Dancers all set to start rehearsals for the IPL inauguration at the stadium. Some of them are from the neighbourhood

While many of us bought tickets to the opening ceremony of the IPL on Tuesday evening and cheered Shah Rukh Khan, Pitbull and company, some of our boys and girls were actually dancing with the stars. Not in the gallery aisles but as part of the entourage on the ground. The ceremony also led to a boom in business at bars and a jump in hotel room bookings in the township which housed the crew of the IPL.

Best foot forward

“This was the biggest audience I’ve ever performed for,” said Komal Saraf of BE Block. Komal is a student of the BF Block-based Twist N Turns dance school, that had brought in more than 300 dancers for the show. The school has two more centres in the city but the Salt Lake branch was the first.

Aloke Joshi, another dancer at the ceremony, said it was the most memorable moment of his life. “Shah Rukh Khan represented Bollywood, M.S. Dhoni represented cricket and my friends and I represented Calcutta. I felt so proud.”

It all began when Tapas Das, the founder-director of Twist N Turns was contacted by Red Chillies Entertainment, the company that owns Kolkata Knight Riders. “They wanted 400 dancers in the 16-to-24 age group and we set up auditions across the city. After five days, we chose 350 out of 800 interested candidates,” said Tapas.

And then began the rehearsals. “We practised from noon to 8pm for 12 days,” said Saraf. “Initially my parents were concerned about me spending so much time at rehearsals but when they saw how big it was turning out to be, they supported me.”

The choreography was being done by Santosh Shetty, who had come over from Mumbai. While the dancers were divided into groups for different segments, all of them danced to Aguner parashmoni and a carnival section. “The steps for these songs had been kept simple as there were so many people doing it. But the scale reminded me of the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games,” smiled Komal Jalan, another dancer. “I had wanted to be a part of something that big ever since.”

Star-spotting was a popular game at the rehearsals and the show. “I saw Shah Rukh Khan from a foot away and danced while Pitbull performed. We waved at Deepika and she waved back at us,” said Saraf. Many dancers also came face to face with cricketers like Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Brett Lee and chief minister Mamata Banerjee while dancing. “Didi was smiling at us,” said Joshi.

Surge in business

The IPL opening ceremony positively impacted business outside the stadium too. The Stadel, housed under Ramp 4 of the stadium, had 80 per cent occupancy between March 20 and April 4. “There was a big spurt in bookings,” said Milee Banerjee, senior PR manager of The Stadel.

Besides accommodating the crew and the performers, the hotel was also serving their meals. On the evening of the inauguration many families came to dine at the hotel while waiting for the traffic outside to reduce.

The Sonnet, near City Centre, had 24 of its rooms booked for IPL-related guests for three-four days. “We were houseful in that period,” says food and beverage manager Soumen Halder.

Even bars did good business on the opening night. Qube, the bar inside Hotel The Sojourn that faces the stadium, did robust business from the afternoon till 6pm. “Everyone wanted to drink and then go for the show. So full was the bar that we had to open up the restaurant to accommodate customers,” said food and beverage manager Biswajit Singh.

Picture courtesy Pepsi IPL 2013

During the show, there were few customers as none could find parking spots. “Many customers made reservations with us but couldn’t reach till hours later,” Singh continued. But the crowd swelled towards the second half of the ceremony. “That’s because many spectators came over as soon as Katrina Kaif left the stage.”

While the lounge at The Sonnet wasn’t too full there was a private party for 60 people watching the ceremony on the big screen. “This is the first time an IPL inauguration is taking place in Calcutta. While we wanted to revel we wanted to avoid the crowd and the heat at the stadium,” said Adarsh Mohta, who was throwing the party.

“Till last year, we did good business on the big match days but this year the opening night was a bonus. All the hype has given people a reason to start partying a day in advance,” said Halder.

City Centre is sure to have gained too as it is the only shopping destination the foreign performers would have had time to visit in between their rehearsals at the stadium. Many were heard making plans to that effect.

Also making hay were small players like sellers of ice cream, lemonade and tea. “Today’s show must really be something. I’ve seen crowds like this before only when Lionel Messi came to play here,” said Sudhanshu Ojha, owner of a tea stall at KB-KC Island who did three times his usual business on Tuesday. Policemen stationed nearby and drivers of cars parked in the bylanes kept him busy all evening.

Road to order

If the parking was far more disciplined than is the case during derby football matches it was because of the Bidhannagar Commissionerate, which had blocked some roads, allowed parking in service roads and bylanes and deployed more than 600 extra personnel and green policemen for the occasion.

Cars were parked in the bylanes of IA, IB, JC, KB and KC blocks but cops saw to it that no garage door was blocked. “The police made us get off our cars at the Amul Island and walk to Gate 1,” said Keshav Kejriwal of DA Block. “Thank god we had a driver today.” Others were not so lucky. “I don’t think I’ve walked so much even while going to FD Block’s puja,” sighed Mousumi Dey who along with her son had come to the ceremony. They were standing at KB-KC Island after leaving the stadium, and were quite lost. “Our driver does not have a mobile and we can’t spot the car anywhere,” she said.

Residents who were affected seemed to grin and bear it. Arup Das of HC Block goes for his evening walk on the Broadway but avoided it on Tuesday. “There will be many cars and cops there today. But this is a small price to pay to live in a township that hosts such a huge event of national importance,” smiled the 70-year-old retired schoolteacher.

Buses on three routes — 47/1 headed to Tollygunge, 235 headed to Amtola and 32A headed to Dakhineshwar — were diverted and Priyanka Nandi, a resident of HB Block, missed her ride as a result. “I wanted to go to Swabhumi but could not catch the 235. But it’s ok. After all, it’s not everyday that we host Bollywood stars,” she smiled.

Easy pickings

The lack of buses and abundance of spectators was milked by auto drivers. “On Monday I made two trips from the stadium to Ultadanga between 9pm and 10.30pm. Today I’ve already made nine,” said a beaming Shib Paira, picking up passengers for his 10th trip after the show. “We have also doubled the fare from Rs 10 to Rs 20 but passengers are not complaining. They are too busy talking about the show to bother about the fare.”

Perhaps the happiest was Gopal Shaw, a staffer of IA Block’s Sweet ’N’ Sour. When massive fireworks inside the stadium went on for a good five minutes he announced to his friends: “All the mosquitoes of Salt Lake are now dead. Along with all these people I’m sure they too had had flocked to see Shah Rukh Khan.”