Shah Rukh Khan came under the heat after he bid ₹9.20 crore to buy Bangladeshi cricketer Mustafizur Rehman for the 2026 IPL season in an auction held in December. File
| Photo Credit: PTI

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) stand as the third-most successful Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise at this point in time, having won three IPL titles, all featuring Gautam Gambhir in some capacity. However, things weren’t so rosy for the franchise in the first three seasons, when they failed to achieve a single IPL playoff finish, twice under the leadership of legendary India captain Sourav Ganguly. Ganguly was eventually not picked by KKR in the IPL 2011 mega auction. Former KKR team director Joy Bhattacharjya revealed the messages he received from angry fans when Ganguly wasn’t picked, and the extent of team owner Shah Rukh Khan’s involvement in the decision.

“When Sourav Ganguly was not bid for, within five minutes I got 400 messages on my phone. There was somebody who put on all groups saying, ‘This is a Bengali who has betrayed our Bengali icon Sourav Ganguly, please tell him what we think of him’,” revealed Bhattacharjya, speaking on ‘A Century of Stories‘ podcast.

“It reached a stage where I had to turn around and tell my dad that perhaps he should take down our address board from his house in Salt Lake,” Bhattacharjya adds.

Joy Bhattacharjya revealed who exactly had been behind the decision, and Shah Rukh Khan’s involvement in it.

“Shah Rukh first distanced himself. He said, ‘If you want Sourav, keep Sourav. If you don’t want him, your call,” revealed Bhattacharjya.

“Dav Whatmore was the coach, I was there, Venky Mysore the CEO was there,” Bhattacharjya said, speaking on who decided that Ganguly would not be retained.

KKR’s decision to not go for Ganguly but instead put their faith in Delhi-born Gautam Gambhir for a then IPL auction record sum of over Rs 11 crore ended up being a blessing in disguise.

Gambhir captained the team to two IPL titles (in 2012 and 2014) and then played an integral role as team mentor as KKR won their third (in 2024). Overall, KKR has reached the playoff stage on six out of eight occasions with Gambhir in the team.

Ganguly eventually played two further IPL seasons, after being drafted in by the now-defunct Pune Warriors India (PWI) franchise as a replacement for New Zealand opener Jesse Ryder. In IPL 2012, under Ganguly’s leadership, PWI finished bottom of the table.

Gambhir’s success with KKR as team mentor – leading to KKR achieving statistically the most dominant season in IPL history – saw Gambhir being appointed as Team India head coach after Rahul Dravid‘s departure.

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have reportedly been beaten to the acquisition of a team in England’s The Hundred franchise league by Chelsea Football Club co-owner Todd Boehly. Real estate firm Cain International – which was co-founded by Boehly and Chelsea director Jonathan Goldstein – have acquired a 49 per cent stake of The Hundred side Trent Rockets. As per a report, Trent Rockets was acquired by Boehly and co. for a fee of around 39 million Great British Pounds (approx. Rs 420 crore). A Cricbuzz report added that the franchise’s valuation was GBP 79 million. The report also states that Indian investor Amit Jain was in the running in conjunction with Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).

As per a report by ESPNcricinfo, KKR and Amit Jain were beaten to the stake by Cain International, who were earlier in the race for the acquisition of fellow Hundred side London Spirit.

KKR are owned by Red Chillies Entertainment, a conglomerate established by actor Shah Rukh Khan, as well as by businessman Jay Mehta and actor Juhi Chawla.

Had KKR won the bid for Trent Rockets, it would’ve added to the likes of KKR, Trinbago Knight Riders, LA Knight Riders and Abu Dhabi Knight Riders under the same ownership.

The Hundred has already seen IPL ownership take over two of the franchises. Mumbai Indians’ owners, Reliance Industries, bought a 49 per cent stake in Oval Invincibles with a valuation reported at around 60 million GBP. Lucknow Super Giants owners RPSG Group bought a similar stake in Manchester Originals, whose valuation is reported at around 116 million GBP.

Delhi Capitals co-owners GMR Group are also likely to acquire a stake in Southern Brave, the report states.

However, KKR will not be joining them, as it stands.

Cain International will become one of four non-IPL owners with stakes in a Hundred team.

Based in Nottingham, Trent Rockets represent the counties of Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire. The men’s team of Trent Rockets won The Hundred tournament in 2022, while also finishing third the year before. The women’s team have a best finish of third, also in 2022.

The Rockets featured some well known cricket stars such as Joe Root, Alex Hales and Rovman Powell in the 2024 season. The likes of Ashleigh Gardner and Nat Sciver-Brunt star for the women’s team.

The investment further extends Boehly’s empire in the world of sports. The 51-year-old American billionaire led a consortium named BlueCo that took over Chelsea in 2022 from Ukrainian businessman Roman Abramovich. BlueCo have since also taken over French Ligue 1 side RC Strasbourg.

Chelsea sit fourth in the ongoing 2024-25 Premier League season, while Strasbourg are ninth in Ligue 1.

Boehly also co-owns Major League Baseball (MLB) team Los Angeles Dodgers.

Shreyas Iyer, Kolkata Knight  Riders’ IPL 2024-winning captain, made a startling claim on Monday. The IPL winning skipper was not retained by KKR and Iyer broke his silence on the issue. He said there was lack of communication from the Shah Rukh Khan co-owned team. He went on to say that he was ‘perplexed’ about what was happening. However, former India opener Aakash Chopra has rubbished the claims, quoting ‘sources’.  

“So obviously, we had a conversation straight after the IPL championship. But for a few months, there was a layover and no concrete effort in having a retention talk. I was perplexed about what’s happening. So, because of a lack of communication, we came to a situation where we parted ways, mutually. And that’s the long and short of it,” Shreyas Iyer told Indian Express.

“Yes, obviously disappointed, because when you don’t have a certain line of communication and if you get to know things one week prior to the retention date, then obviously something is lacking over there. So I had to take a call. Whatever is written is supposed to happen.”

However, Aakash Chopra, who is a former Kolkata Knight Riders players, refuted the claims. 

“Shreyas Iyer was the captain. He should have been in the original scheme of things. But KKR did not talk to him, according to Iyer’s statement. Now, I can confirm that there were talks. In fact, there was a lengthy talk. There were quite a few meetings. There was no agreement in those meeting. But that’s a different matter. The bone of contention, I don’t want to spell it out, but it was ‘that’ only,” Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube channel. 

“Shreyas had some apprehensions too. Shreyas had some apprehensions, and what transpired is quite interesting. Sometimes you start thinking, ‘karma is real yaar‘, you never know. However, Shreyas might see this and say ‘there were no discussions’. I can confirm there were talks. I, too, have my sources.”

New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s latest initiative – under ‘Create in India’ – to take Indian cinema and content global at a faster pace and greater scale – has earned praise from industry stalwarts Shah Rukh Khan and Akshay Kumar. In his last ‘Mann Ki Baat’ radio address to the nation on December 29, PM Modi announced that India will host the World Audio Visual Entertainment Summit or WAVES for the first time in February.

Speaking about it in detail, the prime minister said the initiative will be a global platform for Indian creative talents, fostering collaborations and showcasing the country’s potential as a hub for world-class content creation.

Talking about the vision for the global entertainment summit, PM Modi explained that it will comparable to global events like the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. “Leaders from the media and entertainment industry worldwide will gather for the summit,” he said, adding that content creators, social media influencers, and creative minds from across the globe will be part of the global event too.

“This Summit is an important step towards making India a hub of global content creation,” the prime minister said in his radio address.

The summit will also showcase India’s advancements in the fields of animation, gaming, entertainment technology, and regional as well as mainstream cinema. “Whether you are a young creator or an established artist, associated with Bollywood or regional cinema, a professional from the TV industry, an expert in animation, gaming, or an innovator in entertainment technology, I encourage you to be a part of the WAVES Summit,” PM Modi said, opening up the registration for the summit.

This initiative by the prime minister has earned big praise from several industry leaders, including global superstars like Shah Rukh Khan and Akshay Kumar.

Sharing a video of the event posted on X by PM Modi, Shah Rukh Khan called it “an occasion that champions and fosters creativity.” The actor-producer also said that he looks forward to being a part of it. “It is with great anticipation that I look forward to WAVES – a film and entertainment world summit – to be held in our country itself.”

Mr Khan also wrote that it will be “an occasion that celebrates our industry and acknowledges the role it plays in the Indian economy as well as its strength as a soft power.”

It is with great anticipation that I look forward to WAVES – a film and entertainment world summit – to be held in our country itself. An occasion that celebrates our industry and acknowledges the role it plays in the Indian economy as well as its strength as a soft power… and… https://t.co/QE52Rs11NZ

— Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) December 30, 2024

Akshay Kumar also lauded the prime minister for his vision for such a global summit, saying “Now this is Narendra Modi-ji’s vision towards promoting the media and entertainment sector. Quite a wonderful idea. Waves 2025 summit will hopefully be a fabulous global forum to have the entire entertainment industry come and grow together.”

Now this is PM @narendramodi ji’s vision towards promoting the Media & Entertainment sector. Quite a wonderful idea. Waves 2025 summit will hopefully be a fabulous global forum to have the entire entertainment industry come and grow together. https://t.co/IBtadmxjpZ

— Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) December 29, 2024

Several other celebrities including Anil Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Ritesh Sidhwani, and Ektaa Kapoor also welcomed the initiative.

The 5-day World Audio Visual Entertainment Summit will be held at the Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi from February 5-9, 2025.
 

New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s latest initiative – under ‘Create in India’ – to take Indian cinema and content global at a faster pace and greater scale – has earned praise from industry stalwarts Shah Rukh Khan and Akshay Kumar. In 2024’s last ‘Mann Ki Baat’ radio address to the nation on December 29, PM Modi announced that India will host the World Audio Visual Entertainment Summit or WAVES for the first time in February.

Speaking about it in detail, the prime minister said the initiative will be a global platform for Indian creative talents, fostering collaborations and showcasing the country’s potential as a hub for world-class content creation.

Talking about the vision for the global entertainment summit, PM Modi explained that it will comparable to global events like the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. “Leaders from the media and entertainment industry worldwide will gather for the summit,” he said, adding that content creators, social media influencers, and creative minds from across the globe will be part of the global event too.

“This Summit is an important step towards making India a hub of global content creation,” the prime minister said in his radio address.

The summit will also showcase India’s advancements in the fields of animation, gaming, entertainment technology, and regional as well as mainstream cinema. “Whether you are a young creator or an established artist, associated with Bollywood or regional cinema, a professional from the TV industry, an expert in animation, gaming, or an innovator in entertainment technology, I encourage you to be a part of the WAVES Summit,” PM Modi said, opening up the registration for the summit.

This initiative by the prime minister has earned big praise from several industry leaders, including global superstars like Shah Rukh Khan and Akshay Kumar.

Sharing a video of the event posted on X by PM Modi, Shah Rukh Khan called it “an occasion that champions and fosters creativity.” The actor-producer also said that he looks forward to being a part of it. “It is with great anticipation that I look forward to WAVES – a film and entertainment world summit – to be held in our country itself.”

Mr Khan also wrote that it will be “an occasion that celebrates our industry and acknowledges the role it plays in the Indian economy as well as its strength as a soft power.”

It is with great anticipation that I look forward to WAVES – a film and entertainment world summit – to be held in our country itself. An occasion that celebrates our industry and acknowledges the role it plays in the Indian economy as well as its strength as a soft power… and… https://t.co/QE52Rs11NZ

— Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) December 30, 2024

Akshay Kumar also lauded the prime minister for his vision for such a global summit, saying “Now this is Narendra Modi-ji’s vision towards promoting the media and entertainment sector. Quite a wonderful idea. Waves 2025 summit will hopefully be a fabulous global forum to have the entire entertainment industry come and grow together.”

Now this is PM @narendramodi ji’s vision towards promoting the Media & Entertainment sector. Quite a wonderful idea. Waves 2025 summit will hopefully be a fabulous global forum to have the entire entertainment industry come and grow together. https://t.co/IBtadmxjpZ

— Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) December 29, 2024

Several other celebrities including Anil Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Ritesh Sidhwani, and Ektaa Kapoor also welcomed the initiative.

The 5-day World Audio Visual Entertainment Summit will be held at the Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi from February 5-9, 2025.
 

Hyderabad:

Telugu actor Allu Arjun’s bail hearing in the Telangana High Court – after his arrest Friday in the ‘Pushpa 2‘ stampede case – featured a parallel to a similarly tragic incident involving Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan and his film ‘Raees‘, in which also one person died.

Arguing for bail for his client, Allu Arjun’s lawyer recalled the ‘Raees‘ stampede and argued the main question before the court was “… is somebody doing a rash or negligent act?” In that context he spoke about the stampede involving SRK, and said the Bollywood actor “threw clothes at the station, which led to a stampede”. In that case he was not found criminally liable, Mr Arjun’s lawyer said.

It was also argued that Allu Arjun was on the first floor of Hyderabad’s Sandhya Theatre when the stampede occurred on the ground floor. And the lawyer also rubbished claims by the police that they had not been informed of the actor’s plan to attend a special screening of his film.

“The actor was coming… everybody knew that. Even the police knew. Here the actor was not even doing anything whereas, in SRK’s case, the actor threw balls and crowds jumped to grab them.”

The court eventually ruled in favour of Mr Arjun, granting him interim bail for four weeks. The court observed that Allu Arjun’s status as a hugely popular actor could not compromise his right to liberty.

READ | “Just Because He’s An Actor…”: Court Grants Bail To Allu Arjun

“… just because he is an actor… he cannot be held like this,” the High Court said.

The ‘Raees‘ stampede took place at the railway station in Gujarat’s Vadodara in 2017.

The actor and his production team were travelling from Mumbai to Delhi to promote the film.

When the train stopped in Vadodara, Mr Khan tried to interact with his fans; he threw t-shirt and ‘smiley balls’ at the crowd, and it was argued that this led to the stampede.

READ | Shah Rukh Khan Gets Relief By Supreme Court In 2017 Stampede Case

In April 2022 the Gujarat High Court ordered the quashing of the criminal case against SRK. Later that year the High Court’s ruling was challenged in the Supreme Court, which upheld the verdict.

Pushpa 2 Stampede

The stampede broke after the actor made what police said was an unscheduled appearance at the theatre showing his film. A 35-year-old woman was killed and her nine-year-old son was injured as the crowd jostled and shoved each other to catch a glimpse of Mr Arjun.

Hyderabad Police Commissioner CV Anand had said then, “There was no intimation from the side of theatre management or actors’ team… that they will be visiting the theatre…” and noted also that no separate entry, or exit, had been provided, even though the theatre knew they were coming.

According to the police, Mr Arjun arrived at the theatre at 9.30 pm. As news of his arrival – he used the main entrance and spent 15-20 minutes outside – spread, hundreds of people thronged to catch a glimpse of him. His security started pushing the crowd back and that aggravated the situation.

READ | “Son Wanted To Watch Pushpa 2”: Man Whose Wife Was Killed

The woman, identified as Revathi, and her son felt “suffocated”, the police said. They were pulled out of the crowd by police who performed emergency first aid and shifted them to a nearby hospital.

However, Mr Arjun’s office and the theatre officials have insisted the cops had, in fact, been informed.

And, hours after his arrest, a copy of just such a letter was released, in which the police were told of plans for the film’s stars, Allu Arjun and Rashmika Mandana, to visit the theatre at 9.30 pm.

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Mumbai:

A man has been arrested for issuing a death threat to Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, police said today. Mohammad Faizan Khan, a lawyer, was arrested from his residence in Chhattisgarh’s Raipur for making the threat call to the 59-year-old actor and demanding Rs 50 lakh.

He was arrested after he failed to appear before the Mumbai Police.

Faizan had earlier said his mobile phone – which was used to make the threatening call last week – was stolen. He also said that he filed a police case on November 2.

A case against him was registered by the police under sections 308(4) (extortion involving threats of death or serious injury) and 351(3)(4) (criminal intimidation) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) as the threat call was made from a phone number registered in his name.

Shah Rukh Khan – called ‘King Khan’ by his fans – received a death threat last October; this was after the success of two movies – ‘Pathaan’ and ‘Jawan’.

Mumbai Police had then upped the actor’s protective cover, giving him a Y+ security blanket. This ensures he is accompanied by six armed personnel around the clock; earlier he had two security personnel, also armed, accompanying him.

The threat to Mr Khan follows a series of threats issued to his fellow actor Salman Khan, allegedly from the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.

Last week, a 32-year-old man from Rajasthan was arrested in Karnataka after issuing a death threat to Salman Khan. This was a day after he received a threat from jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, who demanded he apologise at a temple (for the killing of a blackbuck, an endangered deer sacred to the Bishnoi community) or pay Rs 5 crore.

Mumbai:

Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan has received a threatening call – made directly to the police station in Mumbai’s Bandra – from Raipur. The cops have registered a case and a team is in the Chhattisgarh capital, from where a young man named Faizan allegedly demanded a ransom of Rs 50 lakh.

Faizan’s location was traced via an active phone number.

The actor – called ‘King Khan’ by his fans – received a death threat last October; this was after the success of two of his movies – ‘Pathaan‘ and ‘Jawan‘. Mumbai Police upped his protective cover, giving the 59-year-old a Y+ security blanket. This ensures he is accompanied by six armed personnel around the clock; earlier he had two security personnel, also armed, accompanying him.

Shah Rukh Khan has had run-ins with the Mumbai underworld and has stood up to threats.

The threat to ‘King Khan’ follows multiple messages of intimidation to fellow superstar Salman Khan, who has been repeatedly threatened by the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, as well as other individuals.

On Wednesday a 32-year-old man from Rajasthan was arrested in Karnataka after issuing a death threat to Salman Khan. The accused – Bhikha Ram, aka Vikram – is a resident of Jalore district.

READ | Mumbai Man Arrested For Threatening Salman Khan, Wanted Rs 2 Crore

Police sources told news agency PTI Ram was watching a news report on TV when he made the call, hoping to collect a quick ransom on the back of other threats to the actor.

Sources also said Ram was a daily wage worker who claimed to be a fan of the gangster Bishnoi.

READ | “Apologise At Temple Or Pay Rs 5 Crore”: Fresh Threat To Salman Khan

This was a day after Salman Khan received yet another threat from Bishnoi, warning him to apologise at a temple (for the killing of a blackbuck, an endangered deer sacred to the Bishnoi community in Rajasthan) or pay Rs 5 crore. That was the second threat in seven days.

READ | Why Tattoo Artist Sent Death Threat To Salman Khan? What Cops Said

According to the cops the sender of the message claimed to be Lawrence Bishnoi’s brother.

Salman Khan made headlines in April after suspected Bishnoi shooters opened fire outside his home in Mumbai’s Bandra, after which his security cover was, again, increased.

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Indian cricket team head coach Gautam Gambhir wished Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan on his 59th birthday on Saturday. Taking to his official social media handle, the 43-year-old wished Shah Rukh and shared a photo with him in the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) jersey. “Here’s to the man who keeps turning 25! Your energy, charisma & charm gets more youthful every year! May you keep spreading love forever!” Gambhir wrote on X. Gambhir was the mentor of the Shah Rukh Khan-owned IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders.

Here’s to the man who keeps turning 25! Your energy, charisma & charm gets more youthful every year! May you keep spreading love forever! @iamsrk pic.twitter.com/bHTMgCMCY5

— Gautam Gambhir (@GautamGambhir) November 2, 2024

Shah Rukh Khan’s charismatic personality radiates in the massive fan following. Fondly referred to as the King of Bollywood, Shah Rukh Khan’s ascent to fame began in New Delhi, where he first gained attention in 1989 with the TV series ‘Fauji’.

His film career skyrocketed with hits like ‘Deewana’, ‘Darr’, and ‘Baazigar’, but it was ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’ that truly cemented his status as a superstar. After a long break, Khan in 2023 made a powerful comeback with blockbusters like ‘Pathaan’, ‘Jawan’ and ‘Dunki’, reaffirming his title as the King of Bollywood.

In August, during a conversation with Giona A Nazzaro, the artistic director of the Locarno Film Festival, SRK discussed his career and achievements. He opened up on his preparation work for his next film ‘King’ and his collaboration with filmmaker Sujoy Ghosh.

He said, “There are certain kinds of film that I want to do, maybe it’s more age centric and I want to try something for 6-7 years I’ve been thinking about it and I mentioned it to Sujoy Ghosh one day while we were sitting. He works with us at our office, he’s made some films for us. He says, Sir, I have a subject.”

SRK also spoke about losing weight for his film ‘King’, “The next film I am doing ‘King’, I have to start working on it, have to lose some weight a little, do some stretching,” he added.

An official announcement regarding the film has not been made yet.