Shah Rukh Khan back at the Eden Gardens on Friday night. (Amit Datta)

A match was being played out on the greens at the Eden Gardens on Friday evening and a movie was showing in the stands. Lord of the Eden: Return of the King written, directed by and starring Shah Rukh Khan.

After watching the first match against Delhi Daredevils on April 3, the Kolkata Knight Riders boss came to Calcutta for only the second time this season to catch the match against Rajasthan Royals exactly a month later.

And given his performance — two wins in two appearances (and almost a Yusuf Pathan 50) — KKR fans must be wondering why SRK went missing for the other matches of the defending champions. Blame it on Chennai Express, his much-awaited Id release, co-starring Deepika Padukone who was by his side at the Eden against DD but not RR.

Despite languishing in the bottom half of the points table, the Knight Riders had an almost full stadium for support. Not that they were all watching the match.

Block B at least was too busy ogling, clicking, waving and screaming at Shah Rukh. And striking deals with the cops on duty to get that extra inch closer to their hero, who a certain Jacques Kallis was to describe as “a magnificent man” minutes after the win.

“I was just telling Juhi (Chawla) that in these six years, we have had ups and downs and the team hasn’t always done well but it’s amazingly heartening how the largest crowd in the country and maybe the largest in Asia has relentlessly supported us,” was how SRK described the Eden encouragement.

For someone used to watching “cricket matches” at the Eden Gardens, Khan darshan at his B1 hospitality box is a very different experience at the stadium. Where almost everyone is standing, almost everyone has their back to the pitch and almost everyone looks in the same direction — straight up at the man in blue.

And in some unforgettable scenes at the great Eden show they even turn choreographer showing SRK the Chammak challo hand movement before he finally relents and does the honours.

“Bhai paisa vasool ho gaya!” “I saw him with my own eyes!” “He blew a kiss at me!” The shrieks of joy and jubilation fill the air almost every moment the King is there at his throne — that corner spot in his box perched on the railing.

There was not much excitement from the man himself though, despite KKR’s emphatic win against the Royals. Sipping water, munching snacks, chatting with Jay Mehta and Vivek Khushalani and hugging daughter Suhana... you could make out he isn’t expecting a dramatic turnaround in IPL 2013 for his Knights. “We’ll try harder... the team is doing its best and we’ll make sure you go back home extremely happy,” he dimpled.

He did, however, climb on to Pathan’s lap before taking his customary victory lap around the Eden fence.

But for the team’s 12th Knight to get another crack at a victory lap at the Eden, his boys will have to be back here either for the Qualifier 2 or, better still, for the final.