While Shah Rukh Khan stepped into Bachchan’s shoes last year with the third edition of KBC, Basu brings back the box-office king again on television, this time with a new quiz show Kya Aap Panchvi Pass Se Tez Hain on Star Plus that goes on air this summer (the phone lines for participation will open from March 4). “It’s a big, fun, cheerful show for the whole family,” asserts Basu.

Kya Aap is based on last year’s hugely successful Are You Smarter Than The Fifth Grader? that has already been telecast in 50 countries—the contestants will have Khan asking them questions, partly of primary school syllabi. “Grown-ups will have to prove that they are smarter than a 10-year-old and win handsome amounts in doing so. But if they are not, they have to admit it before millions of viewers,” he says.

Currently, Basu also has other quiz shows on air, like Bollywood Ka Boss on Filmy (it tests the contestants’ general knowledge on Hindi cinema). But, with Kya Aap, the challenge is to make sure the show doesn’t end up as a KBC look-alike. “In content, tone, texture and presentation, it is distinct not only from KBC, but also from all other quiz and game shows,” says Basu. “When the stakes are high, the reach and impact need to be at their maximum. The best way to do that is to have a charismatic superstar as host.”

Over the years, Basu has kept pace with changing times. Recently, he even ventured into daily soaps—the much criticised genre that still happens to guarantee the best TRPs today-with Jiya Jale on the newly launched 9X. “Fiction is the most watched genre on television. We wanted to make a difference with a better quality of content and presentation. We hope to produce more good fiction shows in the coming year,” he says. Despite reports of the show not doing well, Basu still chooses to hold on to his soap. “Jiya Jale has been the leading programme on the channel,” he emphasises.

Recently, Basu’s production house, Synergy Adlabs, even brought the popular international celebrity dance show Dancing With the Stars to the country—the Indian version Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa enjoyed huge viewership even during its second edition few months back. Though small screen is witnessing a deluge of reality shows at present, Basu still predicts a bright future for the genre. “The proportion of reality shows on Indian television is quite small and within that there is far more variation, than, say, fiction shows,” he says.