One of the biggest football venues in the continent — Salt Lake Stadium — will stand witness to the opening of one the most profitable cricketing ventures in the world when the sixth edition of the Indian Premier League officially gets underway on Tuesday.
The opening ceremony promises to be one of the biggest shows in recent times as the ‘uncrowned king’ of the country’s entertainment industry, Shah Rukh Khan, ushers in the new edition of the tournament.
Being an owner of the defending champion — Kolkata Knight Riders — Shah Rukh has grabbed the opportunity to ensure that the tournament’s initiation happens in true ‘Bollywood’ grandeur.
The organiser, Red Chillies Entertainment, has promised to make the ceremony the country’s biggest show ever.
According to information available, the nearly two-hour programme will try to cover various cultural angles from rap to Rabindra Sangeet.
Touch of Tagore
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will light the inaugural lamp while Shah Rukh will recite a poem penned by Rabindranath Tagore to begin the show.
There will be a dance recital on a Tagore song before the programme gradually turns from august to popular.
Shah Rukh will perform with Katrina Kaif and Deepika Padukone, while flying drummers and Chinese percussionists will add another aspect to the show
Pitbull to perform
American rapper Pitbull will do a special 30-minute session for the city audience.
The captains of the nine participating teams will take a pledge ‘Play hard, play fair’ before the captain of the reigning champion, Gautam Gambhir, puts the trophy back in play.
