SRK gets support from Bollywood

Shah Rukh Khan may not show it but he is definitely upset with the way his team is performing at the IPL. Kolkata Knight Riders has lost all its matches, except one, and is at the bottom in the points table.

SRK has come back to Mumbai and will be going back to South Africa only after his team wins a match.

And, as far as his cricket team goes, the industry seems to be with Shah Rukh, even his rivals.

After Aamir Khan made peace with him due to the multiplex issues, it is now Akshay Kumar who is by his side.

Akki, who is currently shooting in Singapore, wishes SRK's Kolkata Knight Riders all the best on his blog.

"The most important thing to me my IPL! I called up my producer and said I don't care where I stay even if it's in the back of a kitchen, I need to watch my IPL. Bad news, my hotel didn't have the channel so what else could I do but personally find the hotel manager and fold my hands in humble request and plead and plead for whatever it takes to please get that channel.

”By the next day, I was sitting in my room watching KKR vs PK XI. Happy is not enough to describe how I was feeling. And wow! What a season it's been. Seriously, I wish the best for all the teams, you have me on the edge of my seat, and I'd like to send my best regards to Shah Rukh Khan's Knight Riders, they've put up a good fight. So don't worry boys, you will always be loved”, he wrote on the blog.

Meanwhile, there have been reports that SRK is in talks with companies to sell off his share in Kolkata Knight Riders and get out of cricket.

SRK is said to be negotiating with Nokia, Anil Ambani and the Sahara Group to dispose off his share in the IPL team.

His PR agency, however, has denied the reports and said Shah Rukh has a major holding in Kolkata Knight Riders and is still emotionally attached to it.

All the three companies too have denied the report but have said they would definitely buy Shah Rukh’s stake it if they are approached by him.

Arjun get a stake in SRK’s ‘knights’

Boys always bond over sports, right? And it couldn’t be truer than at this moment when the entire nation is bonding over IPL and cricket. But buddies Arjun Rampal and Shah Rukh Khan have one thing in common — their sporting spirit and their loyalty to one team. In every match that the Knight Riders play, Arjun cheers the boys unfailingly, while simultaneously adding to the glam quotient.

So, just out of curiosity, we asked the sports fanatic if he would want to own a cricket team, or would he rather go international (now that he’s had his first brush with the West, courtesy Nicole Kidman) and target the New York Yankees instead? He quickly replied, “No! I wouldn’t want to own a piece of the New York Yankees simply because I don’t like baseball that much. I prefer cricket.

And yes, I’d love to own a cricket team someday. Maybe one day, when Shah Rukh is selling a stake from his share of the Knight Riders, I’ll definitely buy some. Because I really like that team.” Now that’s news to us. He’d rather keep his loyalties with SRK, than trade it off to another team. Fair enough, Arjun. Such is their dosti! But dude, take a closer look at their current game, and do a re-think, puhlease.

Do you ‘really’ want to bet your moolah on them now that they’ve been faring a tad badly? After their unfortunate run (so far) is the knights-in shining-armour still shiny? Hopefully, they’ll ‘up’ the game now. At the end of the game ... it’s all about the money, honey!

Shilpa's no show makes Katz's party!

The upset at the IPL finale on Sunday at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg was not just restricted to the playing area where Adam Gilchrist’s team beat Anil Kumble’s.

It also spilled over onto the “spectacular” closing ceremony (as was broadcast from South Africa) which viewers in India felt was terribly mismanaged and lacked punch.

The story goes that Shilpa Shetty, who sportingly stayed on for the final even after her own team was knocked out, was slated to dance with American R&B artiste and hearthrob Akon. The Bollywood beauty even said as much on her blog. But, after the winning run had been scored and the celebrations began, what did we see but Katrina Kaif in an awkward shuffle with the singer.
According to Shilpa, she didn’t get time to rehearse for the performance. But then, neither did Katrina. The feisty and in-demand Katz was supposed to make a quick exit after going on stage with Akon and blowing kisses to the crowds. Instead, she stayed on for a forgettable ten minutes struggling to hip-hop with the singer.

“It wasn’t supposed to happen!” said the actress the morning after the event. “I was to dance to Jai Ho with Shiamak Davar. That’s it.” But minutes before she could go on stage, Katz was informed she had to dance with Akon. “I was like... zapped! Not only because I was not prepared for it, but also because I’m Akon’s biggest fan. Just sharing the stage with him would have been a dream come true. And there I was dancing with him. It was an exhilarating experience.”

‘Dancing’ is a word people who watched the two on stage, would not care to use to describe their crazy gesticulations. But, really, Katz and Akon met seconds before the curtain went up on them. “As we ran out he asked me what we’ll do for the audience. I was numb and clueless. So we just improvised and did what we wanted to,” Katz admitted.

Katrina Kaif Dance on IPL 2009 Closing Ceremony - HQ Video

AKON at DLF IPL 2009 - Video

In Pics: Akon - Katrina Kaif Performs at IPL 2009 Closing Ceremony

In Pics: Katrina Kaif Performs at IPL 2009 Closing Ceremony

Shilpa Shetty turns down Akon

Shilpa Shetty was supposed to perform with the American R&B star Akon at the IPL finals on Sunday night. But she decided to opt out at the last minute.

When contacted Shilpa explained, "I was just not prepared. It was an international platform, not some village nautanki. I had to be fully ready. And I just didn't get time to rehearse. So I regretfully had to say no. But I'd rather not give anything less than my best when I'm representing my country."

Shilpa says she was happy to be just a spectator at the finals. "So what if my team wasn't playing. I think I'm sporting enough to enjoy the game as just a part of the audience."

Deccan steal IPL show amid the glitz

The transplanted Indian Premier League finished in front of a capacity crowd with a blaze of fireworks and an array of international entertainers headed by Guyanan rock star Eddy Grant.

The Deccan Chargers took the title with a six-run victory over Royal Challengers Bangalore in the final, but throughout the 37 days of the tournament in which 59 matches were played, the cricket shared top billing with the lights, music and cheerleaders that were part of the IPL package.

Arranged at short notice in South Africa following security concerns because of elections in India, the IPL captured the imagination of South African sports followers.

The opening weekend in Cape Town, with two double-headers on successive days, was sold out. So were the semi-finals, in Centurion and Johannesburg, and the final at the Wanderers in Johannesburg.

In between, near-capacity crowds attended many of the games, attracted by low prices, the glitz and glamour of the tournament, and the chance to see most of the world's best players in action.

The unpredictable nature of Twenty20 cricket was shown when Bangalore and Deccan, who filled the last two places on the log in the first IPL in 2008, reached the final.

Even on 2009 form that was a surprise, because they beat the two teams that dominated the round robin stage, the Chennai Super Kings and log-topping Delhi Daredevils respectively.

Conditions were different in South Africa from those in India last year, with bowlers having a bigger say on late-season pitches that offered assistance to both seam and spin bowlers.

Even so, it remained a batsman's game.

Matthew Hayden, the powerful Australian left-hander who retired from international cricket in January, was Chennai's mainstay as he topped the tournament run-scorers list with 572 at an average of 52.00 and an impressive strike rate of 144.81 runs per 100 balls.

Another former Australian player, Deccan captain Adam Gilchrist, played the stand-out innings of the tournament when he slammed 85 off 35 balls in the semi-finals to get his team past Delhi.

Left-arm opening bowler RP Singh of Deccan Chargers was the leading wicket-taker with 23 at an average of 18.13, but many of the most effective bowlers were spinners, led by Bangalore captain Anil Kumble, who finished with 22 wickets, including four for 18 in the final.

Left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha was a consistent performer for Deccan and experienced international bowlers like Muttiah Muralitharan and Harbhajan Singh were consistently economical.

While much of the focus was on established international stars, the tournament provided a platform for young Indian players such as Bangalore's Manish Pandey, 19, who became the first Indian to hit a century in two seasons of the IPL.

While Deccan leapt from last place in 2008 to the title in 2009, defending champions Rajasthan Royals failed to reach the semi-finals, with former Australian star Shane Warne unable to inspire his comparatively modestly-funded teams to another triumph.

Much of the early focus was on Bollywood stars Shah Rukh Khan, Shilpa Shetty and Preity Zinta, all co-owners of franchises, but none of their teams did particularly well.

Khan's Kolkata Knight Riders finished an embarrassing last, winning only three out of 14 matches and Khan returned to India early in the campaign.

Zinta's Kings XI Punjab were squeezed out of the semi-finals on run rate, while Shetty's Rajasthan were sixth.

In the end, the cricketers were able to claim centre stage.

SRK won't shake a leg at IPL 2 finale

While Shah Rukh Khan insists it's because of his shoulder injury, the pathetic performance of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) is possibly the main reason

There's bad news for Shah Rukh Khan fans across the globe.

They'll miss King Khan in action, as he won't be performing at the grand finale of the IPL season 2, which will be held at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg tomorrow.

The finale will have a grand show put up by Cineyug's Morani Brothers and Development Network Africa.

Says a source from South Africa, "The Morani Brothers are very close to Shah Rukh and are scripting and directing the event.

It's strange that Shah Rukh, who performs in almost every show of the Morani's, won't be performing this time. In fact he's not even going t o south Africa for the finals."

Commenting on SRK not performing at the finals, Mohammed Morani, says, "Shah Rukh has been a part of most of our shows and it's sad not to have him this time. Actually, he's busy shooting and didn't have dates for the event."

Besides, a source adds that people had expected SRK to come for the IPL finals and cheer his team but apparently he's keeping a low profile, as KKR failed miserably in the tournament.

"Hence, Shah Rukh just wants to keep away from all the controversies and concentrate on his work," he says.

Speaking to MiD DAY, Shah Rukh said, "I won't be able to perform at the IPL finals this time as my shoulder is till healing."

A source close to Shah Rukh, dismissing the gossip, says, "Shah Rukh is busy completing his shooting commitments and hence, he's unable to attend the event.

Also, he's not keeping a low profile – it's just that there are no parties or social events for him to attend right now."

But a source from South Africa perseveres, "Shah Rukh performed at builder Kanti Govani's nephew's wedding, which was held on April 30. If he could perform then, why not now?" he questions.

Apart from Katrina Kaif and Shilpa Shetty, the IPL finals won't have any big tinsel town stars performing this year.

However, Morani says, "As IPL is a global event, it will witness performances by Eddy Grant, percussionist Sivamani with 100 drummers, Akon, Miss Bollywood (South Africa) and quite a few internationals acts."

SRK gets IPL gyan

Shah Rukh Khan’s Knight Riders may have failed to create magic, yet again, but King Khan takes it all in his stride.

In fact, he cites his team’s ouster from IPL 2 as a life lesson. He has no plans of giving gyaan like a guru; nevertheless, he did a good job when he pep-talked the audience at the Delhi chapter of the Young Presidents’ Organisation here on Thursday.

Talking about the event, a source present at the function says, “YPO has members in almost 85 countries. Every year, they invite people from different walks of life to interact with the members. This year, it was Shah Rukh, since he’s been very successful in his life and the members were all ears when he spoke on what success meant to him.”

Talking on his favourite subject – success – SRK says, “Success is never final, just like failure is never fatal. Courage is doing what you’re afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you’re scared. Fear failure so much that you get the courage to succeed. Talking about how I became successful is a waste. Success comes by chance. My first few films failed. My IPL team failed in the first and second seasons. But I’m not giving up – I want to win next year.”

When we spoke to SRK after the event, he sounded happy about the improvement in his health. “I’m much better,” he said, adding, “I’ll soon leave for the USA to shoot for My Name Is Khan. It’s a month-and-a-half long schedule.”

A source close to SRK reveals, “He felt dejected when his team wasn’t playing well initially. However, he’s reconciled to it now but is not going to South Africa for the finals. In fact, he returned after leaving Gauri’s brother there to take care of the team.” Well, the Badshah knows best!

I'm not as rich as SRK: Amitabh

Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan says he couldn't bid for an Indian Premier League (IPL) team because he doesn't have "as much money as (Kolkata Knight Riders owner) Shah Rukh Khan".

"I don't have as much money as Shah Rukh. He has money and so he owns a team," Amitabh said on Zee News' celebrity chat show "Kahiye Janab" to be aired on Saturday.

Amitabh sent a congratulatory SMS to skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni for his Padma Shri and didn't get a response. But he says he holds no grudge against the cricket star.

"He must have been busy, there's no need to make an issue out of this."

The sexagenarian otherwise makes for an avid viewer of the IPL and says he watches "almost all the matches".

Bollywood extravaganza at IPL finals

Akshay, Kareena, Rani, Bipasha to perform at closing ceremony

Indian politics took a backseat to Bollywood in the biggest South African weekly, the Sunday Times, with photographs of film stars participating in the Indian Premier League (IPL) gala finale hogging page three, while the Congress party win at the general elections got only two short columns on page 15.

Despite having a weekly supplement called 'Extra' for South African Indian readers, which features Bollywood news as well, the Sunday Times prominently used pictures of Bipasha Basu, Kareena Kapoor, Rani Mukherji and Akshay Kumar in an article highlighting the Bollywood extravaganza that will follow the final of the IPL at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesberg next Sunday (May 24).

Celebrated choreographer Shiamak Davar will coordinate the Bollywood extravaganza, in which 750 people will be involved.

"A closing ceremony should always leave a lump in one's throat," the weekly quoted Etienne de Villiers, the South African born advisor to IPL commissioner Lalit Modi.

"It's going to be an acknowledgement of the role that South Africa has played in the success of the IPL."

The IPL games, featuring eight teams, were played at several South African cities to packed stadiums. It was moved here because of security concerns during parliamentary elections in India.

The closing ceremony will also feature 2,000 floating lanterns released into the sky as fans rock to the music of reggae star Eddie Grant; Indian and South African drummers; and the latest South African Idols winners, Jason Hartman and Sasha-Lee Davids.

Following an SMS voting bungle, the two Idols winners are the first ever joint winners of an Idols contest that takes place in many countries across the globe to find a local singing star.

Davids was first announced the winner. But after it was discovered that almost 200,000 viewers' votes had not come through in time, Hartman was declared a joint winner.

Meanwhile, 48 young South African women are holding thumbs to see which 16 of them will go through to the finals of the Miss Bollywood IPL South Africa to be held at the Wanderers in Johannesberg next Sunday (May 24).

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has been selecting one finalist at every game to eventually have six women representing each of the eight teams in the series that is being played out in South Africa.

Voting for the 48 finalists started at midnight on Saturday, with votes closing at 18:00 SA time on Monday evening. Fans can cast their votes on the website www.iplt20.com.

The 16 finalists will all feature in a contest before the final game at the Wanderers next Sunday (May 24) to vie for a prize of 50,000 rands in cash, a flight to India, and a guided tour through Bollywood that initially was also expected to include an audition for a Bollywood role, but that still appears to be uncertain.

The finalists include budding lawyers, accountants and auditors; businesswomen, students, models, actresses, teachers and a radiographer.

The final two contestants were announced on Saturday (May 16) during games in Port Elizabeth and Johannesburg.

One of them was 24-year-old Phylicia Ramdin of Glenanda, south of Johannesburg. She was picked from the crowd attending the clash between the Kolkata Knight Riders and the Deccan Chargers held at the Wanderers.

Ramdin is currently an insurance analyst but is determined to become a successful businesswoman: "I'm enthusiastic, positive and goal driven. I believe we need to always have a positive outlook on life and go after what you want with determination."

"The IPL has been great, watching the cricketing talent, team strategies and the unity of the crowds that come to watch", added Ramdin.

Earlier on Saturday Rohini Jaga of Port Elizabeth was selected as a contestant in the Miss Bollywood IPL South Africa competition during the DLF IPL game held at St. George's Park.

Jaga, 20, who has a passion for figures and is currently a B.Com Accounting student at the University of Port Elizabeth, recently went on holiday to India: "My dad studied in India and took us on a journey through the subcontinent. It was vastly different to places I have visited before. I was very taken with the culture; it's truly a land of contrasts and beauty."

Kim and Yuvraj: Patching up again at IPL

IPL brought Bollywood and cricket closer like never before, and it seems like the beautiful locales of South Africa - in the series's second season, is giving once lovers Yuvi and Kim, a good chance to patch up their differences.

There are some relationships that never die, and Kim Sharma’s love affair with cricketer Yuvraj Singh is one among them. Yuvi is said to be pursuing her again. The two started dating four years ago, and their blow-hot-blow-cold relationship continued for two years before Kim decided to call it quits. The two have since then tried to make up several times, but have ended up staying apart.

Yuvraj was briefly linked with Deepika Padukone while Kim was dating an Israeli diplomat. Both those relationships have gone kaput, and Yuvi, according to his friends, has realised that Kim is the one for him.

He’s tried to woo her back several times in the last few months, but she’s kept away from him. And now while he is in South Africa with his IPL team and there are rumours of his budding friendship with team owner Preity Zinta, we hear he’s invited Kim to join him in South Africa to try and work things out between them. And from what we hear, Kim has accepted the invitation.

Although she’s been telling friends that she’s going to South Africa for a vacation with her female friends, sources reveal that she will be with Yuvraj during her stay there. It’s heard the two want to spend some time away from the media glare whenever he gets a break from the cricket pitch.
Whatever said and done between Kim and Yuvi, we tell you that the greatest bond in India is that of cricket and Bollywood... And thanks to IPL! Long live the union!

'IPL is boring,' says Irrfan Khan

A chat with Irrfan Khan is usually a zara hatke experience. No cliches, no ‘I don’t know’ here.

He has something interesting to say about everything. These days, Irrfan Khan is rather busy – he’s shooting for Tigmanshu Dhulia’s Pan Singh Tomar in a remote village called Bidasar, near Madhya Pradesh. Doesn’t that make him crave for city life all over again?

“Bidasar is beautiful. The landscape is amazing, with many steep mountains. It is also close to the ravines of Chambal. I think it is one of most the beautiful places in India,” he lets you know, but admits, “It was a tough shoot and a very dangerous spot too – one had to watch one’s step in the mountains and valleys.” And Irrfan has more to say on Bidasar. “If such spots existed in America, I’m sure they’d have made it a tourist attraction spot.”

It might be a pretty place, but what’s he playing in Pan Singh Tomar? “I’m playing the role of a dacoit. It is interesting, for the movie is based on the real life story of Pan Singh Tomar, a soldier-turned-athlete who later became a dacoit. I’ll be sporting different looks in the movie,” says Irrfan, who’s yet to recover from a sprained ankle, thanks to a stunt in the film. And while ‘recovering’, he’s enjoying some IPL moments.

I’m a total sports freak. Once upon a time, I was crazy about cricket, but not anymore. Every time I watch the IPL matches, I feel I am wasting my time. Cricket has become so boring,” says Irrfan. He has one other grouse, “When people say that cricketers are the stars of today and that they are playing for the country, I strongly object. I feel that every sportsman, be it a footballer, shooter or cricketer – they all play for the country and everyone should be given equal importance. It is very important that sports in its entirety gets promoted in India, and only cricket not be given the ‘star’ status,” says Irrfan.

Back home, Irrfan’s two sons are not very fond of acting, but they take a lot of interest in sports, he says. “Both my sons are not that keen about acting. But they are mad about sports. They discuss it all the time,” he shares.

Itni sab baatein kar rahe ho – why then does he then have the reputation of being reticent and moody? He has even been called ‘unsocial’ at times. Irrfan remains unfazed. “I’m happy the way I am. Many have told me that I’m moody, reserved and unsocial. Well, it’s true. I don’t make friends easily. I only feel comfortable with those who make me feel comfortable.” And his favourite leisure pursuits seem to be solitary too... like reading, for instance. “Reading is my favourite pastime. I want to start writing too, but I don’t have the patience for it. Right now, I’m happy acting. It’s been a long journey – from theatre to television and finally to the silver screen. This is the best phase of my life, and I’m enjoying it thoroughly,” says Irrfan.

Depressed Shah Rukh stops blogging

King Khan began blogging in style for his team, the Kolkatta Knight Riders. But after writing for a couple of days, SRK has stopped writing after his team crashed to the bottom of the IPL.

It’s been 2 weeks since Shah Rukh last wrote on his official site - www.kkr.in. At that point, he was looking at a couple of defeats as a good thing. “So let's start from the fact that, yes, we have been hit already. So, this is a good thing. A very good thing! We have been hit, and hit hard, so the difficult part is over now. We all should accept that we do lie, at this point, very nearly on the floor. So, now comes the part which is more important. The part that we need to show everyone around us that we can take a hit; we can fall down, but we also know how to scrape ourselves from the floor and continue to fight…” But as the team was battered, the actor fled South Africa and has not gone back.

And now he's even stopped communicating to his fans through his blog. At an event earlier this week he refused to speak on the team. In an interview on Thursday morning, Shah Rukh said that the plan was now for his team to "go out and have fun!" But that will be difficult for a team that dropped so many catches in their last match (against Delhi) that commentators lost count.

SRK said in the interview: "Some of the matches were close, and almost broke our hearts. But the others were complete losses." "Even so", he said, "we haven't lost the motivation..." Certainly, he has lost the motivation to write!

And he then revealed the team's true sentiment by confessing: "The boys are depressed; they can't do more, and my being around only makes it worse for them. My presence in the dressing room makes them break down."

SRK turns to prayer to save KKR

The going is not good for the Kolkata Knight Riders at the IPL and so team owner Shah Rukh Khan has taking to penning down his problems- virtually though. Yes, the superstar, who once famously said that he doesn’t like to blog because he’d rather connect with his fans through the media, is now typing out his worries for the world to see. He’s also using the blog as means to encourage his team to pick themselves up off the floor.

Here’s his latest post titled Keep the Faith:

You must have heard a thousand times that the way to victory does not lie in how hard you can hit; but how hard you can take the hit. And I am not telling you anything new. Every teacher says that to his student, every coach says that to his team and I am sure John has said this to you guys enough times already, just as a father says that to his son.

When they all say this, in their hearts they also wish and hope that their team does not get hit; it doesn’t have to learn to win that way. A father feels, let my son win without ever getting hit; but you still say this to them because you know this world is a hard place. Games are a hard battlefield…your opponent wants to win as much as you do…so there is always going to be a chance that you will get hit. The best of us get hit…Mohammad Ali got hit…Carl Lewis got hit…John Buchanan must have been hit…Sourav Ganguly here has been hit several times.

So lets start from the fact that yes we have been hit already. So this is a good thing. A very good thing! We have been hit and hit hard, so the difficult part is over now. We all should accept that, we do lie at this point very nearly on the floor. So now comes the part, which is more important. The part that we need to show everyone around us, that we can take a hit; we can fall down; but we also know how to scrape ourselves from the floor and continue to fight. We still can take a few hits more and still fight back. Lots of people are saying lots of things about us, but none of them are right. The only right thing is that the owners have faith in this team, the coach has faith in this team; as a matter of fact the team has faith in this team. So there is no problem here at all. Just go out and play to have a great time…enjoy yourselves because pressure only builds more pressure. There is no need to prove anything amongst us. We all trust we are a great bunch of people and cricketers.

One lakh people out there have only one prayer in their hearts, god give our kids strength and a bit of luck to beat the shit out of their opponents. God will listen and deliver today, but just to make sure run faster, hit harder and go out destroy the opponent.

Lets play this like our first game ever as if we have to prove it to the world that we are good and can hit, then lets play this game like the last game of our lives, because we need to prove it to ourselves…that we can take being hit and get up from the floor.

I say a prayer my father taught me; whatever your faith, lets get together and say it… “Nasrun minal lahe wah fatahun kareeb” …

IPL prevents Shilpa from voting

Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan has flown to India from South Africa to cast his vote in the 2009 general elections. Actress Shilpa Shetty regrets that she won't be able to exercise her franchise this time because of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

"I just regret the fact that I won't be in India to cast my vote; I really wanted to this time. Elections have to be taken seriously if you are a responsible citizen. Unfortunately with the unexpected turn of events and the IPL being shifted to SA it's become difficult. I would not miss voting for anything otherwise," the actress posted on her blog.

"But to all those Indian citizens who want the best for our country, now is the time to make the decision, don't waste your democratic right to choose. Vote!" she added.

Shilpa is the co-owner of the Rajasthan Royals team of the IPL.

Did Preity Zinta upset some fans in SA

Our dimpled darlin’ rarely upsets her fans (though sometimes she does get into a brawl with mediafellas), and owing to her eternal bubbly image on screen, she has a huge kiddie fan following too.

So ZOOM was really surprised when recently a fan wrote to us ranting about her ‘once favourite’ star – PZ. Apparently, Preity Zinta was doing a promotional event for the media with her team on the beaches of South Africa; and was so heavily into doing the drill that she was inadvertently brusque with a female fan. The girl fan simply requested her to pose for a picture and, “she bluntly refused,” said the disappointed fan.

She also added in an email to us, “Preity, in her enthusiasm may have forgotten that the time on the beach was for crowd interaction with the players and for giving youngsters an opportunity to mingle with the sporting stars. So I was hurt when I was ignored.” Okay gal, we understand your grouse, but honestly, PZ is hardly like that. And stars do get busy and involved. Also, when it comes to work, everything else is secondary for Ms Zinta. And being a glam-gal in the sporting biz is no mean task.

C’mon gal, be a sport, next time around we promise ya that PZ will pose for pics first, and then go back to the field. We at ZOOM will ensure that and capture it on camera too. And we can see Preity flashing those ‘dees’ already!

Exclusive Report: Shah Rukh Khan To Sell Knight Riders

After dropping “Kolkata” from Indian Premier League team (IPL) Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), actor Shah Rukh Khan has started discussions with Nokia, Sahara, the Anil Ambani group, and several other companies to sell the team he bought just over a year ago for Rs 300 crore, and exit the business.

According to sources in Red Chillies Entertainment, KKR’s holding company, “Shah Rukh Khan has been trying to sell a stake in KKR for some time now. But since most companies he approached also wanted management control, Khan is now talking to Nokia, Sahara, Anil Ambani and others to sell his entire shareholding.”

Khan’s public relations officer, however, said she would not be able to confirm the development because she had not met the actor.

None of those who have reportedly been approached confirmed the development. Sahara India’s communications director Abhijit Sarkar said: “We have not been approached by Shah Rukh Khan yet. But if he does, we would be happy to buy the team.”

D Shivakumar, vice-president and managing director (markets), Nokia India, sent a text message saying: “Shah Rukh Khan will keep the team.”

A Reliance Communications spokesperson declined to comment. “A lot of people negotiate with Anil Ambani. I cannot comment unless there is something concrete on table.”

According to the Red Chillies official, Khan wants to exit, owing to the team’s poor performance — so far the team has won only one rain-curtailed game under the Duckworth Lewis method — and rising costs.

“If the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) does not increase the number of teams for next year, Khan could get double what he paid,” said the Red Chillies official.

Khan is supposed to pay Rs 30 crore per year for the next 10 years. The total annual cost for the team is about Rs 75 crore.

Khan had earlier said that KKR was easily the most successful IPL franchise, making a Rs 13 crore profit last year. However, his costs trebled last year owing to interventions from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) and Cricket Association of Bengal.

According to initial calculations, Red Chillies had to pay Rs 90 lakh per match and was supposed to earn Rs 3 crore if all stadium tickets were sold at Eden Gardens. Red Chillies had to pay Rs 20 lakh to the police and municipal tax of Rs 5 lakh. So its expenses per match would have been over Rs 1 crore. But this figure had trebled.

Last year, however, Kolkata Police demanded Rs 2 crore as security fees, against Rs 50 lakh that the organisers of the IPL offered. Then, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) demanded Rs 25 lakh from Red Chillies as amusement tax for holding IPL matches at Eden Gardens.

To settle the dispute between Kolkata Police and the IPL organisers over the cost of security arrangements at Eden Gardens, Red Chillies Entertainment had to agree to pay Rs 75 lakh as security fees.

About 5,500 uniformed personnel and about 1,500 sleuths were deployed to secure the stadium and its surrounding areas, since many celebrities were expected to watch the IPL matches at Eden Gardens.