Juhi Chawla and Jahnavi in a still from the video. (courtesy: iamjuhichawla)
Highlights
- "She began to understand the intricacies of the game," wrote Juhi
- "Her knowledge on the topic, is to me, astounding," she added
- "It was so unusual and so intense," Juhi wrote
The Kolkata Knight Riders or KKR table at last weekend's mega Indian Premier League (IPL) auction in Bengaluru found itself in the spotlight - not just because of the players it bid for but also because of three young bidders - siblings Aryan and Suhana Khan, and Jahnavi Mehta. All three were at the IPL auction representing their parents, KKR co-owners Shah Rukh Khan and Juhi Chawla. The youngest, Jahnavi will be 20 this month, was also the veteran of the trio; it was Suhana's first time at an IPL auction, Aryan's second and Jahnavi's third. As mom Juhi revealed in an Instagram post today, Jahnavi is a true-blue cricket fan and has been since she was 12.
In her post, Juhi Chawla revealed that 12-year-old Jahnavi spent a holiday in Bali devouring a book on cricket in between swim time and general pre-teen mischief. Since then, her enthusiasm for cricket has grown just as she has. "Ever since she was a little girl, Jahnavi didn't just watch IPL, she began to watch cricket. Listening intently to the commentators, she began to understand the intricacies of the game. When she was about 12-years-old, we were in Bali on a family holiday. At the hotel was a coffee table book, the size of (what used to be) a thick telephone directory, remember those? It had the life stories, achievements, records, a sort of almanac, of allllll the cricketers of the world. In the few days that we spent at the hotel, in between her jumping into the pool and behaving like a mad hatter, she sat at the poolside gazebo and read that book cover to cover! It was so unusual and so intense. Which 12-year-old girl does that I wondered? As the years have passed her interest in the game has only increased. When cricket is discussed, her face lights up, she is happy and enthused. Her knowledge on the topic, is to me, astounding," Juhi Chawla wrote.
Jahnavi attended her first IPL auction at just 17, Juhi Chawla revealed, thanking KKR CEO Venky Mysore for his mentoring. "She's just like a young intern," wrote Jahnavi's mother, and the CEO calls her "coach," to Jahnavi's delight. In her post, Juhi Chawla wrote: "Jahnavi set a sort of record of being the youngest person to be allowed at the IPL Auction table 3 years ago, she was just 17. Aryan and Jahnavi attended the last auction, and this time Suhana joined them. It is extremely kind of Mr Venky Mysore, our CEO, who allows her to participate in important discussions and even encourages her to voice her views. He fondly calls her 'Coach.' Of course she is just like a young intern, training at the KKR camp, but she feels so puffed about it. She is where her heart is, and it shows. As a mother I feel blessed, happy and proud of the little girl. She is extremely bright, has a long way to go, with God's grace, she is on her way."
See Juhi Chawla's post here:
Pictures of Aryan and Suhana Khan and Jahnavi Mehta at the IPL auction in Bengaluru on February 12 and 13 went viral. The KKR Twitter handle shared this post on strategy lesson from CEO Venky Mysore to "Gen-Next."
During the 2021 auction, the KKR handle shared pictures of Jahnavi Mehta, tweeting: "The youngest bidder in IPL Auction history is back."
Juhi Chawla is the star of films such as Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, Hum Hai Rahi Pyar Ke, Ishq, Aaina and Jhankaar Beats. With Shah Rukh Khan, she made a string of successful movies like Yes Boss and Darr. She married industrialist Jay Mehta in 1995; together with SRK, they became co-owners of KKR in 2008.