indian television.

Kaun Banega Crorepati is currently in its 13th season. Since its inception, it has been hosted by Amitabh except for the third season when actor Shah Rukh Khan had replaced him. From seasons 1-6 the top prize money was ₹1 crore but from season 7 (2013), it was increased to ₹7 crore.

Also Read | KBC 13: Amitabh Bachchan says he won’t talk to Jaya Bachchan as she roasts his ‘bahut kharab’ outfits. Watch

Meanwhile, Amitabh has several films in the pipeline including Goodbye, Brahmastra, Runway 34, Jhund and Hindi remake of Hollywood hit The Intern.