Mohali mania hits T-town

It���������s a Wednesday that stars and common folk alike, have been looking forward to ��������� the World Cup 2011 semifinals and it stars India and Pakistan! And when the Prime Ministers of the respective countries and a host of celebrities are expected to be there to cheer their team, how can cricket buffs give it a miss?
Actor Venkatesh, as usual, has his plans chalked well in advance.���������I don���������t want to miss the match,��������� says an enthusiastic Venky. His brother Suresh Babu is also leaving for Mohali along with former cricketer and BCCI official, Chamundi. ���������I make it a point never to miss a big sporting event, be it cricket or any other sport. This is a big match for the Indian team,��������� says Suresh Babu.
Rana, who was at a couple of World Cup matches promoting his upcoming film along with the crew of ���������Dum Maro Dum���������, might also be there at Mohali with his new friends. Meanwhile, Siddharth, an avid cricket fan is also likely to be there.
T-towners giving Mohali a miss are Manchu Vishnu, who is currently in the US, Allu Arjun, who is busy shooting and Naga Chaitanya (NC), who was supposed to have made it to the semis, but following the recent tax raid is keeping a low profile. NC���������s cousin Sumanth, who was spotted at the India-Australia match at Ahmedabad and Nagpur says, ���������I am not going to Mohali as I want to be with my grandfather (Akkineni Nageswara Rao) as he receives the Padma Vibhushan award.���������
Producer Lagadapati Sridhar, too, cancelled his visit at the last moment. ���������We booked a box next to that of the Prime Minister and later cancelled it due to security reasons. I���������ve booked tickets for the final in Mumbai. Hopefully I should make it,��������� he says. And Shriya, who is in Colombo for a film shoot says, ���������I am there for my film shoot and I might end up watching the first semi-final in Colombo.���������
Meanwhile, cricket mania is gripping the city with hotels and pubs arranging for special screening of both the semi-finals and final matches. One of the events being talked about is the event at Gachibowli, where Tollywood stars are going to make their presence felt. A mega screen ��������� 30X40 ft is being put up at Gachibowli Stadium. Nearly 30,000 people are expected to watch this semi-final that will be livened up by a DJ, live performance by Punjabi Dolls and fireworks.
suresh.kavirayani@timesgroup.com