Amitabh Bachchan vs Shah Rukh Khan. The last time the two Dons divided the audiences was on Diwali Friday in 1998 when Bade Miyan Chote Miyan and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai released on the same day. Something similar happened on October 4, the Super Sunday, which saw the two superstars "colliding". The Telegraph tuned into Bigg Boss 3 on Colors from 9pm to 11.30pm and Tere Mere Beach Mein on STAR Plus from 9pm to 10.30pm, for the big fight on the small screen.
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| Amitabh Bachchan in Bigg Boss 3 |
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| Shah Rukh in Tere Mere Beach Mein |
Director Farah Khan was a troubled woman on Sunday evening. On one channel, STAR Plus, the final episode of her own production Tere Mere Beach Mein was playing. On the other channel, Colors, the first episode of her favourite TV show Bigg Boss was on air.
Farah was not the only one in a spot. But for the others, it was a simpler question. Whom did they want to spend prime-time with — Amitabh Bachchan or Shah Rukh Khan?
One as a "philosopher" host, the other playing Farah's guest. That both the shows started at the same time couldn't have been a coincidence, rather a smart programming move by the two general entertainment channels.
Regardless of how the remote control swung, no one went to sleep disappointed. Both AB and SRK lived up to their superstar billing.
One was a picture of understated class, the other of self-deprecating humour. One had formal written all over him (grey blazer and black trousers), the other was cool personified (grey tee, blue jeans and black jacket). One let his guests share the spotlight, the other basked in the limelight.
Returning to the small screen after four years, Bachchan didn't seem rusty at all. After a fluid jig to a rap number, AB stood tall and quoted his father's poetry, inducing a KBC déjà vu. When he referred to the third season of Bigg Boss as Tritiya with that same swish of the right hand, it was an instant throwback to Kaun Banega Crorepati Dwitiya. The "yun jaate hain aur yun aate hain" before the break was another KBC moment, before the final flourish "lock kiya jaye", while locking the inmates into the house.
On the rival channel, Shah Rukh was revealing unknown traits. He sportingly accepted the Joru Ka Ghulam "award", admitting that it was Gauri, his wife of close to 19 years, who wore the pants in the relationship. With his trademark one-liners like "main bahut hi chaalu, shrewd aur ghatiya kism ka mard hoon" and "main chhupa hua macho hoon", SRK was having all the fun at his own expense.
Giving a sneak peek into the empty Bigg Boss house meanwhile, AB was authoring TV footage that would rerun a thousand times on the Indian small screen — sitting in the confession chair, he announced: "Bigg Boss, main Amitabh Bachchan hoon."
But what the Big B did best on Bigg Boss was make far less important people — 13 of them, who would play the game — seem important enough to be part of a show hosted by him. From Sherlyn Chopra to Rakhi Sawant's mother, everyone was pampered by Bachchan's inimitable atithi entertainment.
SRK, of course, had quickly moved on to his favourite topic — the other Khans. First up was Aamir. "Woh jo Aamir Khan ki chest par likha tha Ghajini mein, woh mere (phone) numbers hain," he smiled. But the real dirty one seemed to be reserved for good ol' Salman — "Main apni charity ki zyada charcha nahi karta hoon," Shah Rukh said while accepting the customary cheque for Rs 1 lakh from host Farah, to be donated to a charity of his choice.
The channels were not complaining. "Getting Mr Bachchan on board has definitely helped in taking the show to its next level. The opening ratings would be even more significant keeping in mind that they are an average of an episode that was 2.5 hours long," said Colors CEO Rajesh Kamat.
Anupama Mandloi, STAR Plus's senior creative director, said: "The SRK episode (1.5 hours long) was a fitting close to the first season of the show."
Source: Telegraphindia
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