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Q&A: R.K. SINGH
CEO, Zee
 Q.
Is SDCK a response to KBC?
A.
Our gameshow is not borrowed from anywhere. It is based on the concept
of shunya (zero), recognised as India's contribution to the world.
Q. Why
have stars as hosts?
A.
Normally, we would not have chosen a star. We believe people who anchor
our shows become stars.
Q. Was
there a dilemma before launching the show?
A.
The question within Zee was: should we trigger a runaway expectation of
money? Or should we temper it? We felt it was not a desirable tendency
for a responsible TV channel given the social situation. But we will not
shy away from competition.
Q. How
much are you spending on SDCK?
A.
We will spend whatever it takes to deliver a classy programme to viewers.
Q&A:
Peter Mukherjea
CEO, Star TV
 Q.
Early days, but what do you make of SDCK?
A.
It's way too early to tell. From a competitor point of view, there's huge
room for improvement. Maybe they have things planned to make it robust.
Q. Zee
claims the concept of SDCK is not borrowed and is totally indigenous?
A.
How
can it be? There is nothing Indian about it. The broad consensus is it
is a virtual copy of what we have on air.
Q. Will
Star consider suing Zee?
A.
Yes. Now that we have seen the show, we will look into it. Copyright or
no copyright, the fact is they have taken an original idea and produced
a pretty poor copy.
-V.
Shankar Aiyar
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INDIA TODAY Deputy Editor Swapan Dasgupta voices the despair of a community that Jyoti Basu forcibly converted into a diaspora in his 23 years of zero-contribution rule. 