Actor Shilpa Shetty and husband Raj Kundra have an eventful trimester coming up. To start with, Raj and Sanjay Dutt’s Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) event – Super Fight League (SFL) kicks off on March 11. The Indian Premier League (IPL) season 5 begins in April. And in May, Shilpa is due to deliver their first baby.
“I really want to get everything out of the way to enjoy time with my baby when he or she comes. I just want to be a father for some time, and not a businessman worrying about other things,” smiles Raj, adding that this will be the “most interesting period” of their lives. “It’s going to be a life-changing experience and we want to focus on it.”
Due to Shilpa’s pregnancy, this year — for the first time — the actor won’t be an active part of the IPL. “Shilpa will come for the SFL’s March 11 event in Mumbai, but she won’t be able to move around too much.
In fact, she won’t be able to attend many IPL fixtures since that would require her to travel,” he says, adding, “She doesn’t get as involved (in the matters of the IPL team) because it gets too violent for her. But when I come home in the evening, and have no one else to discuss things with, I ask her, ‘listen, what do you think about this idea or that initiative.’ And she, very sweetly, helps me with them. But I have bored her with lots of MMA talk.”
Over the next three years, Raj and his “equity partner” Dutt are going to invest about R100 crore in SFL. “It includes everything — infrastructure, training facilities, hiring foreign professional talents and training local fighters etc.
Right in the beginning, I had told Sanjay that I don’t want to be just a brand ambassador or a face. We’ve seen what happened to brand ambassadors of the IPL. But real co-owners (of IPL teams) like Shilpa and Shah Rukh Khan bring a lot to the table,” says Raj.
Over the next three years, Raj and his “equity partner” Dutt are going to invest about R100 crore in SFL. “It includes everything — infrastructure, training facilities, hiring foreign professional talents and training local fighters etc.
Right in the beginning, I had told Sanjay that I don’t want to be just a brand ambassador or a face. We’ve seen what happened to brand ambassadors of the IPL. But real co-owners (of IPL teams) like Shilpa and Shah Rukh Khan bring a lot to the table,” says Raj.
Shilpa signs Dutt
Actor Shilpa Shetty has also kicked off another chapter in her life – a film production firm. Under her new company, Sanjay Dutt and Harman Baweja have started shooting for Dishkiyaaoon.
Says Raj, “Yes, we have launched the production house. The shooting has already begun. I am only involved in the financial side of the dealings. Shilpa does all the creative work, which involves discussions on aspects like music, stories, casting etc.” The action flick is apparently being directed by debutant director Sanamjit and is slated to release next year. Shilpa is unlikely to be part of the project as an actor.