Shah Rukh Khan, the owner of the Kolkata Knight Riders, is expected to dance to the tune of Dard-e-Disco, from his latest flick Om Shanti Om, at a special podium constructed at Eden Gardens on Sunday.
And giving him company during the 20-minute break Peshawri kebabs and Daal Bukhara for Shah Rukh Khan. Some fine Italian dishes and malt whisky for Ricky Ponting and Lamb Lajawab for V.V.S. Laxman and Adam Gilchrist.
As the Eden gets ready for play, The Sonar is preparing for the party.
The Knight Riders and the Deccan Chargers have already checked in. Shah Rukh Khan will arrive tomorrow with his Bollywood gang. And two suites are waiting for his friends from Delhi, Priyanka and Rahul Gandhi. The brother has yet to confirm if he is coming, though.
“Besides two suites for Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, a few other suites have been kept ready for the VIPs,” a hotel employee said. “We have also kept in mind what many of these guests opted for when they were with us last.”
Shah Rukh had shown a preference for kebabs when he was here for the Knight Riders’ launch, the employee added. Ponting had breakfast at Eden Pavilion and lunch at West View Bar and Grill.
Most of Laxman’s Deccan Chargers, who arrived in the afternoon, got a taste of the Eden straight away. Not the ground where they will battle Sourav Ganguly’s boys, but the restaurant with the all-day buffet.
The welcome was sweet, with the visitors spoilt for choice for dessert — Mishti Doi, Rabri, Gulab Jamun, Gajar ka Halwa, Kaaju Barfi, Chocolate Mousse and Pineapple Egg Pudding.
Maybe too sweet — many headed for a heavy workout later. Some were off to the spa.
After end of play, Shah Rukh will throw a party for his guests at Dublin, sources said, before joining the teams for dinner. Not all his friends will be at the dinner — security concerns mean some of them might be eating in their rooms.
will be Juhi Chawla, Arjun Rampal and Karan Johar.
Perhaps, Bipasha Basu, Rani Mukherji and Ritesh Deshmukh may also join him.
Red Chillies Entertainment, Khan’s company that owns the Kolkata team, also promises to rope in Kareena Kapoor and Katrina Kaif to drop in for one of the other six IPL matches to be played in Kolkata during the Twenty20 tournament.
Of course, there’s also plenty of buzz over the guest duo of Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Vadera, both of whom are expected to catch up with the action from the BC Roy Club House during the 3-hour match.
“This is the first time a Bollywood superstar is hosting such a big show at Eden. In fact, we cricket officials are mere spectators. We have even been told that we can’t expect to frequent the CAB’s corridors with our usual swagger. Eden will belong to Shah Rukh and his show for the evening,” reckons CAB vice-president Indranath Dey.
The citadel of cricket has seen a build-up to many a cricketing battle. But never has there been such a frenzy over what is set to unfold as the explosive marriage of cricket and Bollywood. It’s over to Shah Rukh now..
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