Small screens get starry

Whether it’s India or Pakistan, celebrities have turned to the small screen to host all sorts of TV shows. While the guest appearances play their role in boosting a show’s ratings, the hosts themselves contribute heavily to the programme’s overall appeal.

Big names that graced the small screen as hosts in 2010 include Reema Khan, Wasim Akram, Umer Shareef, Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar among others.

As much as it costs to hire these stars, their stardom is bound to pay back.

“A movie star or a celebrity is roped in only if they fit the bill. Of course they come at a high cost, but if they fit in the format, they do help in building the buzz,” Ashvini Yardi, programming head of Colors TV, told IANS.

While Big B returned as the host of “Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) 2010” on Sony, his son Abhishek Bachchan hosted “National Bingo Night” on Colors.

Salman Khan drifted away from Sony to host Colors’ “Bigg Boss 4”, while Priyanka Chopra showed her daredevil side in “Fear Factor - Khatron Ke Khiladi 3” and Akshay Kumar donned the chef’s hat for “Masterchef India”.

Karan Johar added to the glamour quotient with a new season of his “Koffee With Karan”, chatting up a line-up of stars from tinsel town.

The cherry on top was dancing diva Madhuri Dixit’s comeback as the host of “Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 4”.

“KBC” kick-started with TRP of five per cent closed with a record rating of 5.5 keeping Salman Khan’s “Bigg Boss 4” as the lead contender notching up a rating of 2.7. The low rating of “Bigg Boss 4” may be due to Khan’s little screen space on the show.

According to aMap ratings, “KBC” opened well and, even when it slipped, its ratings remained between 4 and 5. “Bigg Boss 4”, which opened at 4.3, remained between 3.7 and 4.9, reported Times of India.

Following the Bollywood trend, former captain of the Pakistani cricket team, Wasim Akram , joined Hum TV to host a game show “Jeetain Wasim Akram Se” and Reema Khan teamed up with Samaa TV to do “The Reema Show”. Grabbing the pre-primetime slot on Geo TV was Umer Shareef who shared his wit with guest celebrities on “The Shareef Show”.

Hosting a TV show, however, is not every celebrity’s game. Sushmita Sen in “Ek Khiladi Ek Hasina”, Jackie Shroff in “Magic Ka Superstar” and Govinda in “Jeeto Chappar Phaad Ke” tried their luck in television industry but in vain.

WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM IANS

Published in The Express Tribune, December 21^st, 2010.