Shah Rukh Khan the boss

Sourav Ganguly, once more, is feeling like the Prince of Kolkata. And the man who gave him back his crown and position of pride in the City of Joy, is Bollywood Badshah Shah Rukh Khan.

The two, ably assisted by cricketers as diverse as Ishant Sharma of India, Ricky Ponting of Australia and Shoaib Akhtar of Pakistan, drive the Indian Premier League’s team Kolkata Knights. If SRK is sparkle and wit and all zesty effervescence, then Ganguly is newfound resilience and quiet strength.

The bossman of Kolkata Knights and the Twenty-20 team’s captain, spent a few minutes with BombayTimes (BT) before padding up to face the press in Mumbai on Thursday...

BT: Who’s the boss here, the Bollywood Badshah or Prince of Kolkata?
Ganguly: It’s Shah Rukh Khan who’s the boss.

BT: And the show stealer?
Ganguly: He only, he’s a great actor and entertainer, the media loves him. So all the attention on SRK is justified.

BT: Why cricket?
SRK: I love the game. I have played soccer, hockey and cricket in my school and college days. My parents supported whatever I wanted to do, from theatre to sports. My joining the cricket is not a social service, I’m involving myself with the game, it’s a social obligation.

BT: Who is the first cricketer you’ve ever met?
SRK: When I was 16, I had gone to Pakistan with my mother. We bumped into Imran Khan. Excited, I went up to him and shook hands. But Pakistan had lost a match that day, and he was in a foul mood. It was bad timing. He brushed me aside. Yet it was the highpoint of my trip and later I bragged to friends that I touched Imran Khan. I also met Wasim Akram at the airport. It was more pleasant.

BT: How does it feel to be boss of Kolkata Knights?
SRK: I’m not the boss here. We have divided the work. I’m in charge of the entertainment part. Sourav and John Buchanan, the cricket. And Jai and Juhi, the administration. I don’t step into their areas. We will work in tandem, the single unifying factor driving us is constructive aggression. It’s our mantra. This is not about winning the silver, but losing the gold. That’s the attitude we all have and I am glad my team thinks like me. I always tell my son Aryan, if you can’t score the goal, eat up the ball but don’t give up.
Ganguly: There is mutual trust and respect between all of us. I have known Shah Rukh for quite some time, and it’s a privilege to be captaining his team. He is a bundle of raw energy waiting to explode. His drive and hunger is in itself a huge inspiration. He is not called the Badshah for nothing.

BT: How will you divide time between films and cricket?
SRK: I’m an entertainer first then a sportsman. I know my priorities and I have worked out strategies so that one role doesn’t overlap the other. I’m not going out and doing the playing. I will do everything possible to bring in the entertainment. But if there is a tournament for the above-35, I would love to play. You can now call me a sports-actor.

BT: Will you offer Ganguly a role in films?
SRK: No. Har player ki ek dignity hoti hai and I will accord him that. In fun, yes, maybe for a music video.
Ganguly: Shah Rukh knows my strength.

Afsana Ahmed, Times Of India - Bombay Times