Mumbai, May 27: Amitabh Bachchan saluted him with a ‘sir’. Shah Rukh Khan enquired about his ankle injury. Preity Zinta couldn’t stop giggling after he presented her with an award. The local crowd reserved all their lusty ceetees for him, much to the chagrin of Vivek Oberoi who hated to see someone else being pawed. Brett Lee, the blond smasher from Down Under became the most talked about and photographed guest in the Lion City. Lee was invited to take part in the IIFA foundation charity football match, but due to his injury, he had to sit it out. And though brother Shane scored two goals, everybody at the Jalen Baser stadium turned back to look at Brett’s reaction, leaving Shane to celebrate his jubilation all by himself. So what is Lee’s connection with Bollywood? Perhaps the same as Sachin Tendulkar and Nicole Kidman! After Steve Waugh’s exit from the cricketing circle, Lee is the most famous Aussie in India. He is, as an Australian journalist says, ‘‘Australia’s young ambassador to India.’’ A new Indophile, Lee saunters in the country with more ease than even Adnan Sami. His manager Katrina Walters confirms Lee’s love for India. ‘‘Oh, Brett loves anything to do with India. He just needs a reason to visit,’’ she reveals. And at the red carpet ceremony before the awards night, Walters was heard striking a deal with an Indian photographer. ‘‘Brett has to present an award to an actress, most probably I think it will be Preity Zinta since she is the top contender,’’ she had correctly guessed. ‘‘Will you please click a photo because that is sure to get me in the Aussie papers.’’ Lee did end up giving the award to Zinta the paparazzi did go on an overdrive. But some bits of Lee’s charisma might not make it to papers. The fact that he hardly slept for two days as he was busy checking all the night spots the country had to offer. (Or that an Indian actress was spotted coming out of his room in the early hours of the morning of the awards.) Cricket’s poster boy is aware of the punch he packs. At the football match when he saw Mahima Chaudhry and Preity Zinta land up on the field to cheer the boys, Lee whispered, ‘‘Indian actresses, mate, Indian actresses.’’