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Big B out to `lock' you again

Five years ago when it first entered the lives of couch potatoes, it was a show riding on the popularity of a national hero who himself was hoping for an image makeover. A few weeks into it, the Indian version of "Who wants to be a millionaire?" had changed not just the lives of those playing the game or the legend hosting it, but also millions of Indians who got hooked to "hope".

Now bigger and better, Indian television's biggest game, "Kaun Banega Crorepati", will be back on air this Friday, this time promising "ummeed se dugna". With just hours to go for the launch of the second season, the show that made the small screen look big will have Amitabh Bachchan once again "lock" the common folks with his charm as they take the hot seat.

And while the prize money has doubled to Rs.2 crores now, the show is already breaking records, with over 1.3 crore people calling for the programme in just a matter of ten days.

An indication of the show's reach and popularity has been the number of calls received from small towns and interior areas that account for nearly 77 per cent of the calls.

From Nongpoh in the North-East to the Andaman Islands and Kunnamkolam in Kerala, the calls are pouring in from different parts of the country. For the contestants who are in Mumbai currently for the first schedule shoot, it is a living dream. "The last time when I was watching KBC I used to imagine myself actually in the hot seat. Now years later, here I am actually going to get the opportunity of my lifetime. It's a dream come true," says Krithika Chaturvedi of Jaipur.

The prize money may be big, but for many it is the meeting with their "hero" that matters most. "I have been a fan of Bachchan for years. More than anything, even winning, I am looking forward to meeting the superstar," adds an excited Archana Pal.

Well, the most "confident" one will unlock the treasure. The question is who gets it first. -- Lakshmi B. Ghosh

-- Lakshmi B. Ghosh

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