GLITZ, DAZZLE AND A WHOLE LOT OF FIREWORKS

GLITZ, DAZZLE AND A WHOLE LOT OF FIREWORKS
Prepare for the most dazzling display on April 18 when the IPL launches will a dazzling show in Bangalore
RUMA SINGH


STILT walkers in dazzling costumes. Dancers wheeling about in giant bubble balls. Acrobats whisking down the roofs of the stadium on silken ropes. Rapellers flying down from the stadium roof on thin wires. This is not a scene from the Cirque du Soliel or the Olympics or even that mega TRP-puller in the US, the Superbowl. This is what cricket fans in Bangalore will see as the curtain rises on what is being billed as the show of shows — the launch ceremony of the IPL. The accent is totally on the international. And the show is going to be no humdrum Bollywood song-and-dance routine, seen everywhere these days. This combination of aerial acrobatics, pyrotechnics, laser, song and dance, with a large number of top stars present to cheer on their respective squads, will make it an evening to remember. It will be a perfect combination of cricket and visual opulence, says managing director of the company organising the event, T Venkat Vardhan. “Keeping in mind that the players are from all over the world, and according to the brief from Lalit Modi, head IPL, and Vijay Mallya, the host franchisee, we decided to go with sheer visual appeal,” he says.
Most of the acts, famous in other parts of the world, are very new to India. Sixteen stilt walkers, eight acrobats who perform gravity-defying stunts on ropes of silk, eight rapellers who will skim down from the stadium roofs on super-thin wires dressed in the colours of the eight teams, and eight bubble dancers spinning and dancing in giant transparent bubbles — all this will be a new experience for Indian cricket fans. The 65-strong team of international performers will practise through the days preceding the show. And then there are the cheerleaders. The current world champion cheerleading squad in American National Football League, the Washington Redskins, are flying down to do the honours for the opening show. To add a musical zing there’s Shankar Ehsaan Loy, who will perform on a giant stage especially created for the event. “It will be mesmerising,” says Vardhan, “There will be four tonnes of equipment, with lighting and sound.” The acrobat sequence will be followed by a Spirit of Cricket segment, in which the eight IPL team captains will come together to show unity, culminating in a march past of the teams. “With all the sledging and past history, it will be a symbolic coming together,” says Vardhan. Finally there will be a dazzling laser show, featuring eight highpowered 88 watt lasers and 12 four kw xenon sky tracers in a stunning display. The grand finale of the event will be another visual treat — an awesome fireworks display from the roof of the stadium. The evening will not be without the requisite dash of Bollywood glitz and glamour. Katrina Kaif, Zayed Khan and Shilpa Shetty will do their bit to show support for the Bangalore team, who will thereafter play the opening match against Shah Rukh Khan’s Kolkata Knight Riders. Local stars Upendra and Ramya will be there to cheer and support. Shah Rukh will be present with his contingent, but won’t perform, say sources.
The organisers are expecting a full house, they say. “The show will have high production values,” says Vardhan, “Everything has to be executed to perfection. And what audiences will find are the best performers and skilled acrobats from US, the UK and Europe.” How does it compare to the international stars he has brought in the past — Beyonce, Shakira, Enrique, the Rolling Stones and the rest? “This is like putting together two of those concerts at the same time. It will be a treat for those at the stadium as well as those watching it on their TVs at home.”
Consumer research showed that during the recent cricket World Cup, aside from the matches, over 80 per cent of the audience said they enjoyed watching the cheerleaders. Cheerleaders are popular in the US for team games, and the Washington Redskins are the 2007 world champs. They will not just be cheering for the Bangalore team, but will also work on selecting and training an A-grade squad from local Indian talent to continue through the season! The Redskins, known as the First Ladies of Football, have an international following through tours of China, Italy, Spain, France, Mexico, Germany, Hungary and many other countries. The Redskins have been featured in commercials and magazines and performed with stars like Ricky Martin and James Brown.