For the next fortnight, tickets for all flights from India to London will come at a premium. And available tickets to the 2012 Olympics, beginning July 27, are rarer by far. For Karan Johar, however, these facts are trifles. The filmmaker has received an official invitation to join 506 dignitaries at the event.
KJo, the official ambassador for Visit Britain is perhaps the only other Indian apart from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to have received an official invitation. The PM’s invite comes from his British counterpart David Cameron as a matter of protocol. Karan’s invite comes from the Visit Britain authorities. He will catch the opening ceremony in a special box reserved for the who’s who of the world.”I’m truly humbled and excited”, says Karan of the honour, adding, “Had you asked me a few days ago if I intended to go to London — it’s virtually my second home — during the Olympics, I’d have said, ‘No chance’. I’ve been shooting non-stop for my film Student Of The Year and the TV show that I’m judging. Life has been very hectic. When this invitation came through, I jumped at the opportunity. After all, it’s a very prestigious event.”He adds, “The 2012 Olympics is going to be a conglomerate of an epic magnitude. The memory of having participated in it, even as a spectactor, is going to stay with me for a lifetime. It is London’s big-ticket weekend and I’m not about to miss it for anything in the world.”Karan candidly admits that sports has never been an area of interest and concludes, “But I know we are going to be well-represented at the Olympics. And of course, I have my fingers crossed for the prospects of our participating sportspersons.”