The Grand Opening ‘Nite’ of the IPL was staged yesterday at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata. The event boasted of a starry line up consisting of superstars from Bollywood. In front of thousands of spectators and the whole world watching how did it finally turnout?
1. Saif Ali Khan: As always the Nawab of Pataudi was dressed immaculately and this time in an Indian attire. He was the host for the night but looked completely out of sorts as he kept people waiting and wondering with long pauses and it quite looked like he had forgotten his lines and had to be prompted abruptly. This show was staged ‘live’ and any sort of mishap was visible to the world. Clearly Mr. Khan had not done his homework.
Verdict : LOW
2. Anushka Sharma: Dancing to popular numbers from her movies, Anushka certainly lit up the stage and the proceedings with her performance. The ever alert cameraman quite expectedly put the spotlight right on the face of Virat Kohli who could not help but smile and that was probably the moment of the night! The RCB skipper did regain his composure later but as they say “you can run, you can hide but you can’t escape my love!”
Verdict : HIGH
3. Shahid Kapoor: Shahid Kapoor nearly avoided what can be called as the ‘catastrophe moment’ of the night. He did try to put his best foot forward but the recently engaged man almost fell of his bike during his performance! If that was not all he nearly slipped and fell of the stage but thankfully that was avoided too. Talk of Murphy’s Law and things going wrong, this is one performance Shahid Kapoor would like to forget in a hurry.
Verdict : LOW
4. Farhan Akhtar: The ever energetic Farhan Akhtar set the stage ablaze with his energetic performance. If one has to be honest he was not quite upto the mark with his singing but alongwith his band ‘Farhan Live’ he managed to cover it up with his stage presence and energy.
Verdict : HIGH
5. Hrithik Roshan: The final performance of the night was reserved for the best and Hrithik Roshan did not disappoint. He grooved to his hit numbers like “ek pal ka jeena” and “dhoom again” and had the crowd on its feet with his moves. What was heartwarming to see was that he obliged the Chief Minister’s hospitality by donning the traditional scarf and also thanking the people of Kolkata publicly.
Verdict : HIGH
So the festivities have started and the opening night had its share of ups and downs. But ultimately “All’s well that ends well.” Let the games begin!
By Ashirbad Hazarika
