After his successful stint at hosting the third edition of the popular game show 'Kaun Banega Crorepati', Shah Rukh Khan will host 'Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain' ('Are You Smarter than A Fifth Grader'), a new game show on Star Plus which will have contestants answering grade school level questions in their quest for a prize money of Rs five crore, the CEO of Star India Pvt Ltd Uday Shankar announced at a press conference here.
For the contestants, it will be a ''trip down memory lane'' as they try to rack their brains to remember, say, the formula for the area of a triangle or figures of speech they learnt during primary school with the 'Badshah of Bollywood'.
Being produced by Siddharth Basu's Synergy Adlabs, 'Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain' is a television game show based on the international Mark Bennett formula 'Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader' where grade-school level questions are put to adults from all walks of life, well heeled and confident, who attempt to relive school with success.
Speaking at the press conference, the head of Synergy Adlabs Siddharth Basu, who is responsible for conceptualising the 'Kaun Banega Crorepati' as well as dance-based reality show 'Jhalak Dikhla Jaa', said, ''the essence of the show is the test that adults will be put to answer primary school questions, the pressure of going back to school and keeping their reputations intact.''
As per the format of the show, the contestants will have to answer 15 grade school-level questions (up to the fifth standard questions) in the race to win Rs 5 crore.
Aiding them in answering the question will be a group of ten year olds who will form the part of the class tutored by Shah Rukh Khan.
If the contestants fail to answer the 15 questions, they will be allowed to leave the contest with the amount won by them but only after saying that ''I am not smarter than a fifth grader''.
Speaking at the press meet, Shah Rukh Khan said doing the innovative game show was part of his endeavour to do something for children that was not only entertaining but also educative.
''This year I have pledged to do something for children. Hosting 'Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain' is an effort in this direction.
The aim is to do something that is not only enetrtaining but also educative,'' Shah Rukh said.
The Bollywood superstar said that as an actor, it was always his endeavour to first and foremost entertain children.
''Over the years, I have maintained that whatever work I do or entertainment I provide is solely directed towards children.
In fact, children are somebody I really care for and want to cater to also because they are the audience which have the shortest span of attention.
So, I am doing this show not only for my own children but all the children of the country,'' Shah Rukh said.
The King Khan said that his excitement to do the show also stemmed from the fact that it is not just an entertaining show but also educative.
''The attempt is to try and develop among the children the desire to gain knowledge. At the same time, we aim to reach out to the familiies through their children,''the actor said.
Speaking on the occasion, the CEO of Star India Pvt Ltd, Uday Shankar said the show was an attempt to redefine television in India through innovation.
''Today, several new channels are being launched by the day but still the people are increasingly being put off by the same old stuff being aired on the small screen. 'Kya Aap Paanchvi Paas Se Tez Hain' is an attempt on our part to redefine India television the way 'Kaun Banega Crorepati ' did a few years ago,'' Shankar said.