About the Show: Ko Banchha Crorepati

Ko Banchha Crorepati is an upcoming Nepali television game show scheduled to premiere on December 29, 2018. The show is based on “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?”, an international television game show of British origin. The show’s global franchise has penetrated with its regional variants in around 160 countries worldwide. It had been rebranded as “KBC: Kaun Banega Crorepati” in the Indian subcontinent; and KBC has since then become a household brand name. The program has been a groundbreaking success, with the colossal Bollywood figure Amitabh Bachchan as its cross-nationally celebrated host.

After “Kaun Banega Crorepati”’s long enduring legacy, Ko Banchha Crorepati has emerged to touch the lives of hundreds of would-be contestants, thousands of followers and audience of Nepali television. The Nepali variant of the show will be hosted by prominent actor Rajesh Hamal, who’s also an influential media personality. KBC Nepal is set to air for 52 episodes on AP1HD and AP1 channels.

Program Overview of KBC Nepal

The Nepalese edition of the game show follows the universally acclaimed and recognized format of the international franchise. A series of increasingly difficult questions are put forward by the host to the contestants in the “Hot Seat”. Correct answers to each of them ensures cash amount won by the contestants.

There are 15 questions in the show’s format. Each question, worth a certain amount, ultimately leads towards the final jackpot question. The showstopper question is the final hurdle and is worth 1 crore (10 million) Nepali Rupees.

Contestants are entitled to the jackpot cash prize of up to 1 crore per episode. That is, if they manage to answer all 15 questions.

The show has a treat for the viewers as well. Those watching from home will have an opportunity to win Rs. 1 Lakh by sending the correct answer to a special question through SMS. The question for the television viewers will be asked towards the end of each episode.

Selection Process and Criteria

Hopeful participants can register themselves for KBC through SMS format. The program undergoes a “registration” period where the public has to complete a qualification quiz before the actual premiere of the program.

An SMS has to be sent through to KBC and a question has to be answered by responding.

Contestants must meet the following criteria in order to be eligible for the contest:

• They are citizens and residents of Nepal
• They are at least 18 years of age

Short-listed contestants are subject to a series of interviews and then selected from among other hopeful contestants. Selected contestants are invited to the KBC studio to play “Fastest Finger First” challenge for the battle of the hot seat.

Fastest Finger First and the Hot Seat

In Fastest Finger First, contestants are required to answer a question by arranging the four answer options in order in the shortest time.

The one contestant who manages to answer the question in correct order in the shortest time makes it through to the hot seat.

And guess what, then it’s time to play Ko Banchha Crorepati with the host, Rajesh Hamal!

Gameplay and Progression

Upon surviving the jitters of the burning hot seat, the contestant is formally introduced to the viewers. The host orients the contestant with every nook and cranny of the game. The proceedings start with simpler questions and gradually increase in worth as well as difficulty. The complexity of the question is dependent of the cash prize assigned to it.

1. Milestones: Milestones in KBC are special levels in the game which mark the minimum cash prize amount a contestant can win. There are two milestones in the game’s format: one at 10,000 and the other at Rs. 3,20,000. Once the contestant crosses a milestone question, highlighted in yellow, they can walk away with at least the secure amount. A milestone question is like that safe zone in your video game, from where you don’t need to worry about backsliding. Getting to the milestones should be the first go-to plan!
2. Lifelines: Lifelines are means of help which contestants can use when they come across tough questions. According to the show’s traditional format, contestants are granted three different kinds of lifelines:
   1. 50:50– Two wrong answers from the screen are removed and the contestant is left with two final choices. One of these two is the correct answer for the question.
   2. Audience Poll– Members in the audience get to help the contestant by dialing an answer they feel is correct, into a keypad. The results of the poll are shown in a bar graph format with the highest voted answer gaining most of the attention.
   3. Phone-a-Friend- The contestant can make a call to a friend or family member of their choice during the game. Within a 30 second time constraint, the member is allowed to help the contestant with the answer on the phone.
3. Quitting the Game: Contestants can always choose to quit the game at any time. Contestants are usually faced with this situation when they are not fully confident with the answer. Quitting the game can mean either the contestant goes back empty handed, or with certain amount if they have crossed a milestone question.

Set to change the dynamics of television in Nepalese context, Ko Banchha Crorepati is coming to the big screens soon. The show is an ambassador of knowledge. Purposed with meaningful knowledge implementation, KBC Nepal can very well be one of the biggest milestones in Nepali television industry.