Greed <i>ko lock kiya jaaye?</I>

Greed ko lock kiya jaaye?
Tara Sinha

The surfeit of stories, commentaries, take offs, and so on, created by the latest Bachchan phenomenon, Kaun Banega Crorepati? (KBC), is reaching enormous proportions. The blockbuster impact is truly unique; I doubt there has ever been anything like this before on Indian TV. And I would be surprised if anything in the future comes anywhere close!

Many profound and considered views have been expressed on the nature of this success. Is it because of the magnetic presence of MC Amitabh B? Or, is it because money, especially big money, attracts people, as bees are attracted to the honey pot? Or, maybe, the participation of everyday, everywhere people makes us feel, `Oh! Even I have a chance to win' -- certainly, the jammed MTNL phone lines support this argument. (By the way,did you know that even though no contestant, at the time of writing, has hit the one crore jackpot, MTNL has raked in many crores with all the calls to KBC?) Whatever the reasons may be, the formula certainly works.

KBC has spawned a host of take offs: street-smart journalists have pre-empted the phrase to their own purpose, while giving us in-depth analysis of why and how it happened. Clever ad copywriters have woven it into their creative endeavours. Up-to-the-minute marketers have launched special schemes and campaigns on the theme: Kaun Banega Carpati, says one... Careerpati says another...Lakhpati, is the more modest promise of a smaller player! And, I suppose, the nightmare plea of all those other competitive channel TV moguls, would be something on the lines of, `Kaahah Gaya Mera Crorepati?'

My tealeaves tell me that KBC reveals many indicative traits of our nation and the millions who populate it. Read on and I shall share some of them with you. Only some, though, as I am certain that as time goes by many other aspects of the real meaning of KBC to us Indians will emerge.

First, whatever may have been our special heritage and inheritance from a hoary past, full of good thoughts, good deeds, etc., our present nature is hugely motivated and driven by one simple word -- greed. Do not get me wrong; I believe it is perfectly normal and natural to want things, to lust after life's goodies. It seems that those who enjoy possessions in somewhat ample measure are often the ones who would deny them to others. The surprising condemnation of consumerism is an example of such censorious thinking. I have never quite understood quite what meaning is ascribed to this C-word. In my book if more and more people do not come into the market for more and more goods and services then how will we have the economy grow and provide more and more jobs -- enabling more and more people to gain access to better education, nourishment, health facilities, travel and entertainment opportunities, including watching KBC in the comfort of their homes! At the same time let me say that greed should notbe allowed to be the only thing that matters, to be fed at any cost. A fine balance is what human nature gifts us the faculties to secure.

Second, we can now stand and proclaim to all who care to listen, that we have truly globalised -- joining as full members the worldwide brethren of TV junkies tuned in to watch and salivate over Who wants to be a Millionaire? and its clones. However, belonging as we do to the land of the zero, we have added one more zero to make our challenge -- `Who wants to be a Millionaire Ten Times Over? Written thus it doesn't quite have the ring of the original but who cares when the prize is ten times as much?

Will get back to you, as soon as I have learnt all I can from the many special KBC quiz crammer books now flooding the market, about how to mop up the moolah. Until then, watch this space.