LMAO! Akki starts business venture with two of his exes

Akshay Kumar and Raj Kundra come together to partner in business

Priya Gupta,TNN | Mar 5, 2015, 12.00 AM ISTAkshay Kumar and Shilpa Shetty at one time were in a serious relationship. It was initially surprising, but finally lovely to see Akshay Kumar and Raj Kundra come together to partner in business and co-own India's first celebrity-based teleshopping channel titled Best Deal TV, that will soon be launching in India.



Best Deal TV will be a full-fledged teleshopping network in Hindi that will see many celebrities partner with the channel to co-own and create their own brands and share profits with the channel. One of the first celebrities who is excited to co-create her own brand, is the young and spunky Sonakshi Sinha. Seeing Akshay and Shilpa together during their photoshoot for the launch of their channel, I could not help but feel how both had not just moved on with their lives and families, but also how mature they were to be partners in this new venture in such a professional way. Excerpts from a conversation with the founder team of Best Deal TV.

Akshay, what made you think of launching Best Deal TV?

Teleshopping business is big in the world. Raj Kundra and I came up with an idea of launching a celebrity-based teleshopping channel, where celebrities will sell products. I thought we keep running behind brands doing ads for them, helping their brands, so why not start our own brands that we can endorse? So different celebrities will come on the channel and sell and endorse brands that they will co-own with Best Deal TV. Sonakshi Sinha is one of the first celebrities to have come on board to endorse and sell her own range of products.



Sonakshi, what makes you partner with Best Deal TV?

It's exciting for someone my age who is so young to be able to start a business of my own. On this celebrity-based channel, I am not just a brand ambassador but I am a co-owner. The products that I sell will be my brand, where I will be involved in the designing and packaging of it. Best Deal TV will be my partners for my brand and they will have it manufactured and reach it to the final consumer.

Raj, could you talk about the kinds of products, margins and delivery mode for products that you will sell through the channel?

Products: We will sell only products related to lifestyle, health, fashion and beauty. We will not sell durables except mobile phones, that we consider a lifestyle product. All products that we sell will be exclusive to us. We will not sell any magical products.

Base of manufacturing: All products will be manufactured in India, except for mobiles that will be made in China.

Margins: Margins are important to us, so we will not sell branded products. The products will be made at the same factories, where some of the top brands of the world are made and we will thus, give the best branded quality at a fraction of its price and that too, with celebrity names attached to it. We will be able to operate on 20-30% margins, as we are supplying directly from manufacturer to consumer without any middleman or distributor.

Target audience: Housewives and people who follow celebrities. Middle and upper class homes, as our products will only be in the range of Rs 2,000 to Rs 7,000.

Mode of delivery: You can call into a teleshopping number and book your product. We will have it delivered to your doorstep and have the cash collected against delivery.



Akshay, Shilpa and you were at one time in a relationship in the past. Is there any awkwardness between Raj and you in working together?

Akshay: The answer is really in your question itself. It's the past. Past has gone. We are looking at our present and the future. We are both happy in our present and we are all very excited and looking forward at creating a fantastic future with Best Deal TV. Raj and I have common friends in Canada and Hong Kong. He approached me with this project and I loved the concept.

Raj: Also, Akshay is a very savvy businessman.

Shilpa: Akshay really caters to the masses and classes at the same time. I really believe that he is an actor, who is known for his dedication and hard work and he will bring those qualities of his as a partner into the business.

Akshay, are you a good business person?

I am okay. I am surviving. I am not that educated to be a businessman, but I understand 2+2=4 and that much brains is enough to get into this. I do my work very honestly and that is what I look forward to in this business also. I do know that be it my company or a film I do, I work hard in whatever I do.

Originally posted by: raj80

two exes?Shilpa and who?

Sonakshi 😲...were they in relationship?

^^^Unofficially yes...there were many blinds.

Sonakshi is his ex? I really doubt that. There were one or two vague blinds but it didn't look believable from the beginning tbh. Sonakshi was linked with almost every her co-actor but nothing turned out to be true.