In India, you never know when the good guy turns into the bad guy: Vindu Dara Singh

Vindu Dara Singh, Bigg Boss winner, still can’t believe he spent 13 days in jail for being accused in the cricket match-fixing scam. “I thought I’d be out in hours. I had told my wife I’d be back by lunch time when they took me in. I came home after 13 days. My wife stood by me. She believed in my innocence. And so did my entire family. They came to see me after I was taken in. I told them I was not guilty of any of this. That was all they needed to hear. My family kept me going. My wife knows exactly what I am capable of. She didn’t believe any of this nonsense. My love and respect for her has doubled.” Recalling the genesis of the horrific experience Vindu says, “I still can’t believe what I went through. There are thousands of people who bet in cricket. I haven’t done anything wrong. Except that I loved cricket. Now I hate the game. I’ll never again look at cricket. My love for cricket has cost me so heavily I’d never again watch a game in my life. I’ll never speak to anyone related to the game of cricket.” Recalling the shocking arrest Vindu says, “I never expected I’d be held for so long. When these guys decided to arrest me there were hundreds of mediapersons around. I don’t know who informed them. They asked me to cover my face. I refused. Why should I have covered my face? I had done no wrong.” None of Vindu’s buddies from the film industry spoke up for him. He defends their silence saying, “You have to understand they were not sure of my innocence. If every day I read the things that were written about me in the papers even I’d have kept quiet. I don’t blame anyone for not speaking up for me. If I had done wrong they’d be in trouble. So they had to be careful. Sure, some of these colleagues and friends from the film fraternity know me at my work place. But what about the rest of the time? If they read in the papers that cricketers stayed in my house and that Rs 1 crore 28 lakhs were found in my house, obviously they will doubt my innocence. The accusations were shocking. Even Mahesh Bhatt who stands up for all the wronged people in the industry couldn’t stand up for me because of what all was being said about me.” The real support came from Vindu’s family and non-filmy friends. “The friends who stood by me are the childhood friends. From the film fraternity there were people who’d quietly come home and ask about me. But it was risky for them to take a public stand in my favour. Now the honourable court has ruled that I had nothing to do with any of these things.” Vindu was amused that people were speculating on his well-to-do lifestyle. “They are whispering how and where I got my house and these cars. They’ve to understand that my father has worked hard to give us a good life. I also make a decent income. I am not some struggler or upstart.” Dolly Bindra was the only one who stood up for Vindu . “I was amazed by her support,” says Vindu. “I asked her why she stood by me. The reason for her support is, she was there when the cops took me away. She spoke to me for about three minutes and she was convinced I was innocent.” Vindu says he was treated well in custody. “During the first hour of interrogation I told them about my exact connection with cricket. They wanted to know more about Gurunath Meiyappan and Asad Rauf. I came clean. But like I said I am done with cricket. My brothers would often ask me why I waste so much time watching cricket. I’d fight back. Today I realize I was wasting my time. To hell with this rubbish game. It has brought me so much pain.” Vindu is all for legalizing betting in cricket. “If they’re going to pick up anyone on these charges, then they might as well either shut down the bookies completely or allow them legally. The world knows for 25 years where all the bookies of the world stay. If they can’t shut them down they might as well legalize them. Just like the tobacco industry which flourishes when gutka is banned.” At the moment Vindu is trying to get to work in films. He has resumed shooting for Sunil Agnihotri’s Balwinder Singh Famous Ho Gaya. Says Vindu, “People are wondering what will happen to me, whether there would be a case. If there is a case I am confident I’d be acquitted. Because I have done no wrong. But in India you never know when the good guy turns into the bad guy. I’ve been called every name in the past month... from Fixer, to Don’s Man to Pimp...kuch bacha nahin. But I’ve put it behind me now. The police was doing their job. They expected some major revelations to emerge from our interrogation. But I was clean. Yet I was denied bail every day because there was so much media pressure. But we were not pressurized or tortured. They knew I had nothing to hide.” Vindu is trying to get back to a normal life. “My son Fateh from my first wife Farah was here to spend the day with me just the other day. He knew about what had happened. He told me. ‘Papa, I know you’ve done nothing wrong.’ That was music to my ears. My daughter Amelia from my second wife is too small to know what was going on. She goes to the best school in the world, the Ambani school. They never allowed her to know. My daughter was my biggest worry. What if somebody told her? My wife told my daughter I had gone for shooting.” On release the first person Vindu wanted to see was his mother. “After seeing and reading what I was accused of she said, ‘If Vindu has really done this I’d take poison.’ If my mother thought like this think about what others thought.” Vindu can see the lighter side of his predicament. “I was on television 24 hours while the Chinese Premiere’s visit was covered in two minutes...I don’t know where all this will go now. I wanted to be with my sisters in the US on 6 June. That couldn’t happen. My family is now in Russia. I want to join them, if the authorities allow me. They haven’t taken away my passport. But I’ll have to take the honourable Judge’s permission. He is a fantastic human being. I am confident he will let me fly to Russia to be with my family. It’s the good people who make this world a better place. I too think of myself as one of good guys ”