Roshan and Pradeep sat comfortably in their padded seats in Block C. The stadium air-conditioning vents blew a steady, cool breeze over them, making the evening very pleasant.
Pradeep's phone vib rated in his pocket. He pulled it out and looked at the official stadium application.
"Our food is here," Pradeep announced, looking up.
A stadium staff member, wearing a neat uniform, walked down the steps of their aisle. He carried a large, heat-retaining paper bag. He checked the seat numbers on his device, smiled at Pradeep, and handed the bag over. Pradeep thanked him.
"I cannot believe we just ordered actual Shadab Biryani from our phones and they brought it right to our chairs," Pradeep said, opening the bag. He handed a cardboard box to Roshan. "No standing in line. We will not miss a single ball of the match."
Roshan opened his box. The rich, spicy aroma of authentic Hyderabadi mutton biryani filled their row. He took the wooden spoon provided in the bag.
"The match is starting," Roshan pointed toward the field with his spoon.
Down on the green grass, the stadium lights were incredibly bright, casting no shadows. The crowd of sixty thousand people was buzzing with a loud, continuous energy.
Sachin Tendulkar stood near the pitch. He wore the blue Indian Legends jersey. He was adjusting his field placements. He waved his hand, moving Mohammad Kaif to the point boundary. Kaif jogged to his position, looking just as fit and alert as he did during his playing days in the early two thousands.
"Look at Kaif," Roshan pointed. "He is still ready to dive everywhere."
"I am just waiting to see Zaheer bowl," Pradeep said, eating a spoonful of hot biryani.
Zaheer Khan took the new white ball from the umpire. He walked back to mark his run-up. Adam Gilchrist and Sanath Jayasuriya stood at the crease for the World Legends XI. They wore their red jerseys.
The crowd cheered loudly as Zaheer turned around and started his run-up. He ran in smoothly. His jump was exactly the same. He bowled the first ball.
The ball pitched on a good length outside the off-stump. Gilchrist watched it carefully, stepped slightly back, and pushed it to the off-side field.
On the next ball, Zaheer pitched it slightly wider. Gilchrist did not wait. He freed his arms and played his trademark, powerful cut shot. He hit the ball fiercely. The ball raced past the point fielder and hit the boundary rope.
The crowd erupted. They did not care that it was a boundary against their own home team. They were here to watch the legends play their classic shots.
"That cut shot," Pradeep smiled, watching the replay on the giant screen. "It never gets old."
Jayasuriya took the strike in the next over. Javagal Srinath was bowling from the other end. Srinath ran in. His bowling action looked a bit slower than his prime years, but the smooth rhythm was still completely there. He bowled a ball right on the pads.
Jayasuriya did not move his feet much. He simply flicked his wrists effortlessly. The ball flew high over the square leg boundary for a six.
The opening pair gave the World Legends a fast start. They hit boundaries and joked with the Indian fielders between the overs.
In the fourth over, Ajit Agarkar came into the attack. He bowled a fast, full delivery. Gilchrist tried to hit it straight down the ground, but the ball swung slightly late. Gilchrist missed it. The ball hit his stumps.
Gilchrist smiled, raised his bat to the cheering crowd, and walked off the field.
"Who is coming next?" Pradeep asked, looking at the player tunnel.
Ricky Ponting walked out. He wore his red helmet. He chewed gum quickly, looking exactly like the fierce competitor he used to be when he captained Australia. He took his guard.
Anil Kumble was given the ball for the next over.
Kumble ran in with his familiar, bustling action. He bowled a fast leg-spin delivery.
From behind the stumps, the voice of the wicketkeeper, Nayan Mongia, echoed clearly across the stadium. The acoustic design of the curved roof captured his voice and amplified it.
"Aaiigghh! Shabash Anil! Shabash!" Mongia shouted enthusiastically, clapping his gloves together.
The crowd laughed loudly. Hearing Mongia's classic chatter behind the stumps was a trip down memory lane.
Ponting rocked onto his back foot and played a classic, powerful pull shot off Kumble, sending the ball to the mid-wicket boundary.
A few overs later, Brian Lara walked out to bat.
The stadium noise reached a completely new level. Lara took his guard.
Before the bowler could start his run-up, Sourav Ganguly, who was fielding at point, instinctively started waving his hands.
"Hey, move a bit to your left," Ganguly shouted to a fielder near the boundary.
Sachin Tendulkar, the actual captain of the team, stood at mid-off. He looked at Ganguly adjusting the field. Sachin just smiled, crossed his arms, and let Dada do it. Ganguly had captained the team for so long that moving the fielders on the off-side was pure muscle memory for him.
The bowler ran in. He bowled a full delivery outside the off-stump.
Lara lifted his bat high in the air. He brought it down with perfect timing, bending his front knee, and played the most beautiful, elegant cover drive. The ball pierced the gap perfectly and rolled to the boundary.
Roshan shook his head in awe. "That high backlift. Nobody plays the cover drive like Lara. It looks like a painting."
Jacques Kallis walked in to bat next. Kumble bowled a delivery that spun sharply into him. Kallis took a long stride forward and played a completely flawless, textbook defensive shot, killing the spin dead on the pitch.
Standing in the slip cordon, Rahul Dravid saw the defensive shot. Dravid nodded his head in appreciation and politely clapped his hands for the South African all-rounder. It was a quiet moment of respect between the two greatest defensive walls in the history of the sport.
In the fifteenth over, Jayasuriya hit a ball hard toward the deep cover boundary. Virender Sehwag was fielding in that area. Sehwag started jogging slowly after the ball. After running for a few seconds, he realized the ball was moving too fast toward the rope.
Instead of diving or sprinting harder, Sehwag simply stopped running. He put his hands on his hips, watched the ball hit the boundary rope, and then turned around to smile at the crowd.
The stadium burst into loud, affectionate laughter. The big screen showed Sachin Tendulkar standing at mid-on, shaking his head and laughing at his opening partner's lazy fielding effort.
"Viru never liked running," Pradeep chuckled loudly. "He just wants to bat and hit boundaries."
A few overs later, a batsman hit a ball hard through the air toward the point region. Mohammad Kaif threw himself parallel to the ground, diving fully stretched, and caught the ball cleanly in his right hand just inches above the grass.
The crowd gave him a massive standing ovation.
"Some things never change," Roshan smiled, clapping his hands. "He is still the best fielder."
The first innings flew by quickly. The legends played all their iconic shots. Matthew Hayden walked down the pitch and hit the spinners straight over their heads. Kevin Pietersen played a reverse sweep.
The Indian bowlers took their wickets, but the World Legends managed to post a very entertaining total of 175 runs in their twenty overs.
The umpires called for the innings break. The players walked off the field, shaking hands and talking to each other.
"That was a great first half," Pradeep said, finishing the last of his biryani and closing the box. "Now we wait for Sachin and Sehwag to open the batting together. That is going to be special."
"Look at the stadium lights," Roshan said suddenly, noticing a shift in the atmosphere.
The massive floodlights surrounding the roof instantly turned off.
The entire stadium plunged into complete, pitch-black darkness. A loud murmur of surprise swept through the sixty thousand fans. They held their phones up, the small screens providing the only light in the stands.
Then, a deep, heavy, resonating drumbeat echoed through the state-of-the-art stadium speakers. The sound was so strong and heavy that it vibrated the padded seats Pradeep and Roshan were sitting on.
The massive LED shell on the outside of the stadium began to glow. The light shined through the translucent roof panels, casting a deep, fiery red glow inside the dark stadium. Laser beams shot across the pitch from the roof, forming intricate, moving geometric patterns on the green grass.
"It is a light show," Pradeep said, sitting up straight. "Half-time entertainment."
The massive digital screens hanging high above the center of the field turned on. The screen was completely black. Then, text appeared in elegant, golden letters.
RAMAYANA
The crowd immediately started cheering. They knew exactly what was coming.
The screen showed the first teaser. It was the Lankeshwara teaser. The heavy, dark, intimidating music composed by Anirudh played loudly. The crowd watched the digital version of Gopichand walking teaser. When the title card for Ravana appeared on the screen, the crowd whistled and clapped loudly.
The screen went black again. A soft, peaceful flute melody started playing.
The second teaser played. The Prince of Ayodhya. The crowd watched the beautiful, warm sunrise over the Sarayu river. They watched the animated prince walk through the ancient streets, helping an old man with his basket and holding the hands of the young children.
When Prabhas's face was finally revealed on the screen, showing his calm smile, the stadium completely lost its mind. The roar was deafening. Fans screamed his name, waving their hands in the dark.
The screen shifted to the third teaser. Lakshmana. The heavy sound of the rain and the snapping bowstring filled the stadium. The crowd watched Sushant Singh Rajput standing in the thick mud, his eyes full of fierce dedication, shooting arrows into the dark storm.
The final title card appeared. The screens faded to black.
The stadium floodlights slowly turned back on, filling the ground with bright white light again.
Down on the field, the groundsmen had quickly set up a small wooden stage near the boundary rope.
Siddanth Deva walked out from the player tunnel. He was holding a microphone. Walking right beside him were three men.
Prabhas, Gopichand, and Sushant Singh Rajput.
They did not wear heavy movie costumes. They wore casual, comfortable shirts and jeans. They smiled and waved as they walked across the grass toward the stage. The crowd went into an frenzy seeing the three famous actors walking together with Siddanth.
They stepped onto the wooden stage.
Siddanth raised his microphone. He waited for the cheering to settle down.
"Hyderabad, how are the teasers for the epic Ramayana?" Siddanth asked, his deep voice echoing over the speakers.
The crowd roared in loud approval, raising their hands and blowing their plastic horns.
Siddanth smiled. He paced slowly on the stage.
"Thank you," Siddanth said. "Making this movie was a dream of mine. Ever since I saw the first Indo-Japanese Ramayana anime when I was a kid, and watching the old mythological movies with my family, I always wanted to see our stories told on a massive, global scale. It is my dream project to have an Indian high-budget animated epic. And I am very glad I can make one."
The crowd clapped loudly for his vision.
Siddanth stopped pacing. He looked at the three men standing next to him.
"Once I had the idea to make the Ramayana," Siddanth continued, turning back to face the crowd, "I knew the casting had to be perfect. The faces had to carry the weight of the characters. I wanted a huge star for Lord Rama. Someone who is as humble and calm as the character himself."
Siddanth pointed his free hand at Prabhas.
"We all saw Amarendra Baahubali on the screen," Siddanth said. "Prabhas played the most innocent, powerful character in that movie. Amarendra Baahubali might be a fierce warrior on the battlefield, but he was also the most compassionate person I have seen. Even in his dying breath, he asked Kattappa to make sure his mother was safe. When I saw that pure emotion, I knew I made the right choice. We all can say the audience will love him in this role."
The stadium erupted. The fans chanted Prabhas's name loudly. Prabhas smiled shyly and rubbed the back of his neck, clearly overwhelmed by the massive praise from Siddanth and the crowd.
"Then comes Lakshmana," Siddanth said, turning to Sushant. "When I saw the making videos of the MS Dhoni movie, I saw his process. I liked the pure dedication he put into that role. He changed his entire body language to become someone else. The role of Lakshmana needs that kind of fire and loyalty. I was damn sure I wanted Sushant."
The crowd cheered for Sushant. Sushant smiled broadly and folded his hands in respect toward the stands.
"And then," Siddanth said, his voice dropping slightly to build the drama. He pointed at Gopichand. "Lankeshwara Ravana."
The crowd whistled loudly for the local action star.
"I wanted someone who can go toe-to-toe with Prabhas," Siddanth explained. "We all saw the movie Varsham. We saw the hero and the villain fighting on screen. That is why I chose Gopichand as Ravana. He matches Prabhas in height and in physical presence. And he has that unique charm in his face where he can capture the hearts of the audience, even while playing the villain. He has to play a scholar, a priest, a king, and a conqueror. He fits it perfectly."
Gopichand smiled and waved at the crowd.
"I want to thank all three of them for being a part of this project," Siddanth concluded. He walked over and handed his microphone to Sushant.
Sushant took the microphone and stepped forward on the stage.
"Hello, Hyderabad!" Sushant greeted, his voice full of energy. The crowd cheered him on. "It is an honor to be here in this amazing stadium. When Siddanth told me about this project, I was stunned by the vision. I want to thank Siddanth and the entire NEXUS team for giving me the opportunity to play Lakshmana."
Sushant looked at Siddanth. "When we started the voice recording sessions, I had to completely change my usual acting style. Balancing the quiet focus with the fierce loyalty needed to voice Lakshmana has been a great journey. The animation you saw today is just a small glimpse of what the team is building. We are putting our hearts into this, and I promise you, when you sit in the theaters, you are all going to love the movie. Thank you!"
Sushant handed the microphone to Gopichand.
Gopichand stood tall. He looked out at the massive crowd, totally in his element.
"Andarki Namaskaram," Gopichand said in his deep, powerful voice. "Thank you for the wonderful response to the teasers. I also want to thank Siddanth and NEXUS for this massive opportunity. Playing Ravana in a project of this scale is a dream for any actor."
Gopichand smiled a very knowing, teasing smile.
"I have seen a few finished scenes of the movie," Gopichand teased the crowd. "And I can tell you this right now. You are all going to be thoroughly impressed. The animation scale is beyond anything we have ever imagined in this country. Get ready for it."
The crowd roared, highly hyped up by his confident words. Gopichand turned and handed the microphone to Prabhas.
The moment Prabhas held the microphone, the crowd refused to let him speak.
"DARLING! DARLING! DARLING!"
The chanting physically shook the stadium. The love for Prabhas in his home city was unmatched.
Prabhas stood there, wearing a simple shirt. He smiled his famous, shy smile.
He tried to raise the microphone to his mouth, but the crowd just screamed louder, completely drowning him out.
Siddanth stood to the side, crossing his arms and laughing softly at his struggle with the public speaking.
Finally, the crowd quieted down just enough for him to speak a few words.
"Ah... thank you," Prabhas started, his voice a bit hesitant. "Thanks. Thanks a lot, darlings."
The crowd screamed again just hearing him say the word 'darlings'.
Prabhas rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. He looked at Siddanth for help. He was completely out of his comfort zone standing on a stage with a microphone in front of sixty thousand people.
"It is a great project," Prabhas managed to say. "Siddanth is making something very special. Please support it. Love you all."
Prabhas quickly handed the microphone back to Siddanth and took a large step back, looking extremely relieved to be done talking.
The stadium laughed warmly and cheered for him.
Siddanth took the microphone. He looked at the crowd and then at Prabhas.
"You guys," Siddanth smiled, speaking into the mic. "Prabhas only speaks a few words. If you all shout like that, he will forget whatever little he actually prepared to say before coming here."
The entire stadium burst into loud laughter. Prabhas laughed along with them, nodding his head in agreement.
"Thank you all for being part of this project and supporting us today," Siddanth said, wrapping up the movie segment. "Now, the second innings is about to begin. Let us watch our legends chase this total down. Enjoy the rest of the game!"
Siddanth and the three actors waved to the crowd. They walked off the wooden stage, heading back toward the VIP glass tunnel to watch the rest of the match from the corporate boxes.
Roshan and Pradeep sat in their seats in Block C, clapping loudly.
"That was a great surprise," Pradeep said, looking at the empty stage as the groundsmen carried it away. "I cannot wait for that movie to come out. The graphics look incredible."
"Look," Roshan pointed at the field. "The chase is starting."
The stadium lights were bright. The crowd settled back into their comfortable seats. The World Legends XI fielders walked out and took their positions on the grass.
Adam Gilchrist put on his wicketkeeping gloves. He stood behind the stumps.
Virender Sehwag walked out first. He carried his bat loosely. He did his characteristic, casual shoulder stretches as he walked to the pitch. He reached the crease and immediately started joking around with Gilchrist, laughing about something.
Then, Sachin Tendulkar walked out. The stadium chanted his name. He walked to the pitch, did his heavy, deliberate bat taps on the ground, and took his guard.
The two greatest openers in Indian cricket history were ready at the crease, and the run chase began.