Bollywood superstar and owner of the Kolkata Knight Riders franchise in the Indian Premier League feels that all the franchises would lose some money in the first year of the T-20 cricket series.
In an interview published in the Times of India, Shah Rukh Khan, however, expresses confidence that the IPL would be a success in the years ahead. "It is the first time and as a business venture this too will require a gestation period." he said in the interview to the newspaper.
He attempted to refute reports that the franchisees felt cheated by the IPL and said, "All of us know that there are going to be losses to a certain level and if God forbid the losses are huge, then I am sure the IPL will look into it."
The Bollywood Badshah who reportedly forked out Rs.300 crore for owning the Sourav Ganguly-led Knight Riders, said he was perturbed by the repeated demands for money from the stadium authorities in the form of entertainment tax, municipality tax and the cost of providing security cover through the police forces.
"I had told my people that whatever is the running cost, ticket price se sirt 10 per cent jyaada mila toh (if I get 10 per cent from ticket price), it is enough for us. I am not looking at making money out of it," Shah Rukh Khan said in the interview published in today's Times of India.
On the media restrictions, Shah Rukh Khan said the the franchises were not informed about it. He claimed that the concept was a western one and would soon come to India. "The content or the bi-product of the leage matches in the west are a value addition and th emedia buys it for exclusivity," he said in the published interview.
Source: India Syndicate
