Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan's wit, exuberance and charisma carried through the first episode of Star Plus' much-awaited reality game show "Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tsez Hain" Friday that saw a PhD scholar being bested by school children in answering teasers.

The show, a Synergy Adlabs production and formatted on US game show "Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader", featured adult contestants facing questions picked directly from the textbooks of school kids.

Casually attired in a light blue shirt teamed with a black waistcoat and jeans, Shah Rukh played the school teacher to perfection on the first day of his 'tele-school'. As he entered the blue-coloured sets, the audience gave him an enthusiastic reception.

On the show, Shah Rukh said he had "always wanted to be a teacher. In fact, I did become one in 'Mohabbatein', but today, my wish has actually come true".

Five enthusiastic kids participated in the "school" along with 39-year-old Vedula Ramalaxmi, an M.A gold medallist and a PhD in Hindi, the first contestant on the show.

Ramalaxmi, an Orissa-based lecturer, was left baffled at the very first question - "The are nine edges in a prism - true or false" followed by a series of mind-boggling questions that she admitted having "studied almost 30 years ago".

In order to win the mega Rs.50 million prize money, contestants are required to answer a series of 11 primary-level questions. They can avail of three life saving options - "taak-jhaank" (cheating), "copy" and "bachao" (save me).

According to the headmaster (Shah Rukh)'s rules, a person wishing to leave the game midway has to call himself/herself as "bhagoda" (coward), and if the person loses, he/she should look straight into the camera and say "Main paanchvi paas se tez nahin hoon" (I am not smarter than a fifth grader).

Ramalaxmi leaves the game after winning Rs.200,000, but only after Shah Rukh has made her squirm with embarrassment.

The second contestant, 29-year-old Pramod Tripathi managed to answer only one question before the "school bell" rang, signalling the end of the show.

Shah Rukh ended the episode by narrating a "Khan Ki Kahaani" (Khan's story), a value addition to his stint as headmaster on the show after gathering the young classmates - Sreeparna, Dheirya, Shriya, Milanjeet and Anubhav, who aide the contestants on the show.

The three 10-minute-long "tiffin breaks" or ad breaks were too tedious for people watching the show.

The show will be aired every Friday to Saturday at 8 p.m. on Star Plus.