IPL 2015 Opening Ceremony: why the event was one big flop show

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Agreed, it's a hard job to host the opening ceremony of an event which is as crucial as the Indian Premiere League. And it only gets harder when it comes to convincing the audiences about the selection of actor Saif Ali Khan as the host.

Saif, who made his debut as the TV host with IPL 8, fumbled, forgot lines and failed at contributing something unique to the opening ceremony. So Saif, the 10th Nawab of Pataudi, who had quite clearly stated that he wasn't 'gifted' when it comes to cricket, also proved that he isn't as impressive when it comes to hosting either. We may have adored him for his films, but as a host he needs to realise that it takes a certain skill set to do it flawlessly, to pull it off, and also make it work. Besides failing at finding a place in our hearts and minds, Saif's skills were such that it made the viewers confused about the show's concept. So much so that they classified the show as punishment rather than entertainment.

The so-called celebration also brought a disapproving frown from cricket enthusiasts. The reason? Saif's inability to engage the audiences who were just being subjected to an expected Bollywood style spectacle that lacked both spirit and verve.

Bollywood actors tried hard to enthrall the audiences at the glitzy opening ceremony, but failed miserably.

Just because one is a popular actor, doesn't mean he will instantly be an equally impressive host. It doesn't come as an assurance that he will be accurate, and adequate. And because the opening ceremony didn't catch on, the Twitterati cringed at Saif's style and didn't take too long to call the show a 'nightmare'. So all those who were expecting Saif to add the much-needed zing to the ceremony, witnessed a star being turned into a caricature of a host, who was anything but endearing.

Unfortunately, Saif's slip ups wasn't the only reason why IPL opening ceremony turned into a star-studded flop show. Despite its huge glamour quotient, it was anything but entertaining. The ceremony, which saw the performances by Bollywood superstars Hrithik Roshan, Shahid Kapoor, Anushka Sharma, failed miserably at living up to the high expectations of the viewers.

After waiting for an an hour and a half due to incessant rains that had almost dampened the spirit of 'City of Joy', the event began with music composer Pritam's performance. And the traditional opening of IPL was just a hint at what the event had in store for all. While selection of Rabindra Sangeet seemed apt, for many the performance wasn't 'quite digestible'.

What followed next was Shahid Kapur taking to the stage to entertain the viewers. While nothing was wrong with his performance, the way it kicked off wasn't flawless. The actor, as he had tweeted, banged the bike and broke the stage.

The positive reaction that the performance by Anushka Sharma, Virat Kohli's 'love', received was expected. While she gave her best and Virat's grin gave the fans his never-before-seen excitement, the impact wasn't all that indelible. All we remember from her 'thanda' performance was her weird black and white outfit, popular Bollywood tracks that were played, that's all.

By the time actor-director Farhan Akhtar staged his performance, the viewers were upset and clearly disinterested. Even though Navjot Singh Siddhu compared him to iconic singers Mohammad Rafi and Kishore Kumar, millions of IPL loyalists thought the live performance at IPL was Farhan's worst ever till date.

Irked by his performance, a Twitter user said the Farhan's performance did to him what Altaf Raja's voice invariably does to all music aficionados.

The one celebrity who enthralled the viewers at the glitzy opening ceremony was Hrithik Roshan. The attitude with which he carried himself, the well-choreographed dance steps he performed was truly amazing. The actor who pumped up the volume turned out to the best performer at the event. But could his performance really help IPL leave an impact? Nah!