Film stars join hands for a cause

A galaxy of actors and actress from southern India today came together and took part in a one-day Lebara Natchathira (stars) Cricket League organised here by the South Indian Artist's Association (SIAA) for raising funds for construction of a building for it, a long standing dream.
Conceptualised by recently elected SIAA office-bearers, including its President Nasser and General Secretary Vishal Reddy, the day long cricket event was formally inaugurated by superstar Rajinikanth and film icon Kamal Hassan.
Various film personalities from Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam tinsel world attended the gala event at the M A Chidambaram Stadium at the Chepauk here.

Telugu superstars including Balakrishna, Venkatesh, Kannada Actors Sudeep, Ambareesh, Malayalam Super star Mamooty, Actor Nivin Pauly and a host of film actors and actresses attended the event in large numbers.
Braving scorching sun, the actors, divided into eight teams, battled it out in the five-overs a side matches.
After the league matches, actor Surya-led Chennai Singhams and Jeeva 's Tanjore Rhinos contested for the title with the former emerging the winners.

The cricket event was held to generate funds for construction of a own building for the SIAA in busy commercial district of T Nagar here.
The building project, for which efforts had been made for a long time, ran into a controversy when the former SIAA office bearers signing an agreement with city-based realty developer for construction of a complex.

After the new office-bearers were appointed, the agreement was cancelled and it was decided to conduct a cricket match in which the proceeds would go for the construction of the building for the association.