In 2000, Amitabh Bachchan took a giant stride on to the small screen with Kaun Banega Crorepati. His TV debut was signaled as a first for Bollywood on TV. Now, 14 years later, Amitabh Bachchan is making yet another TV debut, as he steps into fiction programming with Yudh on Sony Entertainment Television (SET), which goes on air in July. After Anil Kapoor?s gripping crime-thriller ?24?, it seems Bollywood is in the mood for some television.

Judging by the promos, Yudh is a psychological drama. A genre that is something of a USP for SET. The actor too is no stranger to the genre or roles which range from odd ball to quirky ? Aankhen, Black, Aks, Parwana, etc. Bachchan plays Yudhisthir Skarwar, an elite businessman caught in a psychological battle with himself, his relationships and a corporate battle with others. The look is minimalist and natural. Anurag Kashyap, the creative director of the series, has resorted to techniques generally used in cinema. The no make-up look is usually employed in realistic films. Yudh will show Bachchan looking older, tired and someone whose health is failing. The darker recesses of the character?s mind are reflected in the dominating grey tones. Anurag Kashyap has Shoojit Sircar directing parts of the 26 part series; and a cast that includes talents such as Kay Kay Menon, Sarika, Tigmanshu Dhulia and Nawazuddin Siddiqui. Yudh will attract a great many eyeballs, especially those who have a yen for thrillers. And most importantly, Mr Bachchan?s legion of fans.

Co-produced by Endemol and the Bachchan?s home banner Saraswati Productions, Yudh is believed to be India's most expensive show, estimated to command higher advertisement rates than any other fiction show on Indian television. SET isn?t divulging any figures, but sources aver it to be close to Rs 3 crore per episode (including marketing spend) ? making it easily the highest spend ever on a fiction show on Indian television. Comparatively, Anil Kapoor?s ?24? was made at the cost of about Rs 2.5 crore per episode. Till last year, that was the highest for a fiction show in the country; the other shows cost a crore per episode, but go on forever. The finiteness of this show is an added advantage, each episode will be a plot twister, and will keep the viewers intrigued, enough to tune in the next day.

SET will have a true blue channel driver in hand for about a month starting July. In September, KBC goes on air. In that case, Amitabh Bachchan may well be the channel?s brand ambassador from now on. It wouldn?t be surprising if Yudh encourages younger filmmakers to approach channels with other finite series featuring a marquee name.

As we wait for Yudh to start, strangely after more than two decades on TV, Mr Bachchan is still wondering if he will be able to strike a chord with TV viewers. He writes in his blog: ?As you go through the 800-odd TV channels in the country, you often wonder whether with the amount of content that keeps floating around, your own effort would ever be seen or even appreciated. Television has become three times more remunerative than films here in the country. The turnovers say so, as do many of the viewers.? While TV actors are trying to find a berth in films, he is ?doing exactly the opposite and hoping and wishing that efforts made to execute something different, shall be acknowledged.? He believes that it is a ?tough world? and only the tough survive.? He has done it with KBC and is likely to survive this round; after all he Bollywood path breaking icon.