Sanjay Dutt takes over 'Dus Ka Dum' from Salman

Salman Khan may have priced himself out of the market.

And his loss is Sanjay Dutt’s gain.

The “Munnabhai Chale Amerika” actor has stepped in to host the next season of the reality TV show, “Dus Ka Dum,” Indian media have reported.

Word is that Khan was too expensive for Sony Television, which airs the show. The actor is already paid Rs25 million per episode – substantially more than the Rs16.5m per show he was paid for the the previous two seasons.

Now sources close to the production say he wanted more for the next season. Negotiations fell through, with Sony citing “irreconcilable financial differences”.

But the station may well have lucked out in Dutt, who has never hosted a TV show before and brings a freshness to the box that Khan didn’t have.

The Mumbai tabloid Mid-Day said Dutt was unsure if TV’s smaller format would work for him, but the Bachchans, who are good friends, have reportedly convinced him that there’s no harm in switching formats, as Amitabh Bachchan proved when he became the first successful star to work in TV.

The channel reportedly first wanted Anil Kapoor, who played a game show host in “Slumdog Millionaire”, but the star’s Hollywood work has left him with no dates to offer. Word is that Sony is now in final discussions with Dutt.

"Neither Sanjay Dutt nor Anil has done television before. That's what places them above Salman Khan in our list of hosts," the publication quoted a source as saying. How much they’re willing to pay Dutt isn’t public yet.

Brace yourselves for another Bollywood feud.
 

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