As the ‘queen cheerleader’ in the ICL squad, Rakhi Sawant — who had once famously said that no one could expose like her — promises to dress in a way that will not make anybody “sharminda”.
Rakhi is grateful for all that she has gained — from item girl to talk show host to reality TV star and now a judge on Zee TV’s Ek Se Badhkar Ek Chota Packet Bada Dhamaka, she has come a long way. The ICL stint is the icing on the cake. “I am thankful to God, Jesus, Shani Dev, Ganpati Bappa, Bhole Naath... they were the only support I had as I embarked on my journey as a smalltown girl,” she says.
“I am extremely happy that ICL has made me the brand ambassador of the cheerleading group. Main itihaas rachne jaa rahi hoon — until now, actresses have had the privilege of dancing on stage, but I’d be the first actress to represent a national game,” she said.
After God, she thanks her audience for supporting and raising her to “this level”. “I call myself a miracle girl, lakhon karodon mein ek Rakhi Sawant paida hoti hai.”
{{/usCountry}}After God, she thanks her audience for supporting and raising her to “this level”. “I call myself a miracle girl, lakhon karodon mein ek Rakhi Sawant paida hoti hai.”
{{/usCountry}}‘Never compromise’ is her mantra for success and she asks the young women of India to learn from her example. “Hindustan ki beti Rakhi ne apni mehnat se ye kamyabi hasil ki hai to hum kyun nahi,” she says on their behalf.
Total involvement
Rakhi personally took nearly 2,000 auditions in 10 cities and selected 12 girls for her cheerleading team. About her dress code at the cricket matches, she says, “We would go with a dress that the Censor board allows us to wear. It will be Western, glamorous but not revealing. Unke ma baap ghar pe dekh kar sharminda na ho.” She plans to start with Vande Mataram, then a couple of patriotic songs and then move on to Bollywood numbers.
She is sure her girls would beat Western cheerleading squads and make spectators say, “Kya ladki hai Rakhi Sawant jisne angrez ladkiyon ko maat de di”.