New Delhi:
In an interview to NDTV's Barkha Dutt, actor Preity Zinta says there are no benami holdings or proxy owners in her IPL team, Kings XI. She also says that IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi should be given a fair trial (he stands accused of financial crimes) and asserts "of course IPL will survive this."
Here's the full transcript of the interview:NDTV: For the past ten days the headlines of this country has been dominated by what has been called as the IPL gate, but now many people are asking how this thing is going to end. Is this is all about cleaning up the governance of cricket? Is that what's going to happen or is political shadow boxing of a kind overtaking the entire controversy? What about the morale of the owners, where do they stand? And what will happen to Lalit Modi and the game of cricket and brand of IPL? Joining us now in her first interview since this controversy erupted is co-owner of Kings XI Punjab and well known actor and an entrepreneur Preity Zinta. Preity, It must be terribly disturbing for people like yourselves to watch what's happening to a brand that was once the most glamorous coveted brand in this country.
Preity: Of course Barkha. It is really sad. It is really sad to see what's happening on every television channel and it is really sad that there is so much speculation being carried out as news where the IPL is concerned. For me it is more heartbreaking because you know we have just come out of the tournament last on the table and then you end up seeing all that is coming out about the IPL so I really hope that as the investigations are on, let the investigation go on. Let the truth come out. Let us reduce the speculation for sure.
NDTV: Now Preity, the IPL awards were virtually boycotted by the BCCI. They were attended by you, they were attended by Shilpa and Sharukh. Do you think this has become as the owners versus the BCCI?
Preity: No, I do not think so it's the owners versus the BCCI. I think it has always been each to his own - how individually people react to different situations. For us we had committed going to the awards and we went to the awards and I must say they were pretty nice. It was nice to see all the cricketers relaxing and it was nice to see different cricketers from different teams and countries coming together and laughing together. Yes, I think it would have been different if this controversy wasn't there but they were pretty good and I think Sharukh and Karan - everybody made it really very special.
NDTV: Preity, I want to talk to you about the controversy that has engulfed the IPL. In specific it seems to have dragged in your team as well along with two other teams. What sources are now telling us as they are investigating the whole issue of proxy holdings or 'benami' holdings - the allegation is that there are three teams now under the scanner - KKR, Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI on the allegation of proxy holdings. Before I get into the details, your first response to this allegation that there is a benami ownership in Kings XI.
Preity: Well Barkha, first of all I would like to know who are these sources and if they really are sources they should come out. A and B it's really sad, I am going to take it a little humorous because I am fed up of being depressed, but it's really sad. Earlier on, someone said some bought me the team. Now they are saying there are benami sources that own the team. I mean why is it difficult for people to believe that I can put in my money or someone else can put in his money and there is something called as Right to Information. People can go and find out instead of speculating. Just couple of days ago I would like to say this on air as it is regarding a very, very dear friend of mine called Akash Arora, because I read it in the paper 'Who is Akash Arora'. He is a dear friend of mine from years and years and years and I told him you have to come to support me and be my friend and the next thing I hear is he is a hidden owner of Kings XI Punjab and he is this and that. Poor guy, he doesn't even have one rupee invested in the IPL or for that matter in my team. So just random things coming out. We ourselves don't know what the truth is because there is so much randomness happening, and you know this is not the yellow journalism happening - who is having an affair with who and you can speculate - such hard allegations against people. I have full faith in the system. I believe that if someone is going to investigate and clean up the game and if they feel there is something in there, please go ahead. We will support everybody. But just random allegations and I can say this on behalf of Kings XI Punjab, it's really sad.
NDTV: You yourself brought up Akash Arora's example or allegation before I could but let me ask you more on that right now. The allegation according to income tax preliminary reports, and I'm saying these are preliminary reports, these are allegations. But the allegation is that Akash's company Netlink Blue is a front for Lalit Modi.
Preity: No, no.
NDTV: That he is a close associate of Gaurav Burman who in turn has a proxy ownership in your team.
Preity: No, no, no. Barkha, I'm telling you Barkha I think I know the truth and if there's one percent any doubt that it isn't the truth, then maybe I'm sadly mistaken. But I don't think so. That was a company of his that was a sponsor for our team. We had Netlink Blue on our t-shirts last year. He doesn't hold a single stake in the team at all and it's impossible that he owns any stake in our team and if there was even this much of a doubt that he owned any stake in our team, I would not come on camera and be so adamant about it and say that to you. I really wouldn't. I would go into a little cave and hide and hope I never see you again.
NDTV: I hope that doesn't happen but what about Gaurav Burman?
Preity: I hope that doesn't happen because you know when I was a little kid, my dad always told me that if you want to live like a tiger and be like a lion, then don't do things that are like a little rat. So I've always been straightforward, I've always been upfront. So now it really makes me sad to keep saying that this one doesn't hold a stake in our team, that one doesn't hold a stake. So as I said, you can check. You can check the bid documents, you can check who paid how much money. It's all, what do you call it, on board. It's all clean cut, and sure, if someone wants to investigate, they are more than welcome to investigate, because if there is anything anywhere in this, we would also like to know.
NDTV: Preity, I want to ask you about Gaurav Burman who has the internet rights, who's also a relative of Lalit Modi. People raising conflict of interest questions, people are again saying that Gaurav is fronting for Lalit Modi. What is Gaurav's connection to Kings XI?
Preity: You know, when the bid happened, I feel bad for Gaurav also now. When the bid happened, there were initial three people who went into it. That was Mohit Burman, Karan Paul and me - three of us. Of course, Gaurav is Mohit's brother. Much later on, he asked us if he could come in. Sure. Why not? He came in. That's all I know. I don't know about his other projects. I don't know. It's unfair for me to comment on it because it's a bit odd that all these controversies come and everybody is pointing fingers at everyone and I go and say that oh, can you tell me this about you and can you tell that about you. But I think that the company he holds, they're the Dabur family. They're a very respectable family. They have a lot of money. I don't think he would be fronting for anybody.
NDTV: But Preity, there is a whole question of corporate governance and transparency. People are saying that Gaurav is a relative of Lalit. That Lalit oversees the entire bidding process. Should his relatives have investments in teams as Gaurav does in yours?
Preity: I think this is a question you should ask Gaurav. Sorry to put him on the spotlight but as I'd like to say, I'm speaking for myself, I'm not speaking for other teams but when the bids were going on for this team, the markets had crashed. Not for this team, sorry but for the league, the markets had crashed. Everyone at that point was saying that this is a bad idea, don't do this and I remember Lalit talking about how he had dreamt of this league, how this would be the most spectacular league to have. Different players from all over the world coming together to play in the Indian Premier League. We believed in him at that point and it was something so spontaneous just the way life is so dynamic, it was something nobody thought that like ok, we're going to go into this and that's why if you look at the bid, the bid was on my name. And I remember a friend sitting and saying that are you sure we should do it and I said, yes we should do it and I believe in it. I find it really odd that today it has become about Gaurav Burman being part of it, who came in much later into the picture.
NDTV: I understand what you're saying. You're saying that in some ways, it's an insult to you. That's it's not about you anymore.
Preity: Absolutely. I'm fed up of telling people that I've invested my own money because somebody thinks that somebody bought it for me and now that somebody's fronting it for me. I've spent two years of my life staying away from films and trying to make something out of it and working hard on it. Only to find out now that somebody's fronting it. It's really ridiculous.
NDTV: And of course there are other conflicts of interest. The BCCI, the BCCI secretary owns a team and the BCCI isn't really talking about those. But Preity looking ahead, there are also allegations of match fixing. Nothing credible, nothing proven yet. But does that bother you as team owner?
Preity: Yes. I think if there are any allegations of match fixing, it bothers me. But allegations. Now there've been so many allegations about other things. I don't know if they're true or its made just to sensationalise the news and if there is that one per cent chance, I would hope they investigate it because I don't think it's fair on the owners, it's not fair on the fans. But as I said, if they're allegations. We've as it is come to the bottom of the table so it may sound like I'm crying about it but yes, if there's any sleaze in the cricket, I personally would love to see it cleaned up but then again, somebody saying there are allegations and stuff like that, I really can't comment on it.
NDTV: On your twitter page, you've been talking about how the media's completely sensationalized the story. You've also been talking about Lalit Modi. What is your assessment of Lalit Modi? Are the owners stills standing by him?
Preity: I'm going to answer this in two parts. And I'm sorry if I get a bit personal about it but time and again I've had issues with the media. Sometimes I think the media needs to be applauded like in the Jessica Lall case. When the Jessica Lall case came up, I think the media was spectacular and it really made a huge difference. But the other side of the coin is when random things become news. First it was said, on your very own channel that we were sold to Hero Honda which was absolutely I don't know from where. Then it came that we were sold to Videocon which I don't know absolutely it came from where. Then it came that somebody else holds stake, that my friend is a front for somebody which is again completely random. So when you see news like that, you, I don't know what to believe because a news channel essentially has to be news. The media has to be accountable. That's one part of your question.
Second part of the question that when we got into this league, Lalit was definitely the magician where the league is concerned because the way he made things happen, he's very sharp, quick thinking. You know every time we had problems, he would work something around it, so he really played a very important part in bringing this league to where it is today, to creating it, to getting people together to say trust in me, believe in me. This is what we want to go forward with the league. So hats off to him for this. It's really unfortunate what's happening, and if there's anything more to it, then let there be proper investigations, let people find out the truth not through sensationalism in the media but from the correct sources and I think the last part of your question. All owners had come. There was Nita there, the guys from Rajasthan Royals, Shahrukh had come for the IPL awards. Deccan was there. I think most of the people were there. I can't speak for any and everybody but everybody's waiting and seeing what's happening.
NDTV: Vijay Mallya in an interview to me said that he didn't think there was any need to replace Lalit Modi as the chairman of IPL, that the income tax investigations, as you are saying, had to go on a parallel track. Do you believe that Lalit Modi should be replaced at least until the internal probe happens or do you think it's a political game plan and it's unfair to Lalit Modi?
Preity: In all of this because there's so much confusion and you don't know exactly what the truth is, I think it's very unfair to just tick somebody off. I really think so because first when you point a finger at someone, you have to prove it first. You know in this country, you just say something and everybody thinks that person is guilty and you kill the person, you bury the person and then a couple of years later, somebody turns around and says oh, by the way that wasn't true which goes the other way. The whole world knew what happened to Jessica. The whole world knew and still it took eleven years for that person to get justice, so come on. It's very easy to look at someone and say that about that one. And it's very difficult for me to sit out here and sit in judgement. All I can say is that he's a great guy, he's done a lot of things for this league and I really hope whatever happens, is fair to him.
NDTV: Do you think he's being made a fall guy?
Preity: I don't know. If I knew, if I was 'miss know it all', it would be different. But the way everything is happening, the whole country's focussing on the IPL. Every politician, due respect to each one of them, has something to say about the IPL. I don't know what to think anymore if you ask me.
NDTV: Are you worried?
Preity: I get surprised if the liftman doesn't ask me a question about the IPL, because I'm like everybody is talking about the IPL which is great in a way but I wish they would focus on the game, I wish they would focus on the sport which everybody's completely ignored.
NDTV: Do you find it a coincidence that the three teams under the income tax scanner are all connected to the film industry? I was wondering about that. Do you see any pattern in that?
Preity: I didn't think of it like that but I guess we are not big corporate to go one smack on anybody.
NDTV: That's very cynical.
Preity: Maybe we bring more eyeballs. I don't know. I can't speak for anybody but I do know that Shahrukh is pretty straight. I've worked for years with him. I don't think he'd do this. And whatever I know of Shilpa, but you know anyway, I can't make comments like that but I guess the fastest way to get eyeballs is through actors but that's me being unfair. That's what I'm saying. Let the investigations happen. Let them come out with whatever they are finding. We are open to a clear investigation. No issues at all. But I can only speak for myself and I can only speak for Kings XI Punjab. And nobody's holding any bina naami or whatever you call them.
NDTV: Benami.
Preity: Benami. Sorry.
NDTV: Let ..
Preity: Benami means?
NDTV: Without the right name. With a false name. Benaam. Without a name. Without the correct name. So ownership under a cloud, allegations of tax evasion. Illegal money. Do any of these disturb you?
Preity: Well, of course they disturb me because I've paid tax all my life on every single cent I've earned. I think it disturbs me because I'm not saying other people don't work hard but I've worked really hard. I've gone in minus 2 degrees and danced and said 8 page dialogues in Lakshya. Anyway it's all hard earned money. If anyone wants to check my books, they're most welcome to. As I said earlier, I'm pretty straight. I can just talk for myself. I don't know what else to say.
NDTV: Do you think given how things are going, many people like yourself or Shilpa or Shahrukh will even stay on in the IPL or the IPL's going to survive as a brand?
Preity: Of course, the IPL is going to survive as a brand. It's a brilliant brand. I think it's something all Indians should be proud of. In 3 years, look at where this league has gone to. In the first year, it had 2.1 billion eyeballs. Of course it's going to stay. Maybe, you know they say in every adversity, look for an opportunity. Maybe this is one way that if there was any confusion here, and if there was anything to find out here, maybe this is the time for it to all come out but definitely this brand is going to survive. It's one of the greatest sporting events in the world. And it has to survive till we win this league.
NDTV: That's right, that's true. But there are those who're saying that the IPL can't survive without Lalit Modi.
Preity: We have to wait and watch. Hoping the things that things are going to be fine with him. So let's wait and watch.
NDTV: So you are hoping that Lalit will still stay on as IPL chairman?
Preity: I don't know. I really do not know. I'm not in the governing council. I'm not in the government. I'm not one of the sources. I'm just really a nice team owner. So I'm as confused as everybody else. So I really don't know what's going to happen Barkha.
NDTV: Last question. Are you worried that with the number of politicians who seem to have an opinion now about the IPL? That politics in a sense is going to take down the IPL. This has become a platform for politicians to settle their scores.
Preity: I don't know. I just hope that anybody who says that first of all inquiry should be, as the inquiry happening should not be politician based. It should be clean and clear from everybody else and yes if people have agendas they should just have solved them separately. I don't know why everything is being, but you know that's India. When some things happen everybody points a finger, then something else happens, everybody points a finger. So that's India. That's what makes us who we are.
NDTV: Any comments on the tax raids that have taken place in the gaze of television cameras, including at your offices.
Preity: No comments. What can I say? If somebody has to do a proper investigation, they obviously have to go everything. So I'm glad it's happening. Everything is eventually going to come out. At least now people will stop saying that nobody bought me a team.
NDTV: And your team's not up for sale. Even now, even after all this.
Preity: My team, if you do a stock offload or you do this or that, it's a different story but every time there's some random news. So I hope in the future anything that comes out about us should be correct and call me, I'm available.
NDTV: Will do. Thank you taking all our questions and being as candid and feisty as ever.
Preity: Thank you Barkha.