The demolition job carried around on southern side of the Ranji Stadium (Eden Gardens), that has cleared a swathe of vacant area, may have kept many of the general spectators away but it did serve a good deal for the celebrities.
The absence of stands on the two flanks of the Club House has inspired the owners of Kolkata Knight Riders to use the vacant space to construct a makeshift special stand to house a distinctive gathering capable of paying a hefty sum to get a seat there.
The franchise reportedly charged Rs. 32,000 for a place in the stand with the promise that ticket-holder would get the opportunity to see the match exclusively with none other than Shahrukh Khan.
Surprise move
The special stand, which had a capacity of around 350 seats, took the authorities by surprise forcing an objection from the Public Works Department, which oversees construction in government structures.
The fire services department too withheld the seal of approval saying the stand was unsafe as it was constructed of inflammable material i.e. wooden planks. The possibility of the permission kept oscillating between hope and despair as the authorities refused to buy the entreaties and supplication of the local host. A late arrangement on Sunday morning gave KKR temporary reprieve as one of the two departments relented and gave the stands a one match clearance.
For those who paid a fortune to ensure a moment of proximity to ‘King Khan', the prayers were answered as he was present through the match to the glee and satisfaction of the gathering. — Principal Correspondent
