The IPL tamasha begins…

It is that time of the year when Indians all over the world converge on their couches, it is that time of the year when people swarm the pubs in plenty during the weekdays, it is that time of the year when beer takes to the skies, it is that time of the year when men salivate over blonde and brunette cheerleaders, it is that time of they year when there is no excuse to gorge on the oil dripping chips and tikkas,it is that time of the year when Bollywood sits pretty with their D&G coolers and waves and smiles in that superficial manner and gives out flying kisses, it is that time of the year when Lalit Modi is counting his cash with his wet thumb, it is that time of the year when indian advertising agencies are richer, it is that time of the year when television rights get costlier, it is that time of the year that whatever little viewership doordarshan had is washed away, it is that time of the year when politics takes a back seat, it is that time of the year when security takes the front seat, it is that time of the year when Mallya has not decided if Dravid is finaly test player or a one day player or 20 20 material, it is that time of the year when Mallya wonders if it made more sense to venture into IPL or formula one or neither,it is that time of the year when Mukesh Ambani is one up on his brother, it is that time of the year when Shilpa Shetty needs no excuse to sound clever or wiser than Warne, it is that time of the year when Zinta has to meet Ness, it is that time of the year when the K.kkk..kkknight riders don’t ride far enough and land up putting their trotting hooves in their mouth,it is that time of the year when N Srinivasan still goes unnoticed, it is that time of the year when most still have no idea who owns Delhi daredevils or the Deccan chargers or Chennai Super kings, it is that time of the year when SRK becomes a de facto cricket guru, it is that time of the year when SRK will create yet another tamasha involving another coach or a player, it is that time of the year when the fake IPL player will start blogging, it is that time of the year when cricket becomes loose change.

All in all, it is that time of the year when IPL remains the country’s biggest road show so much so that events of importance are held after it. The IPL almost appears like a figurative head of state that we all bow down to.The IPL is actually one big fat cash cow. And then there is an auction of the team cows. The best description that accurately sums up the auction process was by Mr Pritish Nandy ” like the auction of cattle at Pushkar”. Pushkar replaced by a five-star hotel where corporate moguls contend with ambitious stars in choosing the fattest cow of them all. There are some holy cows that bear an iconic status and are not part of the cattle class auction show, they call them iconic cows. What a load of bull. Following each of these events is the media, giving all these ingredients more than their due share of importance and making the IPL more entertaining than any circus. Last year the IPL circus was not able to perform in India because there was another entertaining event in town that was hogging the lime lights, the general elections, so the troops moved to South Africa. As expected the show ran to full houses in S Africa too albeit Akon’s performance at the closing ceremony was pathetic with or without his “smack that”.The IPL is an entertainment show and cricket is one small part of what makes it. The format has been craftily designed to play on gullible sentiments, after all the subcontinent is rabid about cricket and equally rabid about Bollywood, so shaking these two liqueur into one drink can intoxicate the viewer like no Long Island iced tea can.

The IPL is the country’s biggest form of entertainment. Not being a part of the circus is a social stigma. One can clearly be the town idiot but one can clearly not be seen as having no knowledge of the IPL. Housewives rattle the names of teams and it’s players with pride.This clearly demonstrates and confirms the effective marketing strategies the IPL stakeholders have used to have a grip on all of us. Twitter is seemingly a powerful tool with owners and players tweeting away about the latest news of their respective teams. Shetty hopped on to twitter a few weeks before and has ensured she reaches beyond Bihar and UP. Bollywood and corporate tycoons continue to get shaken with cricket players in this great Indian cocktail, only the politicians and god men are yet to take the plunge. Nityanand should have bid for one of the two new teams and called it the Night Riders. The difference between Knight and Night would be in the stutter.The IPL is a phenomenon and full marks to Modi who has ensured it is such. Experts who once cringed about 20 20 spoiling the game of cricket are the very ones who are happily commenting on it’s success.Let us all sit back and enjoy the IPL fever. Let us not think outside the cricketing square whilst Modi keeps bowling googlies after googlies at us. Let us continue to remain a nation whose audience is as invaluable and non movable as the iconic players.