Apart from raking in the moolah at the box office, many Bollywood A-listers have diversified their interests by owning stakes in professional sports teams. From cricket to football and kabaddi, these celebs have hit a home run by combining their star power with their passion for sports.
Leading the pack is none other than Shah Rukh Khan, the undisputed "Badshah of Bollywood." The superstar co-owns the hugely successful Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) franchise in the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket tournament. "God has given me status and money. And instead of buying a plane and living an extravagant life, I want to invest money in sports," Khan was quoted saying by Reuters. But his sports empire doesn't stop there - he also has a stake in teams like the Trinbago Knight Riders (CPL), Cape Town Knight Riders (SA20), and LA Knight Riders (MLC).
Not to be outdone, Abhishek Bachchan has a diverse sports portfolio. The actor is a co-owner of the Jaipur Pink Panthers in the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) and the Chennaiyin FC team in the Indian Super League (ISL) football tournament. "I love going to the movies, and that is possibly the biggest contribution to my becoming an actor. I am a huge kabaddi and football fan and that is the reason for me to get involved in the sport," the Paa actor added in an interview with Hindu Business Line.
Actress Preity Zinta is a familiar face at IPL matches, cheering on her team, Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings). The actress co-owns the franchise and considers promoting cricket at the grassroots level a matter of great pride. "My father used to have tournaments in his name in Himachal Pradesh. I wanted to set up a sports school in Himachal. Then, I heard about the BCCI opening up an avenue for private participation in the IPL and I jumped at it," she stated in an interview with Economic Times.
John Abraham, the poster boy for fitness in Bollywood, has invested in the Northeast United FC team in the ISL. "I love sport, and I think sport is religion. If you see me, I am an outdoor person. I believe I live a very healthy lifestyle. And I just want to make sure that all the youngsters of today lead a lifestyle like this," the actor was quoted as saying by Indian Express.
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Ranbir Kapoor's love for football is no secret, and the actor has put his money where his heart is by buying a stake in Mumbai City FC, the ISL champions in 2021. "Sports in India is picking up and growing exponentially as a culture. We're lucky to be a part of this process and it makes us proud whenever we can contribute to this positive trend," Kapoor reflected in a recent interview with Indian Express.
Taapsee Pannu's impressive roster of sports biopics is a testament to her love for athletics. "I love sports and always feel if I wasn't an actor, I would've aspired to become a sportsperson," the actress stated in an interview with News18. Pannu took her passion a step further by investing in the Pune 7 Aces badminton team that competed in the Premier Badminton League.
With their star power and deep pockets, these Bollywood bigwigs are not only entertaining audiences on the silver screen but also scoring big on the sports field.
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