"Kaun Banega Crorepati" has taken the kind of TRP-sweeping opening that TV channels only dream about. And guess who had the chance to sit on the hot seat in front of host Amitabh Bachchan -- Preity Zinta and Saif Ali Khan.

"It's, in one word, awesome!" says Preity, who'll appear on a special edition of "KBC" along with Saif.

They are the first two celebrities on the hot seats for this season's "KBC". The stars of Yashraj Films' "Salaam Namaste" will be seen together in the middle of August.

Says Preity excitedly: "He looks so cool, and just sweeps you away. Just Bachchan being on the show makes it worth it. Of course I was nervous.

"But having worked with and been on 'KBC' earlier, I guess I had an edge over Saif. What I also liked about the 'KBC' experience this time was my partner. Saif is such a fun person. Just doing a fun thing with him is so much more fun."

The news is that again this time there are going to be a number of celebrities on the hot seat. During the last innings of "KBC", the super-celebrities who appeared on the show included Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Sonali Bendre and Preity Zinta. This time the ball has already been set rolling with Saif and Preity.

Why Preity and Saif? According to a STAR source: "They are cool and trendy. They jell well with the chic, laidback mood of the new 'KBC' series. Besides, appearing on 'KBC' is the best publicity their film 'Salaam Namaste' can get."

Says Amitabh: "We recorded the first celeb instalment last week. Both Saif and Preity are bright young people. I've worked with Preity in films, though not with Saif. It was fun to have them on the hot seat."

But weren't Abhishek and sister Shweta supposed to be on "KBC"?

"Yes, they were. STAR was very keen to have them for the Raksha Bandhan special. But somehow they were reluctant to appear. So the Abhishek-Shweta idea has been dropped. But Saif and Preity are fun."