Bollywood to add glitter to ‘India Ka Tyohar’

Dazzling lights and laser projections at Salt Lake Stadium will mark a replay of the magical moments of past Indian Premier League tournaments as a new Twenty20 is kicked off with a glitzy opening uniting the world of cricket with Bollywood.

Setting the stage for the eighth league will be stars Hrithik Roshan, Shahid Kapoor and Anushka Sharma in what is being pitched as the India ka Tyohar (Festival of India).

The two-hour event aims to charm the audience with a festive feel and includes a special segment dedicated to defending champions, Kolkata Knight Riders. It also incorporates more glimpses of cricket than the previous opening events.

Despite the absence of superstar Shah Rukh Khan, a regular at the event, Roshan Abbas’s Encompass Events promises a “different” and “global” experience that will entertain all. The Kolkata connection will not be forgotten.

Around 400 performers (including 300 locals) will be involved in the stellar opener choreographed by Remo D’Souza and Santosh Shetty that will see performances by Roshan, Kapoor and Sharma (cricketer Virat Kohli’s beau) in a mash-up of popular Bollywood dance tracks.

This is Roshan’s second live show in Kolkata after a gap of 15 years, while the city hosted its last IPL inaugural event in 2013.

Actor-director Farhan Akhtar will perform with his band while actor Saif Ali Khan, Indian cricketing legend Mansour Ali Khan Pataudi’s son, will host the show and introduce the cricketers and stars.

All eight team captains will use the occasion to take the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) Spirit of Cricket pledge. KKR skipper Gautam Gambhir will put the trophy back in play, signalling the start of the 2015 season.

“The hero of the show are the floor projections through which the evolution of IPL will be narrated,” said Chanda Singh, Encompass vice-president. “It will offer a glimpse into the winning teams, the cricketers and what the league means to people. The camaraderie between cricketers of different countries while playing together in a single team will be in focus.”

The “tight and seamless” script will incorporate both Bollywood and cricket and will appeal to global viewers.

“The content will be in English and will be in sync with the spirit of the IPL song India Ka Tyohar. The choreography would be Bollywood style,” Singh said.

Composer Pritam is in charge of the music that will start-off with a chorus of Rabindra Sangeet and move on to a mix of some of his hits including Badtameez Dil and Balam Pichkari.

D’Souza’s song list has chart-toppers from Bang Bang! and Dhoom for Hrithik; PK and Jab Tak Hai Jaan for Anushka and R... Rajkumar and Kaminey for Shahid.

As last minute preparations continue in full swing, Singh said they are hoping rain doesn’t spoil the action. “We are keeping our fingers crossed since the show will be in open air and will be visible to global audiences because of the presence of international cricketers,” he said.