M-word scares beauties

A bevy of beautiful women that's part of the cheerleading squad for the Bangalore cricket team had Pramod Mutalik on their minds as they walked down Commercial Street. So, they took along security personnel just in case.

The cheerleaders for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), named after team owner Vijay Mallya's brand of Vodka, White Mischief, shook a leg to the tune of the team anthem during a publicity event at Chinnaswamy Stadium on Monday. But they were haunted, nevertheless, by thoughts of Mutalik, chief of the Sri Rama Sene and the state's moral brigade.

"We heard about the moral policing when we landed in Bangalore on Friday," said Rebecca Lee, spokesperson of Varsity, a US-based cheerleading group that formed White Mischief. "That forced us to go for extra security while shopping."

Ignorance is bliss

However, Mutalik was clueless about the presence of the women.u00a0 "We didn't know the girls visited Commercial Street," he said. " Otherwise, we would notu00a0 have allowed them to roam on the street."

He didn't know about the inauguration of the cheerleading group either and appealed to the culture-conscious public to alert him about such events. "Right now, I'm in Hubli," said Mutalik. " Had anybody told us, our Bangalore activists would have launched a protest at the stadium."

He said he was against using cheerleaders in cricket as it killed the spirit of the game. "These are trade tricks to market liquor and we vehemently oppose it."
u00a0
Mutalik will not go to South Africa where the IPL is being held to register his protest as his financial status does not permit such a trip. But, he said, he would instruct his activists to keep on an eye on the girls while they were in Bangalore.

Debashis Shyam, divisional vice-president of marketing, United Spirits, who introduced the cheerleaders to the media, said, "I don't think it is a big issue as we have ensured security. To be frank with you, the thought did not even occur to us."

Lee said her team, clad in blue tops and white skirts, was cautious but had enjoyed the streets of the city. "We visited Vidhana Soudha and Bangalore Palace, and we liked the city very much," she said.

Ruined road
Rebecca Lee was disappointed with M G Road on her first trip to the city. She had heard so much about the shopping hub, which was South Avenue in British India, but was shocked to see the road in ruins. "Some construction is going on and I could not have much fun there," she said.

Beauty and brains
The average age of the cheerleaders is betweenu00a0 20 and 25 years. While most of them are university students, one is au00a0u00a0 doctor and two others practise law in the US.

They don't know a thing about cricket though they have cheered basketball players in the US. However, they are learning the nuances of the game. "We have been told to cheer when a batsman hits a six or a four, and when a bowler gets a wicket," said Rebecca Lee.

Changing colours
Last year, RCB's cheerleaders were from Red Skin, a cheerleading group in the US. They wore yellow and red, in keeping with the team's colours. This time, the name and colour have been changed to match Mallya's Vodka brand.

"We preferred this team as these girls are more athletic and acrobatic," said Debashis Shyam of United Spirits.