Auto Expo: Less star power this year

Slowdown in auto sector and Coronavirus scare caused celeb footfall to decrease by almost half this year. While some celebs did attend, frequent visitors like John Abraham, Sachin Tendulkar & Akshay Kumar didn't
The section called'Why Attend' on the official website of the 2020 Auto Expo has one point that states visitors can "get up close and personal with movie stars, sports icons".For years, celebrity spotting has been integral to the mega auto show. This year, however, a combination of factors – most notably slowdown in the auto sector and the Coronavirus scare – meant that the celebrity footfall at the event was negligible.
From a dozen celebs in 2018 to only eight attending this year
Held at the India Expo Mart in Greater Noida between Feb 7 and 12, the expo registered a footfall of over six lakh – highest ever – as per the organisers. The celebrity footfall, however, reduced by almost half. The previous editions of the event have seen about a dozen celebs every time with the 2016 expo seeing visits from 15 celebrities. This year, the number was eight. Shah Rukh Khan was among the rare big names who visited the expo this year but he did so on the opening day of the event, which is open only for exhibitors and not the general public. In fact, the only film stars who visited the expo on days open for the public were Gul Panag and Soha Ali Khan. Most of the other celebs, including Daler Mehndi and Huma Qureshi, visited on the first two days, when the show wasn't open for general public. This was in stark contrast with the previous editions that saw names like Akshay Kumar, Priyanka Chopra, Kareena Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, and Ranbir Kapoor among others visit on the days open for public.
Sachin Tendulkar has missed only one expo since 2002. It is the first time in a decade that Sachin wasn't present at the biennial event
'There were fewer launches than ever at the Expo this time
According to an executive with a Japanese auto manufacturer at the expo, "The stars are mostly called by the brands they endorse to launch a new vehicle. But if you notice, there were fewer launches than ever at the Auto Expo this time. That's why most brands did not bother calling their brand ambassadors. The number of launches has been low because of a general slowdown in the auto sector in India." Someone like John Abraham – who has been constant at the show for over a decade – was conspicuous by his absence.
Akshay Kumar drew huge crowds during his visits in the previous two editions; (Above) The actor at the expo in 2018
Did Coronavirus scare keep the celebs away?
A lot of visitors and exhibitors at the event could be seen wearing face masks in light of the Coronavirus scare prevalent in all of Asia. Was that also a reason for some stars staying away? Exhibitors say it could have contributed to some of them giving the event a miss. "Nobody has said on record that this is the reason a star won't visit but many stars' representatives did express concerns about it. It may not have been the biggest reason but could have been a factor in some people's decision,” says an organiser on the condition of anonymity.
Katrina Kaif attended the expo in 2016
The absence of celebs did not mean fewer people at the expo but it did dull the experience for many. Nachiket S, a Gurgaon resident who has been visiting the expo since 2012, says, "There is no time table as to when a star will visit the expo. But in previous years, there were one or two celebs every year. This year, there was nobody for days. The main aim of my going there was to see the cars but it was strange not even getting a glimpse of one star." Tanya Singh, a student, adds, "Our college is close to the venue we go there every year. My seniors have selfies with stars they met at the expo in the previous editions. But we found nobody there this time. It looked slightly low key."
Kareena attended the expo in 2014
Not just Bollywood stars, even the sporting fraternity was missing
But it's not just Bollywood that has been absent from the expo this year. The sporting fraternity hasn't made its presence felt either. While previous editions of the event would see visits by top cricketers like Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar, Zaheer Khan, and Gautam Gambhir, this year, the only sportsperson present was former Formula One driver Narain Karthikeyan. "With the Indian cricket team on tour and most other top stars busy with other commitments, none of them could be here. Sachin, who was a constant here for the auto brand he endorses, was also not available," says an insider from the organising team. The Indian cricket team – led by Virat Kohli – are touring New Zealand while Sachin Tendulkar was in Australia to take part in a charity cricket match held simultaneously as the expo. It is the first time in a decade that Sachin wasn't present at the biennial event.
Celebs who visited this year
SRK led a handful of celebs, including Huma Qureshi, Soha Ali Khan, Daler Mehndi, Gul Panag, Angad Bedi and Narain Karthikeyan, who did
attend the expo this year