KKR cheerleaders to go the whole nine yards
Talk about the Bong connection! In a bid to help his IPL team connect and identify more with the city after which they are named, Shah Rukh Khan has come up with a novel idea: The Kolkata Knight Riders’ cheerleaders will sport traditional saris this IPL season!
While all sorts of theories have been put forward to explain just why the change in attire has been wrought, the fact remains that over the past few seasons, the KKR cheerleaders have been dressing more conservatively, although pom-poms still remain very much a part of their tools in trade.
Not any more, it would seem. Brushing aside all theories, marketing and PR head for KKR, Matthew Joy said that as always, an attempt has been made this season to showcase the KKR cheerleaders at their best. “We came to the conclusion that the cheerleaders should reflect the essence of the city they are cheering for. There is a certain look we have designed, and no, contrary to reports, no high-profile costume designer helped us work on the look,” he says.
“The concept, put together entirely by the KKR management, promises a complete entertainment package with a regional flavour. Yes, the cheerleaders will be in saris to invoke the atmosphere of Kolkata, but there’s more to it than that. There is a lot in store that will be revealed during the matches,” he adds.
“The theme of our costumes will be purple and gold, which fits with the colours of the KKR jersey. I’d say it’s more of an Amrapali look than a boring sari: They will have puffed sleeves, round bindis and chunky jewellery to enhance the look,” adds Matthew.
Of course, KKR wouldn’t be the first team to go the ethnic way. Previously, the Pune Warriors too had incorporated certain traditional elements in their cheerleader acts. So will the costume change bring about a shift in KKR’s current ‘sari’ state of affairs?
One would think that the Kolkata supporters would connect more with the team if their Dada — Sourav Ganguly — featured in the team once again. Since that’s not possible, the team’s supporters will have to make do with the ethnic cheerleaders.
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