I have made mistakes, but accepted people`s criticism positively: Zee Group Founder Subhash Chandra

Getting emotional as he recalled the arduous journey of Zee, Dr Subhash Chandra divulged how crores of people used to send postcards to him, appreciating the work as well as pulling up the channel for `mistakes`.

New Delhi: Zee Group Founder Dr Subhash Chandra on Wednesday (October 6) remembered his struggles and criticism of people in the initial years of the channel during an interview with Zee News Editor-in-Chief Sudhir Chaudhary.

Getting emotional as he recalled the arduous journey of Zee, Chandra divulged how crores of people used to send postcards to him, appreciating the work as well as pulling up the channel for “mistakes”. Admitting that mistakes were made then, he said fighting tears, “We have made mistakes along the way. And I have paid for it. I was even shown black badges, offered garland of shoes.”

“When I used to visit the country, many people would approach me at airports, and show me black badges because I did not speak unadulterated  Hindi in my prorgammes, but a mixture of Hindi, English and Urdu. I accepted the criticism positively,” he further said. 

When asked about looking back at the long history of the channel, Chandra said it was meant to be and now even he cannot repeat the feat. 

Meanwhile, Chandra questioned Invesco’s malicious intent and alleged that it is trying to acquire the ZEEL group through illegal means. “Invesco is not the owner, 2.5 lakh shareholders are the real owner of ZEEL, 90 crore Indian viewers are the real owners of the Group,” he said. 

He urged the people to support Zee in its fight against the hostile takeover.

“I know you (people) have got my back. I assure you, if you are with us, we will not let a foreign company take over. This company is not a personal property of anyone. It belongs to the people,” he said.