Kaun Banega Crorepati ; popularly known as KBC is an Indian reality/game show based on the UK game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? which offers a maximum cash prize of £1 million. The show first aired in 2000 and was hosted by Amitabh Bachchan. This was the first appearance of Bachchan on Indian television. The show was popularly received in India[citation needed].
On August 5, 2005, the show was restarted after a four-year hiatus, and renamed Kaun Banega Crorepati Dwitiya (Kaun Banega Crorepati the Second, or KBC2) in which the final prize amount was doubled to 2 crore rupees. It was abruptly ended by STAR Plus after the host Amitabh Bachchan fell ill in 2006.[1] Mr Bachchan had shot 61 of the 85 episodes when he fell ill. He announced he would return after he recovered, but when his health prevented him filming the remaining 24 episodes, Star TV took the decision to axe it.
Star Television roped in Shahrukh Khan to host the third season of the show. Khan was at peak of his career then and was considered an ideal replacement for Amitabh Bachchan as the host of the show. The grand prize amount of 2 crore rupees (approx. $430,000 USD) was still used in KBC3. The third season of the show began airing on January 22, 2007. But all the hysteria receded soon after and its TRP went down. The third season did not receive good reviews from audiences. The show ended on April 19, 2007 with a special finale. The key sponsors of the third season were AirTel, Unit Trust of India (UTI Mutual Funds) and ITC Limited.
The fourth season (called KBC4) was hosted by Amitabh Bachchan and started on October 11, 2010, on Bachchan's 68th birthday. According to online news sources, over five million (50 Lakh) people participated in KBC 4 auditions.[2] The prize money was decreased to INR 1 crore, however a jackpot question for INR 5 crore (approx. USD 1 million) was added. The fourth season of the show was highly successful due to the return of former host Amitabh Bachhan.[3] The season ended on 9 December 2010. The fifth season started on 15 August 2011 on the Independence Day of India with the same format.
