Abhishek Bachchan: "Sport Was Never Just Business For Me" - Inside His Decade-Long Journey As A Sports Entrepreneur

Away from the arc lights of Bollywood, Abhishek Bachchan has spent the last several years shaping a story that has nothing to do with cinema. In a recent episode of the podcast Future Unplugged, he sat down with PwC India Chairperson Sanjeev Krishan for a wide-ranging conversation on his journey as a sports entrepreneur - one built patiently, and largely out of the public eye.

Krishan opened the discussion by pointing out something many overlook: while Bachchan was born into cinema's most recognisable family name, he has spent the past decade constructing an entirely separate identity in sport. "You already have one huge legacy," Krishan said. "And you're creating another one at the same time."

Bachchan credited his father, Amitabh Bachchan, as the reason sport became such a deep part of his life. He remembered being taught kabaddi in their garden as a child, and being introduced early on to global sporting greats such as Muhammad Ali, Pelé, Zico and Sócrates - an exposure, he said, that stayed with him permanently.

His journey into ownership began somewhat unexpectedly, with the Jaipur Pink Panthers in the Pro Kabaddi League. What began as a passion soon turned into full immersion: Bachchan relocated to Jaipur ahead of the league's first season, trained alongside the players, kept track of their diets, and involved himself in operational details most owners wouldn't bother with. "I never looked at it as a business. I still don't," he said, joking that his accountant isn't thrilled about that mindset.

That same approach shaped his decision to invest in Chennaiyin FC in the Indian Super League. Both kabaddi and football, he pointed out, operate outside cricket's shadow in India, making the road tougher - but also more rewarding. "Everything gets compared to cricket," he said. "We have a long way to go, but I firmly believe it will pay off in time."

That conviction has now taken him to European shores. As co-founder of the European T20 Premier League (ETPL), Bachchan is among a group of Indian partners working to establish a professional T20 club competition spanning Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands - the last significant cricket-playing region without one. "It's the last frontier," he said. "Australia, Africa, Asia, North America - they all have competitive T20 leagues. Europe didn't."

What sets Bachchan apart, in his own telling, is the desire to build rather than simply own. "I like building something," he explained, "not just being in charge of a well-oiled machinery that is already created for me." He spoke about the importance of committing his own money early and drawing in co-owners who share the same long-term outlook - a group that includes Steve Waugh, Faf du Plessis and Rahul Dravid.

Comparing entertainment audiences to sporting ones, Bachchan noted that sports fans are far more loyal and unforgiving in equal measure - "relentless" and "tribal," as he put it. Unlike film audiences, who need to be won over repeatedly, sports fans stay committed for the long haul, as long as the intent behind the product is genuine.

Running through the entire conversation was a single, consistent thread - Bachchan's preference for long-term impact over quick returns. "For me in sports, it's about what can I do that makes a difference," he said. "Because then I have something to do. It's not just signing a cheque."

What comes through isn't the familiar tale of a celebrity dabbling in sports investment, but of someone methodically building a second legacy - grounded in patience, personal stake, and genuine belief. And in doing so, Abhishek Bachchan is showing that the most lasting second acts are often the quietest ones.