The atmosphere at the East Bengal ground for Bollywood superstar Salman Khan’s live show was electrifying on Saturday night. Salman, visiting Kolkata after 13 years, was accompanied by stars like Sonakshi Sinha, Jacqueline Fernandez, Prabhu Deva, Pooja Hegde, Ayush Sharma and Guru Randhawa as part of the “DA-BANGG TOUR – RELOADED” live performance. The Bhaijaan of Bollywood enthralled his fans by dancing to chart-busting tunes.
The Bollywood heartthrob was felicitated by the club with a specially minted gold coin as part of its centenary year, along with a red-and-yellow jersey with his favourite No. 27. He was also given a life-membership card by East Bengal. Arup Biswas, West Bengal’s Sports Minister, also felicitated Salman on behalf of the Government. The actor had visited Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister, at her residence as well. He spoke of his gratitude for the love and honour shown by the club officials.
Salman’s visit to East Bengal club was a part of an extended centenary celebrations which started on the Foundation Day in August 1, 2019. Since starting its journey back in 1920, the red-and-gold brigade have seen many highs and lows. Keeping pace with time, the club has seen many changes with the help of Emami, rhe investor. It now boasts a cafeteria, sports bar, and a museum.
But when it comes on-field performance, it has been far below the expectations of millions of fans. The club has been trophy-less for the last six years since they were crowned the CFL champions for a record eighth time in a row in 2017. On the national scene, the performance of the football team has been disappointing. Since joining the Indian Super League in 2020, East Bengal club’s best performance was finishing ninth in the 2021-22 season.
The club appointed Carles Cuadrat, the former Indian Super League (ISL) winner, as its new head coach on a two-year contract recently. The management is focussed on building a strong team. With some good signings and an able coach in Cuadrat, East Bengal fans are hoping to see a turnaround this season, with football that would get Salman and his legions of fans dancing in the aisles.