SRK meets Buddhadeb before Knights' match

KOLKATA: Film star and owner of IPL cricket team Kolkata Knight Riders Shah Rukh Khan called on West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee prior to his team's last match at the Eden Gardens on Sunday.

During his 45-minute meeting with the chief minister in his ante-chamber at the state secretariat, the Bollywood icon, accompanied by his team's co-owner Juhi Chawla, discussed cricket and films in which the two hold common interest.

Shah Rukh, dressed in black trousers, white shirt and steel gray coat and Juhi in hot pink salwar suit, discussed with Bhattacharjee how to develop the film industry in keeping with the rapid change in viewership profile and technology.

Though SRK did not meet the press after the meeting, chief ministers' secretariat sources said that he also discussed development of cricket, particularly its new format T-20. The need for more cricket academies to develop the sport was also a topic.

Only such academies could prepare a new breed of cricketers for the T-20 avatar, SRK is said to have observed while committing himself to strengthen his IPL team next year.

Shah Rukh, accompanied by Juhi and her husband Joy Mehta, arrived at the state secretariat at 12:45 pm in a white Mercedes and went straight to the chief minister's ante-chamber where city police commissioner Goutam Mohan Chakraborty was also present.

While the star presented a golden helmet of his knights to Bhattacharjee, the chief minister in return presented them export quality Darjeeling tea.