'No problem ji, let's close this': Ex-BCCI GM recalls when Akshay Kumar gave up his contract to save Delhi Daredevils

Cricket and Bollywood have gone hand in hand ever since the inception of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2008. Be it, Shah Rukh Khan with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) or Preity Zinta with Punjab Kings (PBKS), the connection between cricket and Bollywood has grown extensively over the years.

Actor Akshay Kumar, too, was connected with Delhi Daredevils (Now Capitals) back in 2009, during the IPL’s second season. Not many know that Akshay Kumar had decided to relinquish his own lucrative contract to save Delhi Daredevils from financial crisis.

Amrit Mathur, DD’s Chief Operating Officer back in 2009, recalled how bringing in Akshay Kumar in order to strengthen the brand of the franchise did not yield the desired results.

“Akshay signed a three-year deal with Delhi Daredevils to shoot promotional films, attend meet and greet events and make appearances at corporate events… Apart from Kotla act (he performed daring stunts), nothing much happened because DD didn’t know how to leverage him. At the end of the season, during elaborate post-mortem held against backdrop of serious financial losses, DD decided to cancel or renegotiate the contract,” Mathur mentioned in his autobiography Pitchside: My Life in Indian Cricket.

“Akshay’s contract provided no exit; on the contrary, it gave him solid guarantees for a period of three years. DD’s lawyers approached Akshay’s staff, wanting to revisit the contract, but they made no headway. The (legally correct) response from his side was that contract didn’t factor in early termination and it has run its course with full monetary compensation,” he added.

“Seen from perspective of DD, Akshay’s multi-crore contract could be equated to a self-goal or hit-wicket dismissal. Considering the disastrous financial results and need for austerity, the star had become an avoidable expense. Knowing there was no legal lifeline available, DD appealed to Akshay for mercy.”

Mathur eventually took it to himself to communicate with Akshay. Mathur was left surprised on Akshay’s generosity after the latter was informed about DD’s financial problems.

“After the shot, we returned to his vanity van and I, very hesitantly, explained the reason for my visit and outlined DD’s financial troubles. No problem ji, he said in a sympathetic manner. If it’s not working, let’s close it’. I thought I hadn’t heard him right,” he wrote in the book.

“Seeing my confused look, he clarified slowly, ‘Isko khatam kar dete hain (let us end this)’. When I mumbled about the stringent contract clauses, he reassured me, ‘Koi baat nahin, main lawyer ko bol dunga (No problem, I will tell the lawyer),” Mathur, a former General Manager of BCCI, added.