Leading luminaries of the Indian film and cricket worlds have come together to form Film Cricket Board (FCB) in Mumbai. Its aim is to support untapped sporting talent and advance various social causes. FCB wants to raise money by playing cricket against other celebrity teams in India and abroad.
"We hope to transform great success stories like the one in the movie Iqbal into reality, where underprivileged children get more opportunities to play at the highest level," says Kapil Dev, former India skipper and brand ambassador of FCB. The proceeds will go to Hero Indian Sports Academy (HISA), headed by Dev and an NGO called ONE, both for the promotion of sport and individual scholarships for the underprivileged.
"Initially, we will look at promoting cricket," he adds, "and as the concept gains popularity, we will utilise funds to promote other sports as well."
According to FCB XI skipper, actor Suniel Shetty, "The money will also be used for other social causes. This is our way of assuring countrymen that we are always there for society. We have done this before, but we now aim to make it a serious affair." The FCB team comprises around 30 members of the film industry, including Sanjay Dutt, Ajay Devgan, Aditya Panscholi, Sohail Khan, Bikram Saluja and Jimmy Shergill.