Shah Rukh to host quiz show on Star Plus

In order to break free from the clutter of game and reality shows on several television channels, Star Plus, the leading entertainment channel from Star TV India, is bringing back film star Shah Rukh Khan to host another quiz show.

Khan will now host the Hindi adaptation of a successful Fox TV game show - Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? on Star Plus called "Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain?". Star Plus has also hiked the prize money for the quiz to Rs 5 crore, from Rs 1 crore that it gave out for its popular quiz show Kaun Banega Crorepati series.

In this quiz show, Khan will put questions to adult contestants on the subjects studied by students from class I to class V.

This game show will be produced by Siddhartha Basu's production company Synergy Adlabs along with Bulldog Media and Entertainment Basu has also produced the hugely successful Kaun Banega Crorepati series of quiz shows for Star Plus.

According to Uday Shankar, the chief executive of Star TV India, the process for finding the contestants for the Hindi adaptation of "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?" will begin shortly. Khan has committed 8-10 days per month till May for the shooting of this new quiz show which will also feature five school kids along with Khan. These kids will be selected through a talent hunt from across the schools in the country, Khan told reporters after the launch of the show here today.

"We took Shah Rukh as the host because he connects with an age group spanning eight years to 80 years alike. This show has seen success across 50 countries and we hope to repeat its success here too," Shankar said after announcing its launch today.

The viewership ratings of Star Plus have seen a gradual downturn in the recent past as a host of general entertainment channels have been lauched. While Star Plus remains the market leader, the success of its quiz show like "Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain?" will help it move ahead of its nearest competition, Zee TV, and others, industry sources said.