Mithun Chakraborty and Riya Sen fix up a dinner date on Tuesday. (Bishwarup Dutta)

The greatest Indian cricketer of his generation. The biggest Bollywood hero from this part of the world. The beti from the most filmi family by the Arabian Sea. What unites them when they all descend on town the same day? Calcutta’s food, of course.

Sachin Tendulkar was here to bat for a camera company, Mithun Chakraborty to promote his next film and Karisma Kapoor to pitch for a paint brand. That was all paapi pet ka sawaal (the so-called compulsions to earn a livelihood) but the real way to the hearts of all three stars seemed to be through their stomach.

If Sachin dug into a special fish spread at Oberoi Grand with relish (“he loves Bengali fish preparations”, said hotel sources), Mithun fixed up a dinner date at co-star Riya Sen’s house and Karisma could not get enough of her favourite mishti doi.

Shooting for a television commercial of a new paint brand at Dassani Studio in Tollygunge on Tuesday, Kareena Kapoor’s elder sister seemed to be loving the taste of Calcutta. “Both my sister and I love Bengali sweets. If anyone comes to Calcutta, we make sure that he carries sweets and mishti doi back to Mumbai,” said Karisma, just after a hearty lunch rounded off with a bhaar of mishti doi. “It’s wonderful being in Calcutta. I would love to come here more often,” said the Kapoor girl, flashing a pretty, pearly smile and bowling over unit members with her “no-hassles” attitude.

True to style, Mithun flashed his trademark grin, laughed and joked as he promoted his forthcoming film Zor Lagaa Ke…Haiya!. He ribbed Riya for inviting him and his son Mimoh for a grand dinner at her Ballygunge residence. “Dada, please come over to my place along with Mimoh. Mom (Moon Moon) and dad (Bharat) would be there too,” she smiled. “Are you getting engaged, Riya? Unless you tell me what the occasion is I won’t go,” laughed Mithun, before accepting the dinner invite.

Mithun looked smart in grey shirt, black trousers and shades, Riya looked hot in jeans and a dark top, and Karisma looked radiant in a white dress, but the eye-catcher of the day was a little man in yellow T-shirt and jeans, teamed with a huge sports watch and black shoes.

Sachin Tendulkar was more cameraman than cricketer during a brief innings in town. “I love photography. I carry my camera along wherever I go, especially when I am holidaying with my family. I try to click those special moments and capture them for life, to be relived later,” said the master batsman who has given cricket lovers special moments galore and who cherishes his time spent in Eden Gardens and Calcutta.