Akon & I went on & on: Katrina

Katrina Kaif is a pro at being a showstopper, be it on the ramp or elsewhere. Her act at the closing ceremony of the IPL along with Akon was high on excitement and Kat says that it was only because it was choreographed differently.

Though her team, Royal Challengers, lost to Team Hyderabad in the finals, Kat says, “You can’t have everything in life. The players were disappointed, but you can’t say much at that point. We played a very good series nonetheless.

From being the underdogs in the first season, they’ve come a long way this year. Everything was working in favour of the team. People weren’t expecting to see me there for the finals, but I was there and I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed myself, both during the matches and during the performance. I’m really very impressed with the team’s performance and I think that Anil Kumble did an amazing job.”

Kat was excited about sharing the platform with Akon. “It was great. The energy and the atmosphere in the stadium was infectious. We were all so excited. The organisers had told us (Shiamak Davar, the choreographer of the show, and Katrina) that they wanted the closing ceremony to represent the spirit of the IPL. That’s why it wasn’t very Bollywood. It was more elegant, and it was all Shiamak’s idea. He said that there’s been enough dancing and that we should do something really different. Since Jai Ho! is an anthem of sorts today, we wanted the show to capture that spirit,” says Kat.

Performing with Akon was one of the high points of the show for Kat. “We all love Akon’s music. He’s quiet and shy, but seemed really sweet. The crowd totally enjoyed our act. In fact, when we made a re-entry to bid goodbye, we kept dancing, and went on and on,” she says.

Being in the same city, did she get to meet the other Bollywood hottie, Shilpa Shetty? “No, I didn’t see her at all. I was in SA for two RC matches and I was rehearsing in Mumbai for the show,” says Katrina.