It's advantage Kerala Strikers at home

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Kerala Strikers may not be doing wonders in the Celebrity Cricket League, but that doesn't matter to the fans of the stars on the team.

Team owners, director Priyadarsan and his wife Lizy, are happy at the response especially after the match against Mumbai Heroes at the packed stadium in Kochi.

It was evident that the crowd present at the venue was least bothered about the talents of the heroes with the willow. With almost every hero from Malayalam cinema in attendance, the crowds had a gala time cheering for the team led by superstar Mohanlal.

Rajeev Pillai, who has been seen in brief roles on screen, played a couple of spectacular innings with his bat.

The Kerala Strikers will take on the Bengal Tigers next, on February 4, at Vishakhapatnam.

The makers call it the costliest film ever made in Malayalam cinema and there is some speculation about the actual budget. With almost 1000 shows on the first day, the collections were huge for director Rosshan Andrrews' Mohanlal starrer Casanovva, but the film has generally been panned by the masses and the critics.

What went so wrong with the film that even some fellow filmmakers have gone on record criticising it?

It could be its much hyped budget. Expectations were sky high and it is always tough to live up to all the hype.

The latest news is that Rosshan has announced that the Bollywood rights for the film have been bought by Ketan Shah Productions and it will be made in Hindi soon

Young hero Asif Ali is going through a rough patch. Touted as a future sensation, he is yet to prove his talents, especially as the sole hero.

He was appreciated as the lover boy in Salt N' Pepper but gave a disappointing performance in Siby Malayil's Violin. And the less said about the recent dud, Asuravithu, the better. His role as a don ended up being quite comic.

Now, he's being panned for something seemingly trivial: not answering his phone!

One of the key players for the Kerala Strikers in the Celebrity Cricket League, he ducked the matches at the last moment, citing busy shooting schedules.

To add insult to injury he's not answering phone calls made by those associated with the team.

Last heard, the actors' association AMMA was considering some action against the errant hero. Watch this space for more!