Even as spectators clashed and threw shoes and chairs while police canned to control crowd, Bollywood hearthrob Hrithik Roshan,Parineeta Chopra, Huma Quereshi, Richa Chaddha and Jacqueline Fernandez danced and sang to entertain the ruling Samajwadi Party leaders on the concluding day of the 14-day long Saifai Mahastov here on Thursday night.
But this year’s edition of the annual extravaganza in Saifai, home town of Uttar Pradesh’s first family, was a low-key affair compared to previous years. However, it did not interfere with the enthusiasm of the boisterous crowd that at one point, engaged in scuffles during popular Bollywood singer Arijit Singh’s performance. People threw chairs around and police had to use batons to bring the crowd under control.
Boman Irani and Sushant Singh Rajput too appeared on stage to entertain the spectators. For those who could not grab a seat inside the giant tent put up for the performances on Thursday night, there were screens outside. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, his wife Dimple, his father and Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav. several of their relatives and senior SP leaders were present during the Bollywood show.
The festival this year was organised by Mainpuri MP Tej Pratap Yadav, who is to marry the youngest daughter of RJD president lalu Prasad Yadav, and Badaun MP Dharmendra Yadav, one a grand-nephew and the other, a nephew of Mulayam Singh. The Saifai show has in the past hosted actors like Salman Khan and Madhuri Dikshit. This year, Hrithik was the only Bollywood A-lister.
The festival was started by another Mulayam Singh’s nephew Ranveer Yadav, who was the party’s block level leader in Saifal. After his death in 2002, the Samajwadi Party decided to continue the festival in his memory.