SRK turned down KBC2

If Kaun Banega Crorepati 3 took the Amitabh Bachchan-Shah Rukh Khan war a step forward with all the rush and scramble of comparisons, now we know that the big time rivalry for small screen space between the two actually started two years ago.

It's finally out, straight from the horse's mouth. Shah Rukh Khan, as part of his interview with the Mumbai Mirror, has revealed that he was offered Kaun Banega Crorepati 2 as well, but he politely turned it down because Amitabh Bachchan wanted to do it, then.

In SRK's own words: "When they offered me KBC3, I said I will only do it if Mr Bachchan says 'no'. After they said he had declined to do it, I asked to see a letter from him confirming this. Only after that, did I agree to do it. In fact, I had earlier said 'no' to both Zee and Star. Two years ago, Star offered me KBC2, and I asked them if Mr Bachchan wanted to do it. And they said yes. So I backed off. And Samir Nair (Star's CEO) knows this."

When asked why does it matter so much to him that Big B first has to say no to KBC for him to consider doing it, King Khan states matter-of-factly, "Because it's a product which started with him. If there was even an iota of doubt that he wanted to do it, I wouldn't do it. Even when I did Darr, I first asked Aamir Khan if it was okay with him if I did it, after he had left it. Similarly with Josh, I called up Salman Khan and asked. It's mere courtesy." So now we know. Star had wanted SRK to be the KBC host as far back as two years ago.