Since the mid-’90s, Salman Khan’s good looks have gone hand in hand with his comic mannerisms in the movies. With jokes and humour that are very ordinary, Khan has made frivolity fashionable in Bollywood. As the actor makes his television debut as the host of Sony’s 10 Ka Dum this Friday, the viewer is promised a slice of the same light-hearted mass appeal which has retained Khan as a superstar for nearly two decades.

“The questions do not test the contestants’ general knowledge. The topics are of general interest, ranging from light to semi serious to serious at times,” says Siddharth Basu, head of Synergy Adlabs, producer of 10 Ka Dum, that is based on the popular international series Power of Ten.

This lack of seriousness may turn out to be Khan’s winning edge in this highly competitive television space. If the promos of 10 Ka Dum are anything to go by, this handsome comedy star has already scored some points over colleague Shah Rukh Khan, whose second television outing, Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hai? on Star Plus, has fared much below expectations.

Khan’s celebrity friends and family are pouring in for rehearsals at Bandra’s Mehboob Studio and brother Sohail Khan’s office. “It seems Salman has known the contestants for years. At the same time, it seems as if they are on the show just to meet him. Money is not that important,” laughs sister Alvira Khan, who along with Ashley Rebello, have designed his wardrobe for the show.

The eyeballs are assured with the star looking good in the trailers. “His clothes are formal, at the same time casual, going well with his personality,” says Alvira. “Apart from some very stylish clean-cut suits, he was worn tweed shirts and flaunted diamond-studded belts,” adds Rebello.

Now it remains to be seen whether Khan can recreate the magic of India’s very first celebrity quiz show Kaun Banega Crorepati that revived the-then dying career of host Amitabh Bachchan and made history. The latter editions of KBC (the last one was hosted by Shah Rukh) failed to move the nation the way the first one did.

“Salman is not a typical anchor.

He makes the contestants feel at home and that’s his strong point,” says friend Sajid Nadiadwala, who too was on the ‘hot seat’ in one of the rehearsal sessions. “Bhai is very spontaneous in the show. He is being himself,” adds an elated Sohail.

Salman, who is known to go out of the way to make his fans happy, has given away his fancy leather jackets, shirts and ties to contestants, offering the audience glimpses of his now-famous impulsiveness.