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My team gets the flak mostly because of me: SRK
Three days after his franchise Kolkata Knight Riders winning the Indian Premier League, Shah Rukh Khan is still celebrating. The Bollywood star called a press conference at his residence Mannat, in Bandra, on Wednesday, after returning to Mumbai following a victory parade in Kolkata and party at Prabudehva's house in Chennai, to talk about the triumph in the fifth edition of the cash-rich T20 tournament and his row the Mumbai Cricket Association.
Patcy N presents excerpts from the media interaction.Your team has gone through so many things, how has the journey been?
It's been a good ride... when you run something in which you have no part to play in. It is also wrong that I am participating in the press conference without my team members, but somewhere I feel that because of me my team has to listen to bad things as well as good things; but both are in extremes. Since I am from films, I felt for the team personally; there are other teams that lose too, but my team gets the flak mostly because of me. Young boys who have come from small towns just to play have to listen to things because of me.
In the last three - four years we have been part of many a controversy, so it was important for me to get the monkey off our backs. Me, Jay (Mehta) and Juhi (Chawla) have always been outsiders; we wanted to do something for the youngsters, that's why we got into this.
I am very happy that youngsters, including my children, are thrilled that this monkey is off our backs. I hope that this will make all the players and team members, everyone, a little more positive about themselves. I am thrilled that L Balaji has been resurgent, I am happy that Manvinder Bisla is a known person now, Manoj Tiwary will get a chance in national cricket. Even players who are not with us, like Vridhiman Saha, Mandeep Singh, Srivast Goswami, are doing well. I keep following their progress; they are young guys who started with us when they were just 19, and some even fewer than 18, now they will also be positive.
'Gautam has taught me a thing or two about leading people'
Tell us about your captain, Gautam Gambhir. Do you think he should be captain of the national team now?
I can't talk about any aspect of cricket; there are lots of things involved in it. As I have always claimed, I don't know much about cricket. Having dealt with Gautam Gambhir for two years, we have now played 40 matches together, including this year and last year. Having spent time with a young boy like him, I have realized that he is very disciplined and extra strict at times, but he is so focused he has taught me a thing or two about leading people. Whether he should be the captain of the national side, I think, I can't give opinion on that; you need an expert cricketer to reply to that, or the selectors.
What was so special this time around? Do you think that KKR actually cracked it?
In sports you can't say that. Whatever I understand, according to that, losing is the least important aspect for the team. We have got the cup, so we can say we have cracked it. I don't think that's the way it works. The greatness of the team is how they have worked together and how they feel for it.
Lot of the boys in last two-three years have felt the pressure for working for the team of a film star, so I am happy that pressure is off. They have identity of their own. Whether there is a boy called Sarabjit Ladda, who has not played a single match, or Jaidev Unadkar, who has played couple of matches, all of them now feel part of the team.
Gautam Gambhir has taken a decision of sticking to players who are not in righteous of form and were criticised by others, but kept them in the team and instilled confidence in them. Gautam kept of saying 'let's back each other up', which was great on his part. It meant if you are not good today let the other guy take the responsibility.
I think that aspect has helped the team; results may be different in other matches.
'I admire Preity, Gayatri, because, come what may, they stand there and smile'
Shah Rukh, you attended maximum matches this year. Did you think that if you are there your team will win?
I wanted to watch all the matches, because I don't believe in winning, losing. But if we were losing I wanted to be there for the team members.
I admire two team owners -- Preity Zinta (Punjab Kings XI) and Gayatri Reddy (Deccan Charges) -- because, come what may, they stand there and smile, unlike me who gets angry; they cheer their team even in loss. That requires lot of guts. My heart goes out for owners who are like that. I remember, when we lost a match in Kolkata to Punjab, I locked myself in a room for six hours; I did not want to meet anyone!
Are you going to start a cricket academy in Kolkata?
I saw a gentleman telling that why are they celebrating in Kolkata, there are just five players from Kolkata. So, that gentleman doesn't watch when a Bengali player is not playing. Does he not watch my film? I would like to believe that he does and I am from Delhi, I have lived in Bangalore, my mother is from Hyderabad and my father is from Peshawar and Kashmir, and I work in Mumbai and my team is from Kolkata. And I say, 'how dare anyone say that there is no point in celebrating a city team just because there are five players from that part?' How is Gautam less Indian or Kolkatan or Bengali or Mumbaikar than anybody else? It is a home ground? We have lots of support in Kolkata, if we can afford to, why not?
'I wanted to take off and fly from the balcony; that's how happy I was'
Tell us how you felt after the victory?
I will tell you about the strangest feeling. I have seen lots of people analysing movie stars; they talk about my mental equilibrium, but I felt that if I stood on the balcony and took off I would fly; that's how happy I was!
My daughter and my sister caught me and stopped me. I am not silly or insane. I want to express the feeling of 50 people who have moved with us for five years. If you spoke to those boys you would realise, here have been days when Chris Gale has cried after match; Dada would not eat for a day. We have had lots of ups and downs, so to be able to achieve this was one of the nicest feelings that I have had in my life also.
My daughter Suhana feels that every time she came to watch the match we won, and this time I was hoping we win. I have always told my children hard work pays off. The team and everyone have been working hard for three-four years and it has paid off.
I was very angry, and out of joy after the victory I did the cart wheel. I heard somebody say I was showing my shoe. I wasn't! There was this boy who told whenever I wore torn jeans my team wins, and this I was not wearing a torn jeans; I was just trying to show him that my jeans is torn at the bottom so I was showing him the bottom of my jeans not my shoes. I am an employee of my audience and I cannot be rude to them.
'I have decided that in a year one fight is enough'
About the controversy with the MCA (Mumbai Cricket Association)...
I want to say I did not like the fact that I misbehaved in front of kids, I abused people. As a father, as a person, I have a reason in mind why I did that, but I have no justification for the fact that however angry I am, however disturbed I am, I cannot subject my children or my audience to all this.
Lot of people think I am a role model, but I am not. I sleep late, I drink lots of coffee, I am film actor. Lot of people think it is a bad profession to be in, plus I party a lot. I have decided that in a year one fight is enough.
I feel embarrassed that when I came home my wife and my children spoke to me; I was ashamed that my kids are big enough to explain and point out to me my mistake.
There were so many analysts who spoke about my behaviour that day and they went on and on for hours. I would want to apologise to my fans and my viewers that they had to see the face of this analyst and sit through the shows.
Finally, I want to say that my fight was not with an association; it was with one individual! So I don't want to get into discussion whether I am with the association or whether I am apologising to them or not.
'In the last five years I have changed and realised that I can also fail'
Tell us what went into your mind during the last six balls [of the final]?
I was watching the match again and again with Juhi and Jay; everyone thought we were partying, but we were watching the match over and over till eight am, as I did not remember the last six balls.
Poonam Pandey went nude after the KKR victory, what do you have to say to that?
When we won the cricket World Cup, all our friends went out in cars waving our flag; we really enjoyed and partied till eight. When KKR won, I did a cartwheel. Everyone has their own way of expressing happiness. I can't comment on this, as I myself do strange things after winning. I am thankful to everyone who has celebrated with KKR in every way.
What have you learnt from the last five years of IPL?
I have been working for almost 20 years and have achieved success. It was high time I faced failure. In the last five years I have changed and realised that I can also fail. Success is not a good teacher; failure makes you humble. Success and failure are both part of life. Both are not permanent.