Lakshmanan: Redefining Heroes

Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Indian Cricketer) sued Amrapali group (troubled by financial crisis) for Rs. 150 crores. This was with regards to nonpayment of endorsement fees.

What is missing part in the article pertaining to the act of suing by Mahedra Singh Dhoni?

A new trend has emerged from Nirav Modi episode (Punjab National Bank Scam).

Celebrity brand ambassadors immediately take a turn and start suing the brand holding company, no sooner the company is in trouble.

Priyanka Chopra may cut ties with Nirav Modi.

When they were brand icons and enjoyed the customary royal treatments received from the brand holding company they were relishing the royal treatment.

Classic case of Amitabh Bachchan (Brand ambassador of Kalyan Jewellers) having food in Gold plate.

One has to remember that Sakshi Dhoni was one of the directors at Amrapali group.

Indeed a fine arrangement.

M S Dhoni will be the brand ambassador and Mrs. Dhoni will be Director with the Company.

We have to note “His wife Sakshi Dhoni still continues to hold a 25% stake in the stalled business venture with Amrapali group owner Anil Kumar Sharma.” as per an article appeared in DNA Newspaper (updated April 22, 2016).

I hope whether M S Dhoni will reveal whether Sakshi Dhoni is still stake holder in the business venture.

Visit : https://www.zaubacorp.com/director/SAKSHI-SINGH-DHONI/05127691 (as on 13 April 2018)

It seems M S Dhoni’s wife received brand equity from Amrapali group.

This practice is followed by Times of India group (Bennett, Coleman & Company, Ltd.,).

Arrangement might have been:

M S Dhoni will be the brand ambassador
Small amount may have been paid as fees and remaining might have been in the form of equity
M S Dhoni will be provided with a seat on the board i.e. Sakshi Dhoni
Sakshi Dhoni will be provided brand equity (may be sweat equity)
If and when Amrapali Group will get listed and M S Dhoni will be making huge listed gains

Note:

Hear one part I leave it to tax experts i.e. M S Dhoni will be paying small tax on the fees as compared to if the whole amount would have been paid. Also, whether Sweat equity will be taxed on issue to Sakshi Dhoni I leave it to Tax experts. If not taxed, then a good way of avoiding tax.

The above is also practiced by other celebrities such as Salman Khan.

“Actor Salman Khan, who will be the brand ambassador of yatra.com, has also picked up a minority stake in travel agent Yatra Online Pvt. Ltd.” (Livemint).

The above practice was explained in an article Citizens Jain – October 8, 2012 The New Yorker issue:

“Another innovation, conceived by his brother Samir, is referred to as “private treaties” or “brand capital.” Under this program, the newspaper offers a deal to smaller companies: it accepts ads in exchange for equity in a company. B.C.C.L. insists on one-third cash as a down payment and accepts real-estate ownership in lieu of equity; the resulting ads appear throughout the paper. The company has a stake in more than three hundred and fifty companies, and this accounts for up to fifteen per cent of its ad revenues.”

In case of Bennett, Coleman & Company, Ltd. one of the failed deal is the famous Videocon Group (ICICI – Kochhar – Dhoot ).

Company Name	Shareholder	Shares
Videocon Industries	Bennett, Coleman And Company Limited	12,284,035
http://www.moneycontrol.com/bse/shareholding/shp_public_shares.php?sc_dispid=VLF#VLF As on quarter December 2017. Taken on 13^th April 2018

For other holdings of Bennett, Coleman & Company, ltd. :

Name	₹ Net Worth	Shares Held
Quotes as of Friday, 13-April-2018 12:07 PM
Lok Housing & Constructions Ltd.	31.33 Lac	762,200.00
MIRC Electronics Limited	82.01 Cr	15,518,417.00
Videocon Industries Limited	16.52 Cr	12,284,035.00
JVL Agro Industries Limited	7.35 Cr	2,887,537.00
Future Enterprises Limited	80.04 Cr	20,391,700.00
Noesis Industries Limited	-	2,626,517.00
ECO RECYCLING LTD	7.70 Cr	1,400,000.00
Zicom Electronic Security Systems Limited	91.50 Lac	500,000.00
Next Mediaworks Limited	5.44 Cr	3,649,391.00
Celebrity Fashions Limited	2.19 Cr	1,316,818.00
Entertainment Network (India) Limited P	2,370.90 Cr	33,918,400.00
V2 Retail Limited	93.61 Cr	2,035,065.00
Indian Terrain Fashions Limited	8.07 Cr	415,849.00
Future Consumer Limited	552.69 Cr	91,580,293.00
Ashapura Intimates Fashion Limited	18.05 Cr	400,226.00
Future Lifestyle Fashions Limited	215.43 Cr	4,562,748.00
Adlabs Entertainment Limited	6.60 Cr	1,248,684.00
Total	3,467.81 Cr

Source for above holdings:

http://shareboss.in/Cent/portfolios/Bennett-Coleman-And-Company-Holdings

May be some of the above holding would have been Brand Equity issued to Bennett, Coleman and Company Ltd.

Let’s recollect here what Irrfan Khan (Indian Actor) stated on redefining heroes:

“That is my basic concern things need to be redefined... It pains me when a film actor or a cricketer is a youth icon. I don't have anything against them. They are great entertainers; they are useful to the society . They contribute to people's lives. But they are not heroes. We haven't redefined heroes. Heroes are different people. Heroes are people who sacrifice their own concerns and do something bigger, who change people's lives. We film stars and cricketers shouldn't be aspirational in such a big way for the healthy growth of the society . It's a sign of consumerism at its extreme. That's why I find it so cool and so hip to see that photograph of the women scientists of ISRO celebrating a launch. That's heroism. That's cool, that's hip! Lekin main agar kahin se udhaar le kar , kuch bana ke, thodi der ke liye aapka time pass kara de raha hoon, just because I am famous, you aspire to become me that's not cool, that's pathetic.”

Let’s cheer true heroes as said by Daniel J Boorstin:

"Celebrity-worship and hero-worship should not be confused. Yet we confuse them every day, and by doing so we come dangerously close to depriving ourselves of all real models. We lose sight of the men and women who do not simply seem great because they are famous but are famous because they are great. We come closer and closer to degrading all fame into notoriety."

"In our world of big names, curiously, our true heroes tend to be anonymous. In this life of illusion and quasi-illusion, the person of solid virtues who can be admired for something more substantial than his well-knownness often proves to be the unsung hero: the teacher, the nurse, the mother, the honest cop, the hard worker at lonely, underpaid, unglamorous, unpublicized jobs."