‘I didn’t want to look like a heroine at the board meeting’

But whose idea was it—yours or Ness Wadia’s?
Actually, it was the BCCI’s idea since they floated the tenders. Jokes apart, I’ve always wanted to start a sports school and I was looking for opportunities. Ness and I started talking about it and our friends Karan Paul of the Apeejay Surrendra Group and Mohit Burman of Dabur joined in. The boys were in it for the numbers but I was in it for the game. I think for anything to succeed you need a good intent and that’s something we all have. Moreover, I’ve always been spontaneous in life. I always follow my heart and go after what I want. I wanted this and got it.

So are you happy about bagging Mohali?
Oh, I’m ecstatic. To be honest, we did bid for a lot of cities but Mohali is just so much cooler. I get players from Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Chandigarh. Being an Army kid, I’m very patriotic and it gives me a great thrill to be living in Mumbai and having a truly national flavour in my team.

With the IPL comes huge responsibility. Are you geared up for that?
Oh, yes. This is my hard-earned money. I don’t have the backing of any IPO. I’ve put in whatever I earned with my sweat and blood so we can’t afford to go wrong. I also know that this is my chance of giving back to society. I hope to encourage more women players and give more opportunities to people who have been a victim of the quota system. Yes, I’m very nervous but I know that I’m supported by a good bunch. But I do joke that if this doesn’t work and we lose money, I’ll go and become the 58th wife of the Sultan of Brunei.

You really power-dressed for the day though. Was that conscious?
(Smiles) I didn’t want to look like a heroine at the board meeting. I didn’t want people to notice the colour of my dress. Each role requires a new wardrobe. I’ve learnt that lesson in my film career.

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