The IPL is turning out to be the great Indian show for “many things”. Given its biz angle, it is the premier playing arena for brands. Several brands in the City are making the best of the IPL. Parties, endless launches and photo ops are being organised with the players of different teams.
The media too is invited to be part of such events. But only as spectators to the tamasha that goes on.
One such event was the supposed media interaction organised at the Xtreme Sports Bar by Kingfisher.
Five players of the Mumbai Indians were ferried into the sports bar at 9.35 pm on Thursday, barely a few hours after they landed. The media, reporters, photographers and cameramen were invited to cover the exclusive interaction organised between the players and fans who were hand-picked, mostly sons and daughters of influential people. Basically rich kids and their even richer friends were out to have a ball with the media as mere spectators.
So cricket, the raison d'etre of the occasion, was the last thing on everyone's mind. And the players, under the tight security and strict supervision of bouncers, organisers and the PRs were allowed to eat, drink and make merry while all of the media and ordinary fans simply looked on.
A few scantily clad girls, wormed their way through and managed to click pictures with the players.
The glass room in the bar had Kingfisher and the Mumbai Indian representatives who threw their weight around and also their hands up in the air when asked why the media was invited to be mere spectators to the fun happening inside the glass room. They just washed their hands off everything and passed the buck onto an insignificant other.
As for the players they were tight-lipped or were perhaps threatened into not saying or even nodding to the media or take any queries.
“Just pass your book to someone who has managed to get in if you want an autograph,” said one of the bouncers at the door while he struggled to keep away the restless crowd.
Another PR girl, who fumbled under the influence of alcohol struggled, to get her words right. “I am sorry no interviews, the players will not talk,” said the woman PR who made best use of free food and free alcohol.