Zarina Malik!
Soon to be the President of the ICB.
So…
are you ready to become one of the most powerful people in India?
Roll camera!
Take four!
Action!
Take five!
Take eight!
Sir, should we do it one more time? Something's missing!
Okay, Lata ma'am.
Action!
We've got it, Lata ma'am. Very nice.
One more. Please!
Okay. Once more!
Reset!
Is her dad paying for the raw stock?
Rita.
Have some water.
That bitch is just jealous because you're prettier than her.
Don't worry.
Alright?
-Ready, Lata ma'am? -Have some water.
First get your "star" extra here!
Okay… roll camera!
And action!
Cut, ma'am! Got it!
No, sir. I'm not feeling it!
One more.
Yes, ma'am.
One more.
Ready?
Roll camera! Action!
Did you feel it now?
Enough is enough, sir.
I admit I'm not famous.
But that doesn't mean I don't deserve respect.
I can't bear this humiliation for just a square meal.
Sorry, ma'am.
-Someone get ma'am some water! -Pack up!
No matter what you do in life, never be weak.
And here they are!
The Pakistani team has arrived on Indian soil after 13 long years.
Led by their charismatic captain, Sultan Ali Khan.
His deputy, Yasir Ali,
and their spearhead, Babar Ahmed.
One of the best in the world.
Congratulations on the captaincy, Vayu!
Well done!
-That's awesome! -Thank you so much, Sultan.
-And welcome to India. -Thank you.
Thank you so much.
I've been to India many times,
but the boys are really excited to be here.
I don't know whether it's for cricket
or to meet the Bollywood actresses!
They'll get a chance to do both.
Our coach.
-Azeem Khan. -Hello!
Who wouldn't know you!
I've grown up watching you play.
I still can't get over your historic match.
It was in 1995, I believe.
You were playing in…
-Sharjah. -Sharjah.
Yes, right!
With a really great batsman at the other end.
Vijay Subramanium. He was caught in a scandal. Remember?
-His batting was so ferocious… -Sure.
I was nine or ten years old.
But I still remember every detail.
He was a fantastic player.
But he got carried away.
Anyway, welcome to India.
Thank you.
Think about it.
It would be great if Pakistani talent got a chance in the PPL.
-Don't you think so? -Sure.
Please try talking to the President. Maybe it'll help.
You've asked the right man, Sultan!
The captain's got the ICB in his pocket, after all.
-I'll go meet the manager. -Yes.
I'll see you all at dinner.
-See you soon. -Alright. God bless you.
Nailed it!
All set?
-Asshole. -Don't worry about it. They're jokers.
-That would work. Thanks a lot. -Sure.
-Great-- -Guys! Big news.
So Girish's team reached out to us
for the prime time slot.
-What are you saying? -Yeah!
That's amazing!
Mantra… this is your chance
to talk to the entire nation about betting legalization.
Right.
Me?
-Of course, you. -Yeah.
No. No, guys.
This is not my territory.
We definitely need somebody who has more experience in this
and who has done this before.
Not me.
We can't hire someone else.
You feel strongly about this.
You can sell the positives of legalization better than anyone else.
It has to be you, Mantra!
Go for it!
Coach Azeem!
I just wanted to check with you. Did you get my email
regarding the SWOT analysis of the team?
You know what I'm talking about, right?
Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats.
Did you see it?
Are you sure you sent it to my Hotmail account?
And did you make sure all the letters were in lower case?
Rohini, data is very useful. I really like what you do with it.
I feel every situation in cricket is so unique.
Data can never really give you the entire picture.
Only experience can.
I understand.
Okay.
Sir, one more thing.
I'm writing a book.
It's on cricketers who made it big before they lost it all.
During my research…
I came across a player who was with you on your team.
Who?
Vijay Subramanium.
I'm curious. His death was so mysterious.
The very day he had a press conference scheduled…
he died in a plane crash.
I don't know.
He was caught right in front of us.
So, we all know what he did.
It was very shocking for us.
Very hard for us to deal with. Very traumatizing.
So, you're sure he was a fixer?
We all saw the currency bundles in his locker.
Lakhs of rupees in those days!
Did you know he was going to have a press conference?
Do you know what that was about?
Was he going to confess?
Or maybe expose everyone by taking names?
Maybe they didn't want the press conference to take place.
I don't know. His death, this plane crash, it's all so--
He wasn't so important that a plane would be crashed to get him.
It's a bit of a conspiracy theory, a bit too far-fetched.
Don't you think?
Looks like a good wicket finally.
The groundsman has finally done his job.
It's all your training, Bhaisaab.
Pitch, ground, stadium…
Indian cricket.
You've built it all.
Bhaisaab…
what are your plans…
after the ICB?
Tulips.
I own a land near Amsterdam.
I'm thinking I'll grow tulips after retirement.
I'm sure it'll bring peace to my mind and joy to my heart.
Tulips!
I know I can no longer be ICB President.
But you see…
they can take us out of the game…
but they can't take the game out of us.
Come with me.
I learned a lot from my father.
He controlled the government externally for 20 years.
Practically coined the term "remote control" in politics, you know.
Others faced the pain, while he earned the gains.
But it's an art.
It isn't everyone's cup of tea.
Look at Dhawan.
He thinks Zarina is his puppet.
But this is her idea, not his.
We need our own pawn.
Someone ready for sacrifice.
And someone who can bring in votes as well.
Congratulations.
Bhaisaab has made you the President of the Mumbai Cricket Board
so that he can nominate you for the ICB Presidency.
So, Bhaisaab has put up a proxy.
It's not unexpected, but in this election,
we will have to use every trick in the book
to win a majority.
So, these are the 30 target votes.
Eric John?
His father is an old friend of Hussain's.
Jay Bhagnani.
Congratulations on your son's wedding, Mr. Bhagnani!
So, what would you like as a present?
Mr. Dhawan…
His father was the RBI Governor.
-I had him removed. -He's out.
Gujarat, Baroda, Saurashtra.
Sikkim. He wants a hundred gambling licenses.
Give them to him. Because the other North-Eastern states aren't with us.
Mr. Biren still owes me for my help during his election campaign.
Tripura, Nagaland, Assam.
-That's 13 votes. -We need 16 to win.
Ishan Chawla.
President of the UP Cricket Association.
You know who my grandfather was, Mr. Chakravarty?
India's first Attorney General.
And my father… was the fifth Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
And my son is a Magsaysay Award winner.
I've built this stadium brick by brick, Mr. Chakravarty.
Do you think you can buy my vote with this suitcase of cash?
Nick Chawla. Magsaysay Award winner.
And Ishan Chawla's son.
These are his tax returns from the last ten years.
Look at his account.
He gets funds from somewhere every three months.
A total of 50 crores 58 lakhs has been credited between 2015 and 2020.
Interesting.
And which organization sends these funds?
An NGO that helps homeless people.
It has 30 centers nationwide.
Founded by Ishan Chawla. Managed by his son.
-This is a lovely gesture, Mr. Dhawan. -Thank you.
But influencing my vote in return is out of the question.
Of course, Mr. Chawla.
I would never think of it.
Your incorruptibility is legendary.
But your son, Nick…
he went to a boarding school, didn't he?
I've heard he was quite the troublemaker there.
He used to steal chocolates and hide the wrappers under his pillow.
But now his roommate…
has found those wrappers.
All 50 crore 58 lakh worth of them, Mr. Chawla.
Sadly… stolen from these poor homeless folk.
Go on, make the call.
Hello, Nick?
Who is undecided?
I don't need money.
What then?
A new stadium?
Please tell me.
If you want my vote…
then I'd like my son to be a part of the Indian cricket team.
Your son?
Yes, Bhaisaab.
The India-Pakistan Historic Series is about to begin.
If for the first time, a Kashmiri cricketer…
is seen playing for the Indian team,
it would not only be good for cricket,
but also a big political victory.
I'm sure you see the symbolism here.
Kashmir batting for India.
Kashmir batting for India or…
the leader of opposition's son?
That's for you to decide, Bhaisaab.
Who is this fucker? Where has he come from?
Is this the Indian cricket team or a railway ticket line?
How can someone just shove their way in?
Are we idiots…
to have played district, state, under-19, Duleep,
India A and Ranji, before playing for India?
Rohit, how many first class matches did you play?
A hundred and twenty.
I had to perform in the Ranji for three years before I got picked for India.
Good shot, captain! Well done!
Oh, sorry! Someone else is the captain now.
But still, well played!
We are with you.
Come here, boys! Imaad will bowl now.
Sir, we'll go for a lap?
Right! Now you decide to go for a lap.
Jokers!
Fuck it, I'll go.
-I'll do it, coach. -Great.
Vayu.
-Thanks. -Look, the boys are right.
You don't deserve to be here.
But since I'm the captain, I just have to fucking deal with it.
Let's see what you've got.
What the hell, Imaad? What are you even doing here?
I didn't know our last meeting went so badly.
How did you manage this?
By blackmailing the selectors?
Look, there's something you should know about me.
Well, there's a lot I'd like to know about you. Tell me.
To begin with, my father…
he's kind of this big thing in Kashmir.
Politically.
Ghulam Akbar.
The Ghulam Akbar?
The Ghulam Akbar.
Isn't he the…
Leader of the Opposition in Kashmir, yes.
And I don't know how, but…
the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Board forwarded my name to the ICB.
And suddenly, the selectors called up and…
here I am.
Wow.
-I know it's not cool. -No, it's not.
Yeah but Dad, you know, he does things at times…
without even realizing the consequences his kid will have to face.
Yeah, tell me about it.
Rohini, I know I don't deserve to be here.
Not like this. But what should I do?
Turn down this opportunity?
I'm getting an "India" cap!
Should I throw it away?
I just… I can't.
Put yourself in my shoes. What would you do?
It's not all easy, you know.
Imagine being in a team where everyone hates you.
And if I don't play well, not only India but the whole world will insult me.
No matter how much the political pressure is,
they'll kick me out and I won't even get another chance.
Right?
I guess.
Sorry, I've got to go.
Switching to camera B.
Camera B, check your focus.
Girish! Mantra.
Welcome to India Inquires, Mantra. How are you doing?
Nice to meet you.
-This is Mr. Ripun Chatterjee. -Hello.
You'll be debating him today.
Debate?
It's just a healthy conversation.
Mr. Chatterjee runs an NGO which deals with gambling addiction.
Guys, we're live in ten seconds.
Come, should we take our positions? Yes? Please.
-Ripun… -After you.
Girish.
Good evening, and welcome to India Inquires!
Tonight, we'll dive deep into an issue that can change
Indian sports forever.
So, Mantra, how about… you can start our discussion.
Huge amounts of black money are used in betting every year.
And this goes on to fund businesses like drugs, terrorism and trafficking.
We all understand it is impossible to stop people from betting.
So, we should legalize it.
Here's why.
If betting is legalized, the government can control it.
And our nation can earn thousands of crores in tax revenue every year.
And there's so much we can do with this money.
We can modernize our army.
Schools, colleges, hospitals…
We can improve the country's infrastructure.
In fact, a few years ago, a Law Commission report even recommended
legalizing sports betting in India.
Ripun, your take.
Look, we are a poor nation.
Even today, there are 25 crore people below the poverty line here.
They live on merely 40 rupees a day.
Even if we listen to Mantra and legalize betting,
then these people will gamble their hard earned money on bets,
hoping to turn their 40 rupees into 400 rupees.
They will get addicted to gambling
which will either ruin them, or force them into suicide.
But Mr. Ripun, betting takes place even today,
-illegally and that is also-- -Yes, it does.
But very few people place bets illegally.
If you remove the ban, the whole country will start doing it.
It's an addiction, Mantra.
-Yes, but fixing in cricket-- -I was hoping you'd mention that word.
Fixing.
Research has shown that nowhere in the world has
the legalization of betting stopped players
from being part of the fixing racket.
Actually, this happens in American football.
And even in the English Premier League.
Where there is man, there is corruption.
No!
-No? -I mean…
I agree,
but if there is transparency, there won't be any fixing.
Can you prove this theory? Do you have any data?
Well, not right now…
but I'm sure that all the countries you are referring to
have all generated--
That's exactly my point, you've answered your own question.
We should not compare ourselves to America and England.
Their people are educated, industrialized
and their technology is better than ours.
We have our own issues to worry about, like… black money.
We can't fix this overnight.
We even tried and failed with demonetization.
Crawled in through the back door?
-You know why I'm here. -I will not vote for Ayesha Dewan.
She knows nothing about cricket.
Much less how to run the sport.
And Zarina does?
You've mentored her yourself these last few months, haven't you?
How long do you expect me to do your bidding, Bhaisaab?
So, you'll vote for those who…
have already betrayed you.
I'll vote for you.
If you give me…
PPL Commissionership.
No.
The PPL is mine.
But I do have a counter offer.
I mean, something more fit for a man of your stature.
How about we make you the Chairman of the ICE?
Why don't you… throw in the ICE Chairmanship too?
Let's not get ahead of ourselves here, Mr. Basu.
You'll clip the ICB's wings if I do that.
Take the PPL.
Fine.
You have my vote.
Welcome, members!
Our two candidates for ICB presidentship are here.
Ms. Ayesha Dewan.
And Ms. Zarina Malik.
Two women candidates…
contesting ICB elections for the first time in the history of the board.
So, big applause for them!
Thank you!
So, let's begin.
All those members…
who vote in favor of Ms. Ayesha Dewan, please raise your hands.
Okay, a total of 15 votes to Ms. Ayesha Dewan.
Now all those members who vote in favor of…
Ms. Zarina Malik, please raise your hands.
A total of 15 votes to Ms. Zarina Malik.
No abstentions.
So as you can see gentlemen, it's a tie.
Now as per the rule book, our interim President, Mr. Basu…
gets to vote again, as a tiebreaker.
Basu has already voted for us once.
He will the second time around too.
And the new President of the ICB is…
I offered him the Chairmanship of the ICE…
but the greedy bastard wants the PPL.
Eyes on the prize, Vikrant.
Bhaisaab can't offer him every key post.
Because for him, the election is about controlling cricket.
But for you…
your goal is to take down that man.
You have nothing to lose.
As always, you're right.
Ms. Zarina Malik!
Congrats, Zarina.
You went back on your word.
Did I?
I promised Patil one vote.
I gave him one vote.
What a day, Mr. Bhatia.
What a day!
Zarina Malik!
President of the Indian Cricket Board!
First woman President of the Indian Cricket Board, Mr. Bhatia.
Oh, yes.
We should celebrate.
There's champagne in the fridge. Let's have a drink.
I'd love to, ma'am, but it's my wife's birthday today.
I'll have to go.
Oh, right. I'm so sorry I forgot.
Happy birthday to your wife!
-Family comes first, please go on. -Thank you so much.
Congratulations once again.
-Congratulations to us. -Yes, ma'am.
-Good night! -Good night.
It's no longer a gentleman's game if a lady presides over it.
Zarina Malik is now de facto head of world cricket…
and in the seat of the most powerful position in the sport.
Malik, of course,
was previously the co-owner of the PPL team, the Mumbai Mavericks,
and is a household name owing to the nearly
nearly 40 Bollywood films she has worked in.
Her rise to power in a male dominated arena
is astonishing, to say the least.
She was raised by her mother who worked as a junior, a background artist…
Go on, Zarina.
Try it.
How old are you?
-Sir, 20. -No you're not.
How old are you really?
Seventeen.
Sir, when will you audition me?
Your first time?
You'll develop a taste.
-Zarina! -What the fuck!
-Come on, let's go. Come! -Mom!
Mom, leave me!
This is my dream, and I'll do anything to achieve it.
I'll make my own path.
Fame, fortune, glamour, I'll have it all, Mom!
People will follow me everywhere. My pictures will be in every magazine.
I'll have everything, Mom.
And what about happiness?
I'll buy that too.
Zarina!