Abhishek and the Art of Building a Second Career
Capitalizing on a passion for sports, the actor has found both personal and commercial satisfaction in nurturing kabaddi and spreading cricket beyond conventional territories
Abhishek Bachchan has quietly built a highly successful second career as a passionate sports entrepreneur and sports league builder over the last decade.
Moving out of the shadow of his Bollywood legacy, he transitioned from a team owner into a sports institution builder by focusing on long-term value over short-term financial returns. Bachchan Jr has explicitly stated that he has never viewed sports purely as a business or a vanity project, and is therefore able to take risks that standard investors avoid.
His deep-rooted love for sports was heavily influenced by his father, Amitabh Bachchan, who taught him kabaddi in their garden and introduced him in his early years to global legends like Muhammad Ali, Pelé, Zico and Sócrates.
Immersive engagement
At a time when Indian celebrity investments were entirely focussed on cricket, Abhishek deliberately chose to back an underdeveloped, grassroots Indian sport – the Pro Kabaddi League. He became a pioneer by launching the Jaipur Pink Panthers franchise. He recognised the commercial and cultural value of kabaddi long before the market caught up. And he backed Indian football heavily by becoming a co-owner of Chennaiyin FC, cementing his footprint in a secondary sport with high growth potential.
Unlike traditional celebrity investors who merely sign cheques, Abhishek immersed himself in the day-to-day operations of his teams. During the inaugural PKL season, he relocated to Jaipur, lived and trained alongside the players and micromanaged operational details. When Chennaiyin FC faced low ticket sales and heavy rains during their first home game, Abhishek and his team were out on the field helping clean up the rainwater. Rather than remaining comfortable as a domestic franchise owner, Bachchan Jr expanded his scale globally. He co-founded the ETPL, the first ICC-sanctioned, multi-country franchise cricket competition in Europe. Instead of fighting for a slice of the crowded Indian cricket ecosystem, he strategically scaled the sport into regions craving development, like Ireland, Scotland, and the Netherlands. To secure the league’s foundation, he focused on locking in ultimate sporting credibility first, bringing on board legendary figures like Steve Waugh, Rahul Dravid and Jonty Rhodes.
Rooting for kabaddi
Abhishek says, “I remember when Charu Sharma (the director of Kabaddi Pro League) and Anand Mahindra (Pro Kabaddi co-founder) offered me the chance to own a kabaddi team, my first question was ‘Why me?’ I then watched a game at their behest and was amazed at the dedicated audience rooting for these boys who played like a dream. I was in, of course. I knew little about the game at that time. I remember at the auction I was literally just pointing at names in the auction brochure not knowing who the players were. I wondered if I had put together a good enough team. Over the years, I came to know I couldn’t have chosen better.”
Abhishek feels kabaddi was never given its due. “It has always been a popular sport, widely watched and appreciated. But never acknowledged as a sport to be honoured. I knew about kabaddi from childhood. I had seen my father playing in the film Ganga Ki Saugandh. I was fascinated. Later, I lost touch with the game. Today I can proudly say I am completely into kabaddi. I give all credit to my wonderful players who know they are very close to my heart. They can call anytime for anything.”
Diversify and prosper
Abhishek isn’t the only actor to take a detour from cinema. Several Bollywood celebs have built thriving second careers outside of mainstream Hindi films, their avenues ranging from international crossovers and sports entrepreneurship to television hosting and fitness empires.
· Vivek Oberoi built a massive Rs 1,200 crore business empire outside Bollywood by diversifying into global luxury real estate, education, technology, and startup investments. The catalysts were political lobbies and the sudden lack of movie offers around 2007–2009
· After reaching the pinnacle of stardom in Bollywood, Priyanka Chopra moved to the US and built a parallel global career as a Hollywood lead actress, producer and singer.
· Transitioning from a leading silver-screen presence, Shilpa Shetty built a massive second career as an entrepreneur, wellness and fitness author, and reality television judge.