Shah Rukh Khan
Shah Rukh Khan
Saurav Ganguly and the contestants
Sourav Ganguly and the contestants

Mark your calendars the IPL kicks off April 18th 2009 and where there’s cricket Bollywood can’t be far behind. Tonight we’ll be watching the f

inale episode of “Knights and Angels” the reality hunt for six cheerleaders for the Kolkata Knight Riders. (Ah yes how far we’ve come.) After five weeks of battling it out with fellow contestants, it’s judgment day for the participants and only six will make it to South Africa,

The finale episode tonight on NDTV Imagine features Shah Rukh Khan accompanied by co-owner of the Knight Riders team, Juhi Chawla, mentor Shiamak Davar and the show’s judge Sourav Ganguly.  The Knights, Munish Parmar, Shatrunjay Gaikwad and Murali Kartik also feature on the show to cheer the angels on. Sourav dances to the tunes of the Knight Riders anthem while SRK teaches the angels the signature moves of the anthem. Its all so nauseating isn’t it?

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAcagu-xJcM]

Shah Rukh Khan threw in a little extra drama with this speech;

Today is an important day in my life. I am going to have six new additions to my family of Kolkata Knight Riders.A nationwide hunt which spread over three months unearthed these six special girls who will dance, sing and be part of the glory that will be ours.  Knights and Angels is not a part of the marketing strategy for my cricket team. It is an extension of my belief in spreading the awareness of sports in India.  Cheerleading is a big sport in America and cheerleaders have their own fan following.  As the controversy hit our nation last year regarding this new sport, I decided to add respectability to a profession that can create great opportunities for the youth brigade.  Cheerleading will add to their confidence and help them later to forge careers either in the media, showbiz or even pursue a different sport.  And this means earning not just money, but also fame, with dignity. But just a word of caution, cheerleading cannot be used as a stepping stone.  An education is still the most important thing for every individual. I think my Angels are really special. They have toiled hard to be where they are and my heart goes out to the six girls who did not make it.  Love, Shah Rukh Khan.

(Are you tearing up yet?)