Having a famous surname and two generations of explosive talent to match up to isn’t easy. Abhishek Bachchan has realised it the hard way in his 16 years in the Indian film industry. That’s also perhaps the reason he is matter-of-fact when asked about the advantage of his lineage as the owner of two sporting franchises – the Jaipur Pink Panthers in the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) and Chennaiyin FC in the Indian Super League (ISL).
“You only realise that if you are using your surname to achieve something, and there no specific doors we have knocked on here – we only deal with the federations, which have been very supportive, and Mashaal Sports (for PKL) that runs the league,” he says during a sit-down interview, settling the issue.
For all the critique of his acting abilities, Abhishek is a man easy to be impressed with. There is a clarity of thought and purpose that is rare and an ability to articulate them that’s rarer still. But it is while talking about his sporting connect that the man gets passionate. In Jaipur for his team’s home games in the fourth edition of the PKL, Abhishek admits the side hasn’t done too well despite a title in the inaugural season but isn’t too fazed about it, preferring to look at the promotion of the sport itself.
“I had been looking to do something with sports but I was very sure of one thing – if I am going to get involved, it has to be in a sport and with a sport where I can try and make a difference,” he says, adding that that was one of the reasons he didn’t get involved with cricket – “they have fantastic facilities and great structure for the youth – whereas kabaddi was virgin territory.
“Kabaddi was a sport which I felt I could make a change or an improvement in. To add to it, it’s India’s sport, there’s a certain ownership and pride about it. It’s got its roots in our mythology, its origins in the ‘Mahabharat’ – the gloves just fit. I would like to believe that we have made a difference to the sport, the players, the coaches and the infrastructure, though we mustn’t forget also that this is just the third year,” he explains.
As co-owner of a football team as well – a sport as far apart from kabaddi as possible – Abhishek insists the reality of the sport at home and internationally is vastly different. “That was another sport that, although internationally it has fantastic infrastructure, I felt in India we can do a lot to improve it. And I would like to believe, at least in and around Chennai, we have made a difference,” he says adding he would love to be associated with another sport that is synonymous with India – hockey.
“I saw the Champions Trophy a week ago and it's become so exciting – the players have become so athletic, they are flamboyant in their style of play, the game has evolved into a very exciting sport. I think hockey is just waiting to be repackaged and I would love to do something with it,” he says, accepting that packaging played a big role in selling a sport – just like films.
“Packaging is very important. The greatest advantage we had was that people did not know what to expect. To package and present it in a new way has been the clincher. Kabaddi is today modernised, fast, competitive and it’s all about strategy,” he admits.
His level of involvement in both his franchises, however, is very different. “Kabaddi is the first baby and I literally micromanage it. I am part of the team meetings, I am with the team during practice, it’s 100 percent hands-on whereas in football I would say it’s 80 percent. I have a partner there so it’s different. Also, there are very different dynamics at play. The footballers are more worldly! The kabaddi players are still learning about the whole sporting infrastructure whereas a footballer just expects it. Also, kabaddi just starting off and so needs that much more support,” he says.
While insisting that the team was more like a family where anyone from the top of the ladder to the bottom was approachable for the players, Abhishek agrees that there is line that neither crosses. “They are very respectful but I think that’s just polite behaviour. I am not going to back-slap them or ask them about their personal lives unless they want me to or I think it’s something I need to do,” he says.
Promotions for films may be par for the course but Abhishek insists he would not drag his players to an entertainment show just for the sake of it. “I haven’t thought about it (cross-media promotion) but my thinking is, this is a sport so let’s keep it a sport. In today’s day and age we tend to kind of do that a bit too much.
“I have never thought it beneficial to take them to maybe a Comedy Nights with Kapil , they are not comfortable. Also, unlike cricket, kabaddi hasn’t reached a stage yet where these people are larger than life. We do a lot of promotional activities at schools et al though,” he says.
While acknowledging the star power he is able to draw for his teams, Abhishek is categorical that people do not come to see them. “An actor in the stands doesn’t make a sport popular. Who’s to say who’s a bigger star at IPL – my father or Sachin Tendulkar? If your sport isn’t exciting, people will see a star for maybe five minutes. You can add these decorations but if the basic foundation is weak, it won’t work,” he signs off.
