Some observations of an idle mind on the opening episode of KBC 8

The term teeming millions must have been coined for just such an occasion. At first glance it seems the entire population of India has turned up to watch  Amitabh Bachchan  in KBC's 8th Avatar ,  but it turns out the teeming millions are  only the  inhabitants of a single city, Surat. They are there in all sizes and shapes- the sizes and shapes cutting  across different age groups and generations. However, there is a commonality binding  the millions- they are all happy to be there that evening. One can sense that for a lot of them it is akin to a historic occasion- complete with an Indian Idol runner up, a stand up comedian,  the mandatory PYT- and of course, Bachchan himself.

The computer is asked to randomly pick out ten names, from those present, to be the ten contestants. As it gets busy in the act of  picking names one sees many lips moving- silent prayers are being offered. Holy Cow! I realize this is serious business. By now the ten names are being called out. As each Chosen One gets up there is a lot of hand pumping and back thumping by his/her relative/s, friend/s and neighbor/s. The contestants all seem game for the occasion. It is appreciable that none of them seem self conscious or mortified about that crumpled duppatta or the missing lip gloss. In fact one brave gentleman  even went up on stage clutching a plastic packet - I know if it were me I would have totally disowned said packet and dropped it somewhere in the aisles !

Bachchan is looking particularly jaded- almost peaked. He makes all the right noises and moves but the trademark zing is missing. I am sure half the blame can be laid at the footsteps of  an over enthusiastic Kapil Sharma who spends the evening   dogging Amitabh Bachchan's footsteps . The other half may, perhaps, be  attributed   to the nerve racking rumors of his son and daughter-in-law's estrangement doing the rounds.Going through the motions is what comes to mind as one watches him.

The organizers have  packed in a lot in that one evening. So, apart from the above mentioned millions and Bachchan there is Rani Mukherjee too- all flushed and glowing from matrimony. We also get to see a very energetic dance performance by an actor of a TV serial, and a song sung by some half a dozen boys and girls.

 The song must have had something in it - something really soothing and relaxing- it sent me off to sleep.