Summer carnival

It was a night when cricket and Bollywood overlapped.It was a perfect cocktail, writes Malini Banerjee

It was 5:30 pm, a good couple of hours before the scheduled start of the battle. Yet the festive spirit could be felt even when one is few 100 yards away from the venue.
Thousands of people pouring in, hundreds of vehicles lining the roads, stalls selling scrumptious finger food, colourful banners and posters…it looked a summer carnival of sorts!

As one cricket lover puts it, “the T-20 final is almost like a pre-season Diwali!”
By 6:30, the seats have started filling up. There was an air of anticipation and an excited buzz around. The feeling was infectious, like a bug; very easy to catch on. Couple of chirpy girls exclaimed as they see Shane Watson walking on to the field, “oh! He’s so cute”. Yet another wanted to be taught how to whistle so she could practise that when Dhoni came into view! So much for cricket!

The popcorn came in as did the cola and ice cream. The tempo was building up. The show was about to begin. And then one spotted the three musketeers, three Punjabi gentlemen. One thought they’d be disappointed after their team’s loss to the Chennai Super Kings. But, surprise, surprise, they came  to support Chennai! “Dhoni is our lad. We wish him all the best!”

By 7, the stands were packed to brim, almost bursting at the seams. The crowd was chanting Salman Khan’s name (who, they knew, would be a part of the ceremony). The stage is set. And the ball got rolling.

“Hello Mumbai!” said says the emcee of the evening, Shonali Nagrani. The crowd went berserk. Their high energy levels and tireless cheering was worth marvelling at! Ravi
Shastri, attired in formal Indian clothes,followed her to the dais. There was no stopping
the crowd now. They’re hungry for more, and lots more!

After short speeches by the ICC President elect, David Morgan and the IPL commissioner, Lalit Modi, it was time for some spicy entertainment, Bollywood style. There was Amrita Arora grooving to some foot tapping Punjabi numbers and the King’s XI Punjab’s theme song.

Following her was Sameera Reddy who swayed to some East inspired numbers — a la Madhuri and Aishwarya in Devdas. Carrying on the proceedings were Shamita Shetty and Dia Mirza, who represented the South and West zones, respectively. The crowds were most noisy when Dia danced to the Mumbai Indian’s theme song.

As if this was not enough, there were acrobats that followed these Bollywood beauties. Their perfect rhythm and synchronisation left one and all spellbound! Bright, psychedelic lights enhanced the mood of the evening perfectly! The Mumbai audience should be lauded for the appreciation that she showed towards each and every performer. Hats off to the Mumbai spirit!

In the midst of all this, two bright red turbans could be spotted, peeping out of the crowds. These die-hard Rajasthan Royals’ supporters have come from VT and are already looking forward to the celebrations that would be taking place later on in Rajasthan. “We’ll give the players a warm welcome in Udaipur and do ‘raj tilak’ for them.”

“Salman, Salman”, the chants just would not stop. An elderly lady, from Ghatkopar, expressed her love for the hunk saying, “cricket kya, main to Salman ko dekhne aai hoon”. In love, age is no bar!

Salman lapped up all the attention when he finally appeared and got the crowds grooving along to his music. Thanks to him, the battle field was set. Everyone was already on the edge of their seat, if not standing or jumping about the place!
Shouts of “ganpati bappa morya” filled the air.

Supporters were praying for their respective teams. Nervousness, tension and excitement were written large on every face. Thumping hearts, sweaty palms, starry eyes, and a smile on the face — the game begins.