Showing posts with label Ekta Kapoor interview. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ekta Kapoor interview. Show all posts
If I can change even one mindset, so that a father doesn’t shoot her daughter, I’d be proud-Ekta Kapoor
2:39 PM
Ektaa R Kapoor says Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi reboot will see Tulsi talking about important issues
Akash Bhatnagar (HINDUSTAN TIMES; July 19, 2025)
The nostalgia of the early days of Indian TV is coming back as producer Ektaa R Kapoor is rebooting Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi (KSBKBT) with the same leads — actors Smriti Irani as Tulsi Virani and Amar Upadhyay as Mihir Virani. For her, it was the right time to bring the show back, as this year marks its 25th anniversary.
“We wanted to do a short bout of episodes so that we can bring back the memories and most importantly to give back to television — a medium that gave us so much,” says Ektaa.
Ask if bringing KSBKBT back on Indian television is an attempt to reinvent the medium, and Ektaa says: “For me, reinventing TV, creating noise and high TRPs are all secondary. What’s primary is making the medium relevant in a way that people discuss what happened in a show on a dining table. If I can do that, where I can change even one mindset, where a father can be proud of his daughter’s achievements and doesn’t shoot her because of that, I’d feel extremely proud,” Ektaa asserts.
The upcoming show will see Tulsi shed light on topics that need to be talked about. Ektaa shares: “We wanted to use this powerful character, which penetrated through large parts of India, to help the country see her in an updated and newer version, talking about important issues. We are using storytelling to do what we want to do, which is create impact, awareness and change mindsets.”
The producer cites an example of the impact the protagonist of the show had: “Recently, a young man came to me and said: ‘My father used to hate you’. When I asked him why, he said, ‘Aapki wajah se meri mummy ne pehli baar unko jawaab diya, joh unhein lagta hai jawab diya par mujhe lagta hai she put her point of view across for the first time. She felt if Tulsi could do it, why can’t I?’”
While the show, Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi (KSBKBT), enjoyed a historic initial run, Ektaa R Kapoor is clear-eyed about the pressure that comes with its legacy, but she’s undeterred. “No one wants to step down from the nostalgia they created and put themselves to the test again,” she admits
“But Smriti (Irani) and the channel said, ‘Let’s create an impact property. Let’s build a strong story instead of chasing only ratings. Let’s entertain without being preachy.’ That’s the power we’re looking forward to exercising with this story. We’re not here to compete, we want to coexist,” she says.
At a time when much of the TV audience has shifted to OTT, Ektaa’s return to the small screen raises eyebrows. Ask her about it, and she’s quick to respond: “Television will always be my first love. It has deeper penetration than the internet. Online, there’s a lot of noise, but it’s scattered. TV has the power to bring families, and mindsets, together.”
Critics often label Indian television content as regressive, with shows like KSBKBT cited as examples. Ektaa pushes back: “Telling a woke story to a woke audience is no big deal. The enlightened are already enlightened. The real impact comes from reaching the masses, being relatable, talking about their issues and then pushing the envelope. We’ve addressed themes like domestic violence, marital rape, euthanasia, and age shaming. Families discussed those issues together. That’s what we hope to do again, entertain, unite, and make people think.”
We create masaledaar content for Hindi audience-Ekta Kapoor
8:27 AM
A still from the franchise Gandii Baat
With the lockdown having boosted the subscriber base of OTT platforms, Ekta Kapoor on why she doesn't view Netflix and Amazon as threat to her app ALT Balaji
Uma Ramasubramanian (MID-DAY; September 27, 2020)
The story of the evolution of Indian satellite television would well be incomplete without Ekta Kapoor. Over the past two decades, the producer has dominated the telly world with her great Indian dramas that range from saas-bahu soaps to implausible stories about shape-shifting serpents. In contrast, her digital platform ALT Balaji had a slow start in 2017. Three years and over 60 original titles later, Kapoor claims that the OTT boom during the lockdown has given a boost to the platform.
"India's tier 2 and 3 towns have seen an upswing of Internet users that has been beneficial to all OTT platforms. We saw a lot of women from smaller towns subscribing to our platform; it also led to more time spent by our viewers. The growing demand for new seasons of the popular shows, including Baarish and Kehne Ko Humsafar Hain, have added to the brand's popularity," states Kapoor.
The OTT market has been largely dominated by the big players that include Netflix, Amazon and Disney+ Hotstar. However, Kapoor insists that the international streaming giants do not pose a threat to her digital platform—where the former targets the urbane audience that enjoys its fill of Ozark and Succession, she has positioned her app to cater to "the Bharat audience".
"We welcome the international apps as they cater to a smaller percentage of India, but at the same time, help us in widening the industry. We are the OTT of the masses; we create masaledaar content for India and the Hindi-speaking diaspora. The challenge is to tap the Bharat audience, who are looking for good stories in their language," says Kapoor, noting that the next billion users will emerge not from the cities, but from the heartland of the country.
The lack of censorship on OTT platforms has become a subject of intense scrutiny. While ALT Balaji has more than its share of erotic web series, including Gandii Baat and XXX: Uncensored, she maintains that they practice self-censorship. "We have strived for self-censorship, where the final choice remains with the viewers."
The people who put you on a pedestal can be as quick to pull you off-Ekta Kapoor
8:48 AM
Ekta Kapoor on why she is determined to not let her Padma Shri win get to her head and how her soaps of the early 2000s gave Indian women a voice
Anjana Vaswani (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 18, 2020)
“Life happened to me, I think,” says Ekta Kapoor, reflecting on her showbiz journey almost a month after she received the Padma Shri, the nation’s fourth highest civilian award. An incredible validation on all counts, the honour assumes special significance for Ekta. For her, praise for churning out massively successful small screen productions, since she was but a teenager, has been peppered with a generous dose of criticism. More than once, it has crossed over to her personal choices.In January last year, the TV czarina-filmmaker welcomed son Ravie, born via surrogacy, as a single mother—a decision that raised eyebrows. “But now I meet so many young women who say their parents feel it’s okay that they aren’t married and point to me as an example. It makes me very happy, because, in this country, the pressure to conform—particularly on girls—is so high,” she notes, adding, “Even I feel it.”
She goes on to share that she has been often asked, ‘When will you settle down?’ “Which is odd, because I feel I’m very settled. But such questions are raised. And, if people can find strength by looking at my life, then I’m delighted,” Ekta says, adding that she was told she’d have to re-organise priorities when she became a mother. “But I don’t see it that way. I love my job, and if I stop, I’ll regret it later and blame my son—when he never asked me to give anything up.”The defiant streak has also driven some of Ekta’s key career decisions. By her own admission, she had received a lot of criticism for her daily soaps. She acknowledges that those shows—like Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi and Kkusum, which catapulted her company to success in the 2000s—were heavily stylised and melodramatic. “But they actually gave Indian women a voice,” she argues. “There’s research that shows that after cable penetration, from about 2001 to 2005, which is when my shows ran, India, for the first time, saw women take decisions on family issues. This had never happened before, and it was directly linked to the fact that we made the women in our shows do this.”
At the same time, she concedes that some things could have been done differently. “There was a song in Kkusum, for instance, called 'Beti ke Roop Mein Beta Mila'. In hindsight, the very idea that a bread-winning woman should be compared to a man reeks of patriarchy, but at that time, we were fighting a different war: We wanted to gain acceptance for the idea that it’s fine for girls to support their parents financially,” she informs.
With two decades of experience, Ekta knows what she needs to do to avoid the pitfalls of film-making. But parenting is a whole new ballgame, and it helps to have a strong support system, she points out, talking about the guilt that’s every mother’s burden. “My brother Tusshar is amazing,” she says. “He is a fantastic father to his son, and never hesitates to include my son in his plans. And he always has good advice to offer, whether it’s about parenting apps or how to teach Ravie to walk.”
And while she loves exploring new themes and formats at work, her at-home persona is far less adventurous. “My family calls me Velcro because I hate shifting from any place I am comfortable in,” she says. Her bedroom may still be the same shade of yellow it was when she was 15, but Kapoor says she’s certainly not the same person. “I’m a lot stronger, and I think I’m a better person, and I have prayer to thank for that. Otherwise, it’s quite a lot for a 20-year-old to read articles saying, ‘You’ve arrived’ and three years later, articles that say, ‘You’re finished’.” Which is why, while being cognizant of the tremendous honour that comes with a Padma Shri title, Ekta is determined to not let it get to her head. “The people who put you on a pedestal can be as quick to pull you off. So, I don’t want to be on a pedestal. I just want to be heard.”
My son is only 3 months old, but he recognizes people at my office-Ekta Kapoor
7:53 AM
Ekta Kapoor tells us how she has set up a crèche at her office so that working mothers can be around their babies
Tanvi Trivedi (BOMBAY TIMES; May 28, 2019)
Producer Ekta Kapoor recently introduced the world to her son, Ravie, whom she had through surrogacy. In an exclusive chat with BT recently, she spoke about balancing motherhood and her work commitments.Ekta says, “Currently, life is all about spending as much time as possible with my son. These days, I try and leave the office earlier than usual.” She also tells us that she regrets not setting up a creche in her office, earlier. “I bring Ravie to the office frequently and he spends time with my team. I have a huge support system in my mother and my team, so whenever I get busy with meetings, they keep him entertained. He is only three months old, but he has made friends with my colleagues and it may sound unrealistic, but he recognizes people at work. That is one of the reasons I have set up a crèche in my office. Even when my son grows older, the creche will continue, because it is important for working mothers to be around their babies. In fact, I should have built it in my office a long time ago. I regret not having done that earlier,” she shares.
Talking about work, it’s only natural for us to ask her about the naagins and ghosts in her shows, which are often criticised. But an unfazed Ekta hits back, saying, “What are the big shows that are working internationally, currently? People are watching dragons. It is uber cool for them to watch dragons, but when India watches naagins, it is not cool. Isn’t this anti-populist? Why do we look down on the masses and their choices?”
What about tracks dragging on TV shows and actors returning from the dead? Ekta replies, “Didn’t Jon Snow return from the dead? If you are not the audience, you will criticise, but then, that’s ringside play. Data proves that people are watching these shows because every time there is a kidnap, murder or a hero returns from the dead, there is a surge in ratings. It is an escapism for the Indian audience.”
Kasautii Zindagii Kay was a better story than Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi-Ekta Kapoor
9:25 AM
Ekta Kapoor on her decision to reboot Kasautii Zindagii Kay and why she can't reimagine the Smriti Irani-headlined soap - Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi
Letty Mariam Abraham (MID-DAY; October 2, 2018)
When you first tweeted about bringing Kausautii Zindagii Kay back, what was the thought behind it?
At that time, I was in a mindspace where I wanted to do things that make me happy. Instinctively, I knew it was time to bring Kasautii back. Of course, I had no way of doing that unless a channel came on board. Fortunately, Star immediately agreed.
Why did you opt for the remake of Kasautii and not other popular shows like Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi or Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii?
As a story, Kasautii worked far better. It is something I've always wanted to remake. Plus, I will not remake Kyunki without Smriti Irani, and she won't do it!
Will the new version include any cast members from the original?
No. The best way to make a show like this is to have a fresh cast while retaining the flavour of
the original.
What convinced you to bring Parth Samthaan and Erica Fernandes on board?
I had a few personality traits in mind for Anurag and Prerna. Anurag had to be the kind of man who doesn't scream to get noticed, but once you notice him, he's unforgettable. For me, Parth was an obvious choice because he has unbelievable eyes. I have not seen a man whose eyes reflect that depth even in photographs. I didn't want a protein shake of a man (laughs). Prerna is someone who comes across as light-hearted, but has a lot of depth. When I saw the promo of Erica's show, Kuch Rang Pyaar Ke Aise Bhi, I knew that I wanted to cast her. So far, my shows' leading ladies have been demure and the men are typical bad boys. But this is the new-age Prerna-Anurag; she even asks him if he is gay.
Besides characterisation, what other changes will you bring about in the reboot?
I don't want to repeat Komolika's dressing. Urvashi [Dholakia] carried it with aplomb. But this time around, I want to change the way the quintessential vamp is portrayed. I want to keep her subtle.
Your OTT platform is tapping into the young audience base. With this show, are you also trying to draw them towards television?
I believe when youngsters are at home with their families, they will watch the show. They also identify with the concept of love, so they will find a connect with the show.
I am doing my own kind of ‘MeToo’. I don’t want to do it like others-Ekta Kapoor
9:13 AM
Madhureeta Mukherjee (BOMBAY TIMES; May 31, 2018)
She’s feisty and fearless. Her opinions make solid statements and her ideas have shock value. Ekta Kapoor, the woman who made a genre out of the saas-babu sagas on Indian television, is also a film producer who takes pride in telling stories about love, lust, sexual repression and drugs. Quite an antithesis this one is. That’s Ekta Kapoor for you. Her ideas can be anything from simple to sensational or real to radical — all depending on what her audience will lap up. There’s one thing certain about this woman with boundless enthusiasm and guts galore, and she simplifies it best herself, “People are being able to put me in a box, so they think I am an anomaly”. She’s backing the upcoming Veere Di Wedding directed Shashanka Ghosh, a film where four fab women are leading the show. In a chat with BT, Ekta talks about how sanskar and sex can co-exist, the warped idea of feminism that looms large over us, and how she’s drawn to stories that beautifully break the idea of perfection. Read on…
After a long wait, Veere Di Wedding is finally here. The film, led by four female actors, is already making quite a statement. And all of you have stressed on the fact that it is not a chick flick...
It’s about time we make a statement, right? Though I am far more gender agnostic in the way I view things. I don’t look at it as a film about four women, it’s about friendship. And once you get engaged in the story, you really don’t see the gender of the lead cast. The more you spell out these things, the more we underline it, and we end up creating some kind of discrimination. Veere… is a coming-of-age film, and it’s about acceptance of the fact that the fairy tales we have been fed, don’t turn out exactly the way you imagined. We are all becoming the heroes we are told to marry, and we are becoming women who are okay with our blemishes, flaws and body types. It’s this depth in the story that drew me towards it. This is a story that we need to tell our boys and girls.
Kareena Kapoor Khan was signed for the project and then she announced that she was pregnant. Rhea Kapoor and you made the choice to wait for her to have the baby and come back to work. It also sends out a message that actresses cannot be easily substituted...
Well, Kareena is a star, a stunning woman and also an actor par excellence. There was a list of actresses that Rhea and I went through, who were keen to do it, but we needed a performer, because Kalindi (Kareena’s character in the film) is complex. I think that when you know your character well, and you are not looking at making the most expensive film on earth, you should go with certain type of actors that you want. I clearly remember when Rhea called me up to tell me that Kareena is pregnant, I was walking to the Tirupati temple. I was dealing with Udta Punjab (2016), as the film had run into trouble, and my nephew Laksshya (brother Tusshar’s son) had arrived just six days before that. There was too much happening already, and we just had a baby in our house, too. I didn’t think that an actress should lose a film because she was having a child. Not happening! As a producer, I was in and out of the project initially, and it had nothing to do with the idea of the film itself. A lot of people said that it’s a women-oriented film and that the budgets are not working out. There are people in the industry who patronisingly look at you and say. ‘Two crore mein toh khul jaayegi, yaar. Gaane chal gaye, warna women-oriented film ki opening kaise ho sakti hai’. I went through the same thing during The Dirty Picture (2011). On paper, the film appeared to be a Rs 12-crore loss. I said I am doing this film; I will make ten more shows and make the money for the company. I believed in it, and I did it.
There is a line in the film where Sonam Kapoor’s character says that it doesn’t matter how qualified or successful a girl is, but unless she has a mangalsutra around her neck, her life is not seen as complete. Every woman is evaluated through that prism, isn’t it? A single woman of so-called marriageable age is also often seen justifying why she is single...
We are always told that we should settle down and find the other half. And that half is someone who will come and complete you. I have given so many interviews where I was asked, ‘When will you settle down?’ What is the meaning of being settled? It means doing what I want to do, being independent and being emotionally sorted. I am in that space. I feel complete. So, I am settled, aren’t I? If I find someone, I will be giving something and sharing a part of me, but the purpose is not to fill up the other half. You don’t need someone to complete you, whether you are a man or a woman.
Interestingly, the kinds of films you have backed, like The Dirty Picture, Udta Punjab, Lipstick Under My Burkha (2016), are bold, path-breaking and challenge the norms of cinema. These are quite different from your TV shows, which are family-friendly and cater to a certain audience. In that area, you have gone with the tide. Your sensibility across mediums is starkly different…
People can’t put me in a box, so they think I am an anomaly. They tell me that you make a television soap like Naagin, then you make a film like Lipstick Under My Burkha, and now, you are making a film like Veere… I tell them, why don’t you get it, there are so many sides to me. I am doing my own kind of ‘MeToo’, I don’t want to do it in a way that others are doing it. In the show Naagin, in the first episode, she gets molested and then she comes back and takes full on revenge. In our society, kuch cheezein hum kehte hai aur woh wahi reh jaati hai. No one will ever call this a movement. But we need to penetrate across with our shows, and we have to do it in a language that the masses understand. I am also told ki, ‘Aap sanskar ki baat karte ho, phir aap sex ki baat karte ho’. I tell them that sanskar aur sex dono ussi ladki ke pehlu hai. Agar ek ladki mandir jaati hai, uska yeh matlab nahin ki she’s not interested in sex. And why are we deciding that this is all that a woman can be? That this is what stirs a fight between women? The one in the sari is complexed about the one in the swimsuit, and the one in a swimsuit looks down upon the one in the sari. Then, we start putting labels on each other and fighting over it. We have to stop putting ourselves and other people in boxes. We have to realise that as the world is getting gender fluid, we have to be fluid about our sensibility, too. Acceptance is the word of the decade. The day we get it, we are sorted.
In Veere… the four girls brazenly talk about sex, orgasms and use cuss words to express themselves; it’s the kind of stuff that we don’t see in our cinema. None of the characters are seeking to be poster girls of perfection or morality (that’s socially acceptable). It is a brave choice, but you are also taking some chances while backing such subjects...
That day somebody asked me, ‘Aap Kalpana Chawla (American astronaut and the first woman of Indian origin who went to space) ke baare mein kyon nahin film banate? Tab feminist film hogi na, yeh kaise feminist film ho gaya?’ I am like… how confused are you? First of all, yahan pe feminism kaise aa gaya? Feminism is a belief; a man or a woman can be a feminist. You have to believe in the concept of equality, and believe in giving someone space to live the kind of life they want. I said that I would love to make a film on Kalpana Chawla also. I even told him that what he said is politically incorrect on all levels.
The idea of feminism is terribly misconstrued. Here again, you want to put a woman on a pedestal.
It’s again the girl who can achieve, or the girl who has a baby who is put on a pedestal. The other girls have to reach that position somehow. For television, I make socially moving, but simple and sweet content, it’s not radical. With films, I want to do that. So many people tell me… ‘Yahi type ki films aapko pasand hai’. I tell them yes, and you won’t get it. The beauty of Veere… is that it doesn’t try to show the perfect woman. The film is about breaking perfection. It works for me, because I want to see four friends sit down and say… why the hell did this happen to me? That is real. Our hearts break, our mascara melts and when we are struck with pain, we overeat, drink and we are on Instagram reading quotes. This is just the way we are.
After creating content across mediums over the years, which medium do you think is the most challenging?
I still think that TV is most challenging. With shows, you are in people’s homes, you can’t do things in a certain way and you can’t be too radical. You have to get the story across to hundreds of people and the show has to fetch high ratings. Every time you think you have cracked it, you realise that the audience is sensitised to the story. And there are only so many stories. Making television shows is like going to war with your hands and legs tied.
We’re not used to girls discussing boys on screen-Ekta Kapoor
9:54 AM
Ekta Kapoor on her upcoming wedding film and the stories she enjoys telling through different media
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 7, 2018)
Veere Di Wedding had eyebrows raising with its first trailer thanks to its badass girl gang. You’re pushing the envelope with this film...
My co-producer Rhea Kapoor came to me with two other stories but I knew that this was the one because it’s not your typical ‘inspiring’ movie. But I wouldn’t say we are pushing the envelope because when four girlfriends get together, this is the way they’d act and react. I guess people are not used to girls discussing boys, drinking and having fun on screen so they’re flummoxed. It was cool for boys to discuss girls in Pyaar Ka Punchnama but when the gender changes, it becomes a dysfunctional, feminist film. If that’s the way it’s perceived, so be it. I know men going “aah” will watch the film, and the women going “oh” will definitely watch it too.
It’s heartening that you chose to wait for Kareena Kapoor to have her baby and get back to acting even though it meant delaying the film by a year.
Kareena was having a baby, that’s no reason for her to not have a career. But more than me, it’s Rhea who held on to the finances for so long. I had opted out, albeit reluctantly, because with two flops and three piracy issues, I had no money to put into movies. So though Veere Di Wedding is an entertaining film with a decent budget that’ll be covered through pre-sales, I had to exit because I was in a different career space.
Then?
Then, I went with mum (Shobha Kapoor) to buy a new car and she told me to buy the best one. I turned around and said I could do without a car, but I wanted this movie. So just before it went back into the market, mom called Anil sir (Kapoor) who assured her that this film would be made only by the girls.
You must enjoy taking risk. You took one earlier too with Lipstick Under My Burkha.
Every studio Prakash Jha (producer) had approached turned him down. Then, he ran into my brother Tusshar in Tirupati and told him he wanted me to take on the film for his sake. When director Alankrita (Shrivastav) came to show the film to me, she offered to wait but I sent her away. However, to my surprise, I realised that I liked the film’s language. I not only took it on but for the first time, gave three weeks to promoting it as the film needed a wide release. The biggest word of the decade is ‘acceptance’ and it’s important for us to accept that a section of our women are oppressed and need liberation.
You’re now collaborating with Bareilly Ki Barfi director, Ashwini Iyer Tiwari?
Yes, we’re doing two films, one she is mentoring, the other directing.
Why Sajid Ali’s Laila Majnu?
When Imtiaz sir (Ali) who’s scripted it, narrated this interesting modern-day adaptation of the eternal love story, I had to back the film. I don’t know how commercial it is as it doesn’t have stars but it has a soul and it’s wonderful to see Imtiaz sir take ownership for it.
Even though Abhishek Kapoor is your cousin, your mother had been against you collaborating with him on Kedarnath. You finally let the film go to Ronnie Screwvala.
I handle only the creative side of the business while mom looks after the finances. Every project has to be viable because being a public limited company, we’re answerable to the board and the shareholders. I was ready to produce Kedarnath even in that budget because I know it’s a wonderful film and having seen it, I can say that it’s going to be Ronnie and Gattu’s best film. It will make Sara (Ali Khan) a superstar and take Sushant (Singh Rajput) to another level.
You’ve also lost your Naagin to films…
Mouni (Roy) was getting good offers but was ready to turn them down if I wanted her to do another season of Naagin. But you have to let people grow and explore. She’s doing my biggest digital show.
Meanwhile, you’re going mental with Kangana Ranaut from next month?
No one has made a film like Mental Hai Kya in India before. It talks of mental illness and the madness inherent in all of us with a level of irreverence. I needed two actors without inhibitions for it. Rajkummar (Rao) and Kangana were always part of the script because it takes courage to let go. I wouldn’t make the film without Kangana. I like the way she owns her space and asks pertinent questions. If she didn’t, she’d be just a prop. But she also respects the writer and director and doesn’t cross the line.
Your choice of films is fascinating. There’s also a biopic on ‘Amul Man’ Dr Varghese Kurien?
I’ve been waiting to make this film for 10 years. At one time a big star showed interest, but things didn’t work out and I went back to TV. It’s still as relevant because Dr Kurien was the first to utilise village women as untapped resources to trigger the White Revolution. I’m excited to be telling one of India’s biggest success stories with Shree Narayan Singh sir. I don’t know about versatility, but I enjoy telling different stories and have had over 1 lakh episodes aired on TV. I believe every story chooses its medium and today I have the opportunity to dabble in all three platforms.
What’s happening with Ken Ghosh’s XXX?
I really like that film because more than sex, it’s a look at today’s world. But many feel the content is too adult. It’ll be sad if I can’t release it.
There’s another wedding film, Shotgun Shaadi...
That’s my Grease Lightning (a 1977 American biographical film of champion race driver Wendell Scott) in today’s times with Sid (Sidharth Malhotra). Set in a small town of North India, it’s my most massy film.
Meanwhile, there’s a real wedding happening, Sonam Kapoor’s. Tell us about it?
Sonam and I only share a surname, we’re not related so all I can tell you is that I’ve lost my producer to her sister’s wedding. (Laughs) But no stress, I wish her all the best.
And when is Ekta di wedding happening?
Two years after Sallu (Salman Khan) bhai’s.
We have to respect cultures when we go to peoples' homes-Ekta Kapoor
7:58 AM
Television Czarina Ekta Kapoor backs her apparently frivolous TV offerings as she discusses disparity in content across platforms
Sonia Lulla (MID-DAY; December 10, 2017)
For several years, Ekta Kapoor dismissed accusations of adding to the depleting pool of content on television with a, "Don't like it, don't watch it." Yet, chatter about the offerings on her digital platform being superior to the apparent inanity on TV is testimony to her creative genius. Soon after the release of Bose: Dead Or Alive, which dips into the subject of the freedom fighter's life after his speculated death, Kapoor talks about the lessons she's learnt that fuel the decision for segregated content. What comes to the fore is her unparalleled business prowess. Excerpts from the conversation:
Subhas Chandra Bose is the first public figure on whose life you've decided to make a web series. What about his story inspired you?
I came across news pieces which spoke about these strongly suggested spottings of Bose. There were conspiracies about the crash that apparently killed him. So, I started to Google him. And, each time I read something, I was pushed onto another link. Every link introduces you to another conspiracy. So, I hope this show makes you think and realise that if Bose were alive after his speculated death, what could have happened. If he chose to stay in hiding, why was that?
Bose's daughter, Anita had alluded that it was time people stopped bringing up the possibility of Bose surviving the crash. Did you interact with her as part of the preparations or to seek permissions?
We did not take any permissions from Bose's family. He's a national figure and we haven't spoken about any personal issues that weren't documented. As far as I'm concerned, if you are highlighting a political figure's life, you have to be fearless. You can't worry about who will be offended and who won't. I don't care. This is the simple belief of my life. When I read that Bose met Hitler, I was shocked. I wondered, what was he thinking? He was allowing himself to look bad [before the people of India]. That is unlike what politicians do. The man didn't care how he looked. His aim was clear - independence. In today's world, we need someone like him.
There's a very clear distinction in the kind of content you create for each medium.
Honestly, the first time I made LSD [Love Sex Aur Dhokha, 2010], people were shocked that I even knew the word sex. They thought I was someone who could only make sanskari shows. They forgot that I was a single girl, living in Bombay. The brand, Balaji Studio, is synonymous with family entertainment. [After LSD came out of this brand] people told me they didn't expect this from me. So, we created two brands that were at odds with each other. We have to respect cultures when we go to peoples' homes. When you watch a TV show, your grandmother, nephews and nieces do so together.
So, you have to watch entertainment that doesn't hurt sentiments. When you're alone, you're a different person. The different content is catered to the distinct personas of people. There's communal viewing [TV]. And then, there's personal viewing, which happens on the mobile phone. When you're home alone, you are making a choice for yourself. Thus, we are catering to different audiences. Even the web audience is so distinct. An urban girl living in Mumbai may enjoy a Test Case. A single man, who is interested in political thrillers, will like Bose. My mom will like Karrle Tu Bhi Mohabbat. A young girl from Bareilly, one who is trying to break away from forced moral rules imposed on her, will like Dev DD.
I remember, I had this TV show called Ajeeb
Daastaan Hai Ye, where a woman, whose husband was horrible to her, had a
mental connection with another man. The audience didn't watch it. I was
so upset. Some women said our husbands don't let us watch it. So, I was
like, okay, we'll give you what you want on your phone. Now let's see
who stops you.
There's constantly a discussion on the depleting quality of content on Indian TV.
TV does a lot to promote acceptable social values. It showcases working girls, who also support families. For me, it's very important that all of my heroines be involved with some or the other NGO [on the show]. None of my girls are unemployed. All of them are working girls. Of course, if it's a drama, they're getting kidnapped and all, but there's always a conversation about work in all my shows. We have taken on social issues too. But, I can't show sex.
Is there any other public figure on whose life you'll make a show?
I had wanted to make one on Gayatri Devi, but it didn't materialise.
There's a lot of discussion around the filming of your next, Kedarnath, in the tough terrains. Did you interact with the unit?
I was there for one day and I don't know how they survived. When I reached, I was in shock. There's no civilization. There are four or five stalls of food, and for several kilometres, there's no civilization. There was no food. Keto [diet] was the most impossible thing to do there (laughs). Gattu [Abhishek Kapoor, director] had five people in his room. The heater would be on for five minutes, and would turn off for 10. We'd take turns to sit near it. It was a noisy one, but that didn't matter then. You can't hear a sound after 8 pm. It was scary. If you need medication, and if the helicopter can't reach, what will you do? The pitthoos [porters] were amazing. They were these guys carrying [huge] people. I don't know why people don't pick this up as human labour? Their agility made me jealous.
Calling me TV czarina is overrated and hyped-Ekta Kapoor
7:54 AM
Ekta Kapoor says she is doing what everyone else is doing now and she is not afraid of competition
Letty Mariam Abraham (MID-DAY; July 2, 2017)
Ekta Kapoor does not like being referred to as TV’s czarina. “It’s overrated and hyped,” she says. “Everyone has a few hits and misses. I am doing what everyone else is doing. Everyone has a few hits and misses.” Ekta is all set to start a new show, Ek Mayavi Prem Gatha Chandrakanta on Colors, in competition with Life OK’s Chandrakanta. We caught up with her last week at her Juhu home. Excerpts from the interview:
Chandrakanta’s trailer was launched last year. What caused the delay in its going on air?
It got delayed because I was in the middle of doing several things at the same time. Chandrakanta requires extensive planning; it’s not like a daily soap. Every scene and episode requires detailing. I was busy with Kavachh, followed by Naagin and then the web shows on ALT Balaji.
It’s not the first time Chandrakanta is on television. Doordarshan, Imagine TV and Life OK have had several versions.
I am not afraid of competition. It forces you to do better. The treatment and the plot have no similarity. We’ve given Chandrakanta a different tweak.
The show’s look seems to be inspired by Baahubali and fantasy fiction movies like Harry Potter.
I have not seen Harry Potter. I am more of a Game Of Thrones fan. As for lead actor Vishal Aditya Singh’s costume in, it is not lifted from Baahubali. The amount of hard work he has put in is commendable. We’ve tried to create a fantasy world of ayaaras and magical creatures.
A mega audition was conducted for the show.
We auditioned several people for the lead roles, but Madhurima Tuli had the height and an innocent face. I wanted a 21-year-old looking girl for the role.
You launched the web show, The Test Case, in April, but aired only one episode.
I have been conducting meetings about it. We ran it with a certain amount of budget. There’s a lot that goes into the making of these shows. There were budget constraints, but it is being worked on. Besides The Test Case, there are about four to five more new shows that will come on the app soon. Wait and watch. In fact, I will be coming up with a love story, which will blow people’s mind, besides other shows.
Kumkum Bhagya is having a spinoff.
Kumkum Bhagya has occupied the top 5 spot on the TRP chart. It’s spinoff is titled Kundali Bhagya. Gul (Khan, of Four Lions Films) has already done it. They have Dil Boley Oberoi, a spinoff of their show Ishaqbaaz. I always wanted to do a spin-off, but they beat me to it. It creates a kind of validation for me. Frankly, I have grown up watching American shows and spin offs of their shows are a big hit. So, why not.”
What are the plans for the plot of Kumkum Bhagya?
Kumkum Bhagya has had at least a dozen kidnapping plots and several more murder plans against Pragya. But the show is still getting great numbers. People in the interiors love the drama. In spite of the trolls, the show is doing well. My job is to deliver numbers and if I am able to that, I have no reason to complain, right?
What’s happening on the film production front?
Lipstick Under My Burkha is releasing soon. It is a film about us. I have been waiting for the movie. Some films you do for money, some for your heart, this is one of those. I have another film in the making, Laila Majnu.
Has life changed now that you are an aunt?
Ever since Tusshar’s baby Laksshya arrived, I can’t wait to get home. Everyone in the house has changed their schedule to match it with the tot. I wrap up things as fast as I can to spend time with the little one.
When you have a lot of flops, you get bogged down-Ekta Kapoor
8:07 AM
Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; June 28, 2017)
Last year, there was news of Ekta Kapoor putting her film business on hold due to various issues, including her films not doing well at the box-office. However, this year, she is back on track with Veerey Di Wedding that she is co-producing. There were reports of her launching Saif Ali Khan and Amrita Singh’s daughter Sara Ali Khan with the movie Kedarnath, too. When asked about the film, she says the finances are still being worked out and she can’t make an announcement yet.
In the meantime, the TV czarina is gearing up for her latest shows, Chandrakanta, and Kundali Bhagya, that is a Kumkum Bhagya spinoff. Here she talks about her film plans, her recently launched app, Alt Balaji, and her upcoming shows.
Last year, there was news about you shutting down your film production, but now you are back to making movies. What changed?
When you have a lot of flops because of the piracy issue and various other problems — I had an issue with every film I made last year — you get bogged down. But then you always pull up your socks and start again. That’s what we have done. We have started Veere Di Wedding, the shooting of which will start soon. I will be co-producing Laila Majnu with Imtiaz Ali. It will be a contemporary take on the love story. I will also be announcing another film very soon.
Tell us about your movie Kedarnath that is launching Sara Ali Khan?
The finances are still being worked out. Till they are worked out properly, I can’t make any announcements.
Having launched your app, you are straddling three mediums —films, TV and web? Which is your favourite?
Frankly, I enjoy web the most because it’s a whole new world out there. I can tell the best stories in just 20 episodes. But TV is my first love and as far as movies are concerned, they are a great love affair to happen. But seriously, the beauty of having three different verticals is I can use different platforms to introduce new talent. Five producers have made web series for me and all the shows have worked well. Now, if somebody has a great story and I feel it can’t be on TV, I have the option of making a film. If somebody comes to me with a story for a movie, which I think will not work as a film, but make for a great web series, I can do that. It’s the time to see all the stories be told on different mediums.
Since Internet has no censorship will you be making bold shows?
I don’t want to go the steamy, bold route. I am very clear, I want to make good stories. They could be edgy, individualist and if sex is required then that’s great. But just for the sake of it, I don’t want to be bold on the net.
You are launching Chandrakanta, when one is already on air. There will be a lot of comparisons and competition..
When the other show came on air, there were a lot of suggestions about changing the name of my show. But these characters are famous in the book and my story is totally different. Eventually, it is all about whether people like watching your show or not. The serial is clearly from a book, but the way I planned it, the story is different. The imaging is completely on the perspective of the maker. I look at it this way. Comparison and competition will be there, but you have to work like an ostrich. You have to go ahead and do what you think is right, accept criticism and comparison and learn from it.
What prompted you to make a serial on Chandrakanta?
I did Naagin, when it has already been done millions of times because it is a famous folklore. Similarly, Chandrakanta is also a famous folklore and I felt a story like this hasn’t come on TV for a long time. I had committed to making Chandrakanta two years ago. I was supposed to launch it last November, then this January, but I pushed it forward as I got busy launching my app. Finally, I decided to do it now.
You are also doing a Kumkum Bhagya spinoff with Kundali Bhagya. What is the idea behind it?
It’s very simple. When the characters in a series work and they have enough of play, like the parents in Kumkum Bhagya, especially, the mother of Pragya is very popular, we could spinoff a whole new series with her and other people coming in, like her sisters. It was just waiting to happen. The familiarity is there and a whole new story can be born with fresh characters. In the West they have spinoffs like the one they had for Grey’s Anatomy. One needs to constantly innovate on TV.
My Chandrakanta is spunky, just like the girl of today-Ekta Kapoor
2:28 PM
Roshni Olivera (BOMBAY TIMES; June 23, 2017)
It's a subject close to her
heart and producer Ekta Kapoor has gone all out to make it gripping and
visually attractive for the audiences. As her magnum opus Chandrakanta
premieres on Colors tonight at 8 pm, the czarina speaks about her love
for folklore, the new trend of seasons on TV and what makes her
Chandrakanta so special. Excerpts:
This subject has been on your mind for a while. What is it about Chandrakanta that's so alluring?
I have always been excited about doing something which is related to Indian mythology or folklore. It was a natural step forward to do a show like Chandrakanta after Naagin. Chandrakanta is one of the most widely read books; every year, lakhs of copies are re-printed. It's ingrained in our psyche, so I definitely wanted to make this show.
And what better than to have it in the same time slot as Naagin 2?
Yes. India clearly has an appetite for folklore, so I wanted to take that forward and do another folklore, which again is as famous and as ingrained in our psyche as Naagin.
The story of Chandrakanta has been told in the past. Currently, another show on the same subject is on air. Does that bother you?
My story is very different from what aired in the past and what is airing at the moment. Along with the name Chandrakanta, what we we have adopted from the book is the world around it. But as far as the storyline goes, or the visual creation, the imaging and even the characterisation, it's very different. I have played up the folklore, but created my own storyline around it. The fact is that each one uses his creativity to build his own new world. I have built my own new world, the makers in the past built theirs and the producers of the current Chandrakanta have created their own world.
What do you think about the slowly emerging trend of seasons on Indian television?
I think it's great. Financially, it's quite tough on producers because you only have a certain number of episodes to make your turnaround happen. But on the creative side, it really works well because you have a start-to-finish storyline. You don't have to extend your storyline and you can give your audience an enriching experience instead of fake dramas. And if it works, you can always come back with another season in a few months, during which you have enough time to work on it. You are not time-bound here.
What can viewers expect from Chandrakanta?
It's this whole magical world. As kids, we used to hear about jaadu nagris; we heard stories from our dada-dadis. Then there were Vikram-Betaal tales, so it's in that space and world where you have flying carpets, where every other man is a magician. It's like the Indian version of Arabian Nights. Yahan story se zyada interesting would be the world that you create around it.
What is the USP of the characters Chandrakanta, Veerendra and Iravati?
Chandrakanta is spunky and there is not much difference between her and the girls of today. She is a go-getter, who sees positivity in life. Magic just happens when she is around, which happens with anyone who is a positive person. I would call her a retro creation of today's girl. Urvashi Dholakia plays Iravati, a queen who uses magic for all negative purposes. She only wears black on the show, and stands for everything that's dark. Veerendra, her son, is the balancing factor on the show. While everything is positive in Chandrakanta and everything negative in Iravati, Veerendra will have to walk a tightrope of not knowing what his mother is all about and yet, having to believe or wanting to believe the woman he loves (Chandrakanta). So, storywise, we have tried to contemporise it with modern-day dilemmas.
It's touted to be a grand show. Which are the aspects you've focussed on the most?
For television, it's the imagery that matters. It includes conversations, the language, the characterization and the colours. It's going to be something that you've never seen before.
You are busy with films and your web series. Are you able to personally look into your TV shows as well?
For me, it's very important that anything that carries my brand name has a certain amount of quality attached to it. I won't put it out with my name if I don't have the time or the bandwidth for any work that I do. Yes, I have a great team and they take it forward to the last point, but at that point, I do come in and give it what I call the final touches.
This subject has been on your mind for a while. What is it about Chandrakanta that's so alluring?
I have always been excited about doing something which is related to Indian mythology or folklore. It was a natural step forward to do a show like Chandrakanta after Naagin. Chandrakanta is one of the most widely read books; every year, lakhs of copies are re-printed. It's ingrained in our psyche, so I definitely wanted to make this show.
And what better than to have it in the same time slot as Naagin 2?
Yes. India clearly has an appetite for folklore, so I wanted to take that forward and do another folklore, which again is as famous and as ingrained in our psyche as Naagin.
The story of Chandrakanta has been told in the past. Currently, another show on the same subject is on air. Does that bother you?
My story is very different from what aired in the past and what is airing at the moment. Along with the name Chandrakanta, what we we have adopted from the book is the world around it. But as far as the storyline goes, or the visual creation, the imaging and even the characterisation, it's very different. I have played up the folklore, but created my own storyline around it. The fact is that each one uses his creativity to build his own new world. I have built my own new world, the makers in the past built theirs and the producers of the current Chandrakanta have created their own world.
What do you think about the slowly emerging trend of seasons on Indian television?
I think it's great. Financially, it's quite tough on producers because you only have a certain number of episodes to make your turnaround happen. But on the creative side, it really works well because you have a start-to-finish storyline. You don't have to extend your storyline and you can give your audience an enriching experience instead of fake dramas. And if it works, you can always come back with another season in a few months, during which you have enough time to work on it. You are not time-bound here.
What can viewers expect from Chandrakanta?
It's this whole magical world. As kids, we used to hear about jaadu nagris; we heard stories from our dada-dadis. Then there were Vikram-Betaal tales, so it's in that space and world where you have flying carpets, where every other man is a magician. It's like the Indian version of Arabian Nights. Yahan story se zyada interesting would be the world that you create around it.
What is the USP of the characters Chandrakanta, Veerendra and Iravati?
Chandrakanta is spunky and there is not much difference between her and the girls of today. She is a go-getter, who sees positivity in life. Magic just happens when she is around, which happens with anyone who is a positive person. I would call her a retro creation of today's girl. Urvashi Dholakia plays Iravati, a queen who uses magic for all negative purposes. She only wears black on the show, and stands for everything that's dark. Veerendra, her son, is the balancing factor on the show. While everything is positive in Chandrakanta and everything negative in Iravati, Veerendra will have to walk a tightrope of not knowing what his mother is all about and yet, having to believe or wanting to believe the woman he loves (Chandrakanta). So, storywise, we have tried to contemporise it with modern-day dilemmas.
It's touted to be a grand show. Which are the aspects you've focussed on the most?
For television, it's the imagery that matters. It includes conversations, the language, the characterization and the colours. It's going to be something that you've never seen before.
You are busy with films and your web series. Are you able to personally look into your TV shows as well?
For me, it's very important that anything that carries my brand name has a certain amount of quality attached to it. I won't put it out with my name if I don't have the time or the bandwidth for any work that I do. Yes, I have a great team and they take it forward to the last point, but at that point, I do come in and give it what I call the final touches.
Half Girlfriend is the Naagin of my films-Ekta Kapoor
8:05 AM
Hiren Kotwani (BOMBAY TIMES; May 25, 2017)
She's the original czarina
of television, whose serials redefined the way Indians watched TV. However, her foray into films was seen with cynicism - 'dekhte hain kya
karti hai'. While her tryst with the box office has been interspersed
with hits and misses, some of her big-screen ventures didn't exactly
replicate the success of her small-screen outings. Half Girlfriend (HG),
her first release this year, has given the much-needed boost to her
company (Balaji Motion Pictures), but Ekta Kapoor asserts that she's not
planning big ventures. In an exclusive chat with BT, she says that she
will only make movies on strong subjects and focus more on producing
digital content for her mobile app, which was launched last month.
Excerpts...
You have begun the year on a successful note with Half Girlfriend...
Yes, it had a good beginning and maintained well on Monday and Tuesday as well. Anyone in my place would be ecstatic. I had earlier produced Ek Villain (2014), which was also directed by Mohit (Suri), so I knew that his films connect well with the masses. There is a section of audience that loves melodrama. Having said that, you can never tell how a film will open. It's the first time in the past year-and-a-half that distributors have called up saying that my film is running to packed houses.
However, critics haven't been too kind in their reviews. The audiences also seem to have mixed reactions...
(Laughs) I look at it this way; clearly, here, we have two nations in one - India and Bharat. Right in the beginning, my marketing head told me that there is a lot of prejudice against Chetan Bhagat (author of the book Half Girlfriend and also one of the film's producers). Most of the reviews were also more Chetan-bashing than film-bashing. In a way, I was expecting such a reaction, but check the numbers and you'll see that the film is tracking almost at the top. Across the world, there is a tendency among the high class to look down upon writers of popular fiction. Chetan's strong opinions irk some people. Moreover, Arjun (Kapoor) and Shraddha (Kapoor) also enjoy a huge mass connect, and our so-called intellectuals have a problem with that as well.
Any plans of another film with Mohit and Arjun?
I don't want to reveal any plans right now. But I must say, working with Arjun has been a revelation. I had preconceived notions about working with a producer's son, but he is very hard-working. He has been subjected to so much bodyshaming; ironically, by the same intellectuals who cry hoarse against it. Mohit made HG with all his heart. This is his best work so far.
You've backed films that few would bet their money on. Last year, it was Udta Punjab, which didn't have any takers before you got on board. Like you said, Chetan also attracts a lot of negative reactions...
I don't want to work with biases; that's a myopic way of looking at life. I knew HG would work with the masses. It is the Naagin (TV serial) of my films. I remember waking up to articles about how regressive it is. And, the same people watch Game Of Thrones and Harry Potter. Naagin is our folklore, it's rooted in India, but there was no respect for it. However, despite being panned by critics, that show got me ratings and this film got me box office numbers.
After some of your films flopped, reports said you were going slow on production. Has HG paved the way ahead for re-strategising?
I won't deny that we're going slow on production. Now, I want to be making, selling and promoting only the movies I believe in. I have Veere Di Wedding with Kareena Kapoor Khan and Sonam Kapoor, Laila Majnu with Imtiaz Ali as its creative director, and a film with Gattu (cousin, director Abhishek Kapoor), which has an interesting subject. That's enough for now. Apart from these films, I'll take a call depending on the subject. Otherwise, I'm focusing on my app ALT Balaji and digital content. I don't want to say I have huge plans. What saddens me about the industry is that people refuse to accept each other's success. They feel happy about other's failures and your own peers pull you down. They don't realise that when a film flops, the industry also suffers.
You have begun the year on a successful note with Half Girlfriend...
Yes, it had a good beginning and maintained well on Monday and Tuesday as well. Anyone in my place would be ecstatic. I had earlier produced Ek Villain (2014), which was also directed by Mohit (Suri), so I knew that his films connect well with the masses. There is a section of audience that loves melodrama. Having said that, you can never tell how a film will open. It's the first time in the past year-and-a-half that distributors have called up saying that my film is running to packed houses.
However, critics haven't been too kind in their reviews. The audiences also seem to have mixed reactions...(Laughs) I look at it this way; clearly, here, we have two nations in one - India and Bharat. Right in the beginning, my marketing head told me that there is a lot of prejudice against Chetan Bhagat (author of the book Half Girlfriend and also one of the film's producers). Most of the reviews were also more Chetan-bashing than film-bashing. In a way, I was expecting such a reaction, but check the numbers and you'll see that the film is tracking almost at the top. Across the world, there is a tendency among the high class to look down upon writers of popular fiction. Chetan's strong opinions irk some people. Moreover, Arjun (Kapoor) and Shraddha (Kapoor) also enjoy a huge mass connect, and our so-called intellectuals have a problem with that as well.
Any plans of another film with Mohit and Arjun?
I don't want to reveal any plans right now. But I must say, working with Arjun has been a revelation. I had preconceived notions about working with a producer's son, but he is very hard-working. He has been subjected to so much bodyshaming; ironically, by the same intellectuals who cry hoarse against it. Mohit made HG with all his heart. This is his best work so far.
You've backed films that few would bet their money on. Last year, it was Udta Punjab, which didn't have any takers before you got on board. Like you said, Chetan also attracts a lot of negative reactions...
I don't want to work with biases; that's a myopic way of looking at life. I knew HG would work with the masses. It is the Naagin (TV serial) of my films. I remember waking up to articles about how regressive it is. And, the same people watch Game Of Thrones and Harry Potter. Naagin is our folklore, it's rooted in India, but there was no respect for it. However, despite being panned by critics, that show got me ratings and this film got me box office numbers.
After some of your films flopped, reports said you were going slow on production. Has HG paved the way ahead for re-strategising?
I won't deny that we're going slow on production. Now, I want to be making, selling and promoting only the movies I believe in. I have Veere Di Wedding with Kareena Kapoor Khan and Sonam Kapoor, Laila Majnu with Imtiaz Ali as its creative director, and a film with Gattu (cousin, director Abhishek Kapoor), which has an interesting subject. That's enough for now. Apart from these films, I'll take a call depending on the subject. Otherwise, I'm focusing on my app ALT Balaji and digital content. I don't want to say I have huge plans. What saddens me about the industry is that people refuse to accept each other's success. They feel happy about other's failures and your own peers pull you down. They don't realise that when a film flops, the industry also suffers.
We can no longer have content that is one-size-fits-all - Ekta Kapoor
7:49 AM
Aastha Atray Banan (MID-DAY; April 30, 2017)
"All shows on ALT Balaji have a smattering of my personality. We have started with six shows, but by this time next year, I plan to have 38,” says TV doyen Ekta Kapoor, who in 2017 has completed over 23 years in the industry. “My goal was 32, but like always, I plan to be over ambitious.”
We are at the Balaji office, sitting with the newly svelte Kapoor, who has the trademark rings with lucky gemstones and red threads adorning her hands. She has decided to say yes to the interview despite being busy with the launch of ALT — Balaji’s new digital channel — but then, she says, she hardly has a personal life. “This is it. This is me. The lines are very blurry between personal and professional.”
Kapoor, veteran actor Jeetendra’s daughter, is Joint Managing Director and Creative Director of ALT Balaji. The driving force behind some of the most succesful shows in Indian television history, including Hum Paanch, Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii, Kasautii Zindagii Kay, Bade Achhe Lagte Hain and recently Naagin, Kapoor if anything, knows what the masses want. That she’d join the web series bandwagon was only a question of when, especially considering television in India is getting stiff competition from the likes of Netflix and Amazon Prime. “We Indians have a TV watching face. For example, I couldn’t watch kissing scenes with my father. So, we all watch TV with our families, and that’s reaching 25 million homes. Therefore content was family-friendly.”
But as she slots audiences into “mass, urban mass and extremely mass”, she admits times have changed. So, she adds, there are around five million people in around 27 cities who want urban stories that are more relatable, not foreign, still local. “And that’s why we started ALT.”
Right now, its roster has a romance show, Karrle Tu Bhi Mohabbat, with one of Kapoor’s favourite on-screen couples Ram Kapoor and Sakshi Tanwar, the gay rom-com Romil And Jugal, Dev DD, a contemporary adaptation of the classic Bengali novel, Devdas, and The Test Case which will star Nimrat Kaur as the first combat Army officer. “On apps, it’s all about individual consumption. That’s what my brief to the team is — the taste structure has changed. We can no longer have content that is one-size-fits-all. For example, I love Karrle and so does my mother, but she doesn’t get Romil and Jugul. She says she doesn’t understand these people. It’s all about very specific taste.”
Kapoor then starts talking about a show she launched in 2015 called Ajeeb Daastaan Hai Ye, which starred Sonali Bendre who played a woman separated from her husband after his adultery. Later, she finds an emotional connect with her boss. But, TRPs nosedived and the Balaji’s research team discovered that the people watching were unable to swallow the idea of a middle-aged mother having an affair, even if only to spite her husband. “At that time I thought ‘You can’t judge me, I judge you for how you have reacted to this show’. Some people said ‘Oh! Men do this, why did she have to leave him’. Some said ‘We can’t watch this with our families’.” It was the lesson taught by this show that has prompted her to rethink her strategy. “I knew then that for clutter breaking stories, I don’t need to cater to 100 million people. If only a few watch it, it would be worth it. And so I decided to target communities – like the LGBT community, some of whom may not be out. They have given us the thumbs up. I wanted to make a show that comes from the purity of the thought that there are people out there who are marginalised. They are not victims, neither are they caricatures. They are real people.”
For now, Kapoor is concentrating on gathering as many stories as she can, which includes a modern-day adaptation of Little Women, and plans to make stories for every modern Indian, with not much regard for competition. “I have been around for too long, so I am well trained in the art of combat. I am aware of competition, but I behave like an ostrich. You take it all in, internalise it, and then do what you believe in. That’s all.”
I can't write off my losses even for a year-Ekta Kapoor
8:11 AM
Ekta Kapoor on taking a step back from films, her association with Veere Di Wedding and choosing her production company over having a baby
Meena Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 29, 2017)
Until recently, you were part of Bollywood’s power quartet, including Aditya Chopra, Karan Johar and Sajid Nadiadwala. Now, you have taken a back-seat as far as film production is concerned…
Last year was really bad for us in films so I am no longer one of the aforementioned players in the business. I have no qualms about admitting it. It was a conscious decision. I am not equipped to weather big losses because I don’t sell my films to multi-national companies. I seem like a quasi-studio, but in reality, I am actually a production house that made money on television. I don’t have international backing. A flop affects me more and I don’t have the sustaining power to wait for four-five years to cover my losses. I can’t write off my losses even for a year.
Are you taking it slow in film production?
I haven’t backed out of the film race fully because I personally think that all the three media — television, film and digital – will co-exist, but the movie industry has become binary. It’s not as if films are not being consumed. But sometimes, a film can hit rock-bottom while in other cases business can go through the roof. Since content is being consumed across various platforms now, you have to be smarter in your pre-sales; keep less dependency on theatrical. One has to find a method in the madness.
You are now one of the biggest players in the web-series space. You just launched ALT-Balaji.
Yes, it’s where I can tell clutter-breaking stories that people can consume alone. It is engaging, urban and relevant programming. Movies have to be watchable and payable. In other words, when you set out to watch a movie, it has to be an experience or an extravaganza. Otherwise it is app zindabad.
Your next production is Half Girlfriend with Arjun Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor. How dependent are you on it?
Well, I am excited about the film. It’s young and fresh. I will do everything in my power to promote it but beyond that I am not thinking about the results. Success is such a periodic thing. I have incubated myself from success but I will never give up my efforts to take my company to the top. The outcome is not in my hands though.
One hears that Rhea Kapoor and you have finally firmed up the deal on Veere Di Wedding that features Kareena Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor in the lead.
There’s a funny back-story here. Veere is an expensive film and after what my company went through last year, I was not sure whether I would be on-board. Rhea and I met to shake hands and not work together but it is such a fabulous script that my heart is set on it. It is the first film on girl-bonding, the first young film on sisterhood in India, after several stories on boys like Dil Chahta Hai and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. I have been a part of Veere Di Wedding from its inception and I can tell you, it will be a cult film. I want to be out there promoting an all-woman cast.
Your former protégé Sushant Singh Rajput seems to have returned to your fold.
Well I can’t tell you right now whether I am working with Sushant or not. But I can say that I have very fond memories of him. He and I met at Chetan Bhagat’s party a few days ago and bonded big time.
One also hears that you have been bonding with Smriti Irani as well…
Can you imagine? I met Smriti and Sakshi (Tanwar) for lunch in Delhi last week, when I was there to promote my app. I was telling them that they should now launch me. My connection with them is so strong. I was telling the most popular leading ladies of two of my longest-running soaps (Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii) that they are both in such positions of power that they should adopt me. Sakshi has just done Dangal, which is the biggest Bollywood blockbuster ever. And Smriti is in the cabinet ministry. I joked, ‘What the hell am I doing in life?’
(Brother) Tusshar beat you to it by having Laksshya (his son).
I love my nephew and I miss him a lot when he is not around. But I only spend an hour or so with him every day. I’m not ready for a bigger commitment just yet. A few days ago, I dropped by Karan Johar’s to meet his twins (Yash and Roohi) who are adorable. He turned around and told me, “Ekta, you do not look like you are interested in getting married. How about having a baby?” But Balaji is my baby. I do not think that a woman is complete only with a child. I might be above 40 but I am not ready for motherhood.
I don’t know if I’m investing in Veere Di Wedding-Ekta Kapoor
7:57 AM
Producer Ekta hints at backing out of Kareena’s first film since motherhood; says will back only profitable ventures
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; April 27, 2017)
Rhea Kapoor’s upcoming debut production, the chick-flick Veere Di Wedding will see the return of Kareena Kapoor Khan to acting after the birth of her first child last December.
However, the numerous delays obstructing the film’s production have fuelled speculations around its shoot schedule with co-producer Ekta Kapoor now indicating she may not invest in it at all. “It needs to be a profitable venture [for me]. Eventually, it’s a business,” she says.
Kapoor admits that the growth of video-streaming platforms has affected the satellite television market. “At this moment, I don’t even know if I am investing in Veere or any other movie. As a producer, I have decided to only invest in films that will pull the audience out of their homes to the theatres. Rs 200 is a lot of money to demand [for tickets]. The content has to be bang on to bring in the bucks.”
In an earlier interview, Sonam Kapoor had said finding producers for women-oriented films is a tough feat. The producer acknowledges this fact, but reasons that at the end of the day, she is a “businesswoman”. “Indians usually go to theatres to watch male-oriented films. Who can you blame? The system, the producer or the audience? Point is, people don’t go.”
Yet, she says, there’s always a way to navigate financial concerns while dealing with niche ideas. “When I came on board for The Dirty Picture (2011), I was told it would lead to losses. But there was a will to make it. I made it cheaper, added sassy songs and it was a success.”
Although she has taken her first step into the digital world with a series of web shows under her banner, ALT Balaji, Kapoor still considers herself a “television producer who was lucky enough to make movies and now web shows”. She has shrugged off accusations of adding to the deplorable content on television with a “don’t like it, don’t watch it”, and points out that though criticized, soaps continue to rake in great numbers. “Saas-bahu sagas are liked and consumed by millions. If we don’t like it, we are a minority.”
There is an audience “that’s getting exhausted”, for whom she has finite shows on a new app. “Urban kids are bored of the same show stretching over four years.”
I can finally tell the stories I've always wanted to-Ekta Kapoor
8:34 AM
BOMBAY TIMES (October 25, 2016)
Producer Ekta Kapoor, who
now ventures into the digital space with ALT Balaji that will create
original content, talks about her future plans. Excerpts...
After conquering TV and making a strong mark in films, what is the next big move for Balaji?
Both TV and films explore different sides of our personality. While TV is intended towards family, films are for communal viewing. At home, we watch things that are acceptable to the entire family. When you're with friends, you want something that you can enjoy together. But individual viewing is a bit subjective as it deals with your personal taste. The digital platform will be more self-exploratory, individualistic and a path-breaking medium to explore.
What prompted you to foray into the digital space?
I always think a person or a company's resilience is tested when they are willing to start once again. It's like a reboot for us. I think setting a start-up within the parent company is great. More than being an innovative and interesting idea, it gives us a chance to explore creative expression that neither TV nor film gives. For films, you need to have spending power to buy a ticket every week. TV is 'one size fits all', it's for the masses, and what appeals to them may not appeal to you. Because of this, a lot of individuals were getting left off. When we made Love Sex Aur Dhokha and The Dirty Picture, a whole new set of viewers were explored and an alternate set of audience opened up. The digital platform will explore different kind of content -one which has shorter formats, way more clutter-breaking stories and an interesting world to explore.
Do you think you will be able to recreate the magic of television on this platform as well?
I don't know. In fact, you should never know these things. All you know is that a bunch of young creatives and new stories will find home with at least some people. The best part about this medium is that you don't have to please everyone, nor do you have to have any big names to get people into the theatre.You just have to have enough of drama and storytelling capabilities to get your kind of viewer end.
So can we call ALT Balaji a 2.0 version of Balaji?
I'm hoping that this start-up has its individual appeal. To be an updated version of Balaji, it can follow the structure of the parent brand but creatively , it will stand for everything Balaji Telefilms doesn't stand for. It's shorter and has stories of different worlds, something that the television side of us doesn't explore. Having said that, Balaji Telefilms will continue to do what it does best.
Are you going to be the home grown Netflix of India?
We are pleased with how consumers in India are discovering the digital space. Initially, Netflix was an aggregated model that went on to create original content. However, our model is different. Everything that we are creating is original and exclusive to our platform. Our strength has always been telling original stories and that will be our biggest USP with ALT Balaji as well.
What will the format be and when are you planning to launch this?
The launch will be early next year. It's not the content that television has ever created. Some of them will have the urban sensibilities and the stickiness of television but most of the stories otherwise are going to be something that people won't expect from us. In fact, I think we will land up shocking quite a few.
What genres will be explored?
Storytelling should never be compartmentalized into genres. Most of them are genre breaking but the worlds are interesting. There are worlds we haven't explored on television or in film stories that we cannot tell in films because of financial viability or on TV because they could hurt sensibilities.
How does 2017 look for Balaji?
A new step, a new beginning. Like someone once said -starting a new business is like catching a running train. You never know if you'll get in, but if you stand there, you'll miss the train. For me, 2017 is a year of change, the year of 'ALT'. Change may be good or bad but one thing for sure is that it's constant.
Have you signed on any big names?
Watch this space for more. We definitely can call them interesting names (smiles).
After conquering TV and making a strong mark in films, what is the next big move for Balaji?
Both TV and films explore different sides of our personality. While TV is intended towards family, films are for communal viewing. At home, we watch things that are acceptable to the entire family. When you're with friends, you want something that you can enjoy together. But individual viewing is a bit subjective as it deals with your personal taste. The digital platform will be more self-exploratory, individualistic and a path-breaking medium to explore.
What prompted you to foray into the digital space?
I always think a person or a company's resilience is tested when they are willing to start once again. It's like a reboot for us. I think setting a start-up within the parent company is great. More than being an innovative and interesting idea, it gives us a chance to explore creative expression that neither TV nor film gives. For films, you need to have spending power to buy a ticket every week. TV is 'one size fits all', it's for the masses, and what appeals to them may not appeal to you. Because of this, a lot of individuals were getting left off. When we made Love Sex Aur Dhokha and The Dirty Picture, a whole new set of viewers were explored and an alternate set of audience opened up. The digital platform will explore different kind of content -one which has shorter formats, way more clutter-breaking stories and an interesting world to explore.
Do you think you will be able to recreate the magic of television on this platform as well?
I don't know. In fact, you should never know these things. All you know is that a bunch of young creatives and new stories will find home with at least some people. The best part about this medium is that you don't have to please everyone, nor do you have to have any big names to get people into the theatre.You just have to have enough of drama and storytelling capabilities to get your kind of viewer end.
So can we call ALT Balaji a 2.0 version of Balaji?
I'm hoping that this start-up has its individual appeal. To be an updated version of Balaji, it can follow the structure of the parent brand but creatively , it will stand for everything Balaji Telefilms doesn't stand for. It's shorter and has stories of different worlds, something that the television side of us doesn't explore. Having said that, Balaji Telefilms will continue to do what it does best.
Are you going to be the home grown Netflix of India?
We are pleased with how consumers in India are discovering the digital space. Initially, Netflix was an aggregated model that went on to create original content. However, our model is different. Everything that we are creating is original and exclusive to our platform. Our strength has always been telling original stories and that will be our biggest USP with ALT Balaji as well.
What will the format be and when are you planning to launch this?
The launch will be early next year. It's not the content that television has ever created. Some of them will have the urban sensibilities and the stickiness of television but most of the stories otherwise are going to be something that people won't expect from us. In fact, I think we will land up shocking quite a few.
What genres will be explored?
Storytelling should never be compartmentalized into genres. Most of them are genre breaking but the worlds are interesting. There are worlds we haven't explored on television or in film stories that we cannot tell in films because of financial viability or on TV because they could hurt sensibilities.
How does 2017 look for Balaji?
A new step, a new beginning. Like someone once said -starting a new business is like catching a running train. You never know if you'll get in, but if you stand there, you'll miss the train. For me, 2017 is a year of change, the year of 'ALT'. Change may be good or bad but one thing for sure is that it's constant.
Have you signed on any big names?
Watch this space for more. We definitely can call them interesting names (smiles).
Indian audiences are not ready for progressive shows-Ekta Kapoor
8:03 AM
Ekta Kapoor reveals why she is upset with the Indian audience, perception about international shows being better than Hindi soaps, and her belief in myth and mysticism
Letty Mariam Abraham (MID-DAY; March 3, 2016)
Your new show, Kasam Tere Pyar Ki is centered around the concept of rebirth. What made you pick the subject?
There is something very dark and dramatic about it. It’s like the universe coming together to either separate or bring lovers together. I have done realistic love stories on TV like post marriage love, dealing with monotony and childlessness. They are a little over-the-top as far as the story goes. In all this, the universe conspiring against these karmically connected people, who are starving for love, makes it interesting. Rebirth is just a small topic in context. They don’t have the ability to live life together, but are connected to each other. Then destiny plays some ugly tricks and they separate again. But how that one promise brings them back is what the story is all about.
In the show, the boy’s kundli dosh (defect in horoscope) leads to his wife’s death. Do you personally believe in such things?
Everyone is vulnerable to believe, but even though you completely don’t, these concepts act as catalysts to tell stories. This is not really about shows, including some of mine, deal with it. But, ultimately, we do show that one’s will is above all that.
What kind of an audience watches a show like Naagin?
A lot of rural audience. But everyday, I hear from city people that they are tripping on Naagin. You never know what is going to work when you make a show. I make a Pyaar Ko Ho Jaane Do about two people from different countries falling in love; despite an interesting concept with real people, it doesn’t work. Then I make Naagin, which is an OTT, shamelessly in-your-face show that proudly deals with Indian folklore and it works! I personally believe that we are no one to decide what the audience wants to lap up at any point of time.
Why did you decide to make Naagin a limited-episode show when it could have been stretched for a year?
I can’t make it for a year. There’s too much story in every episode. It’s too plot-driven and tough to write.
Do you think international shows are way ahead of desi soaps although they too depict a lot of clichés?
I think they have great drama and the audience is a lot more emancipated. Most production houses cater to niche audiences because of subscription television. As a result, the shows that they make are more creative and high on content. Basically, they get the chance to make better television. However, production house like ABC cater to the masses in America and hence, offer various kinds of content. They do it all, but we here pick the cool, classy shows to watch. And that’s why you feel the difference and often make comparisons between Indian and international shows.
Do you think the Indian audience is not ready for progressive shows?
Yes, I can openly say that they are not ready for progressive shows. I have tried it with Ajeeb Dastaan Hai Yeh and I can’t even tell you the research that went into it; I really wanted to cry. They just don’t want to see a married woman move on even if her husband has made her life miserable.
Will the content on television ever change?
Yes, I believe television will change, but it can only happen when the audience changes.
What’s your plan for digital space?
To bring out another side of me.
What happened to your plans of a desi remake of Shonda Rhimes’ Scandal?
Well, we have a single (unmarried) Prime Minister, so why not?
Many jodis developed cold feet and backed out of Nach Baliye 7-Ekta Kapoor
8:01 AM
Roshni K Olivera (BOMBAY TIMES; April 27, 2015)
Queen of fiction Ekta Kapoor
is getting into television's non-fiction arena in a big way.
As she gears up for Nach Baliye Season 7 on Star Plus that she's
producing, she talks about what makes this dance reality show different
from everything else on the small screen. Excerpts:
They say the show this season is going to be 'too much' to handle.What exactly is this 'too much'?
Viewers today want to see more than just glamour and glitz; they want to see celebrities with their masks off. Nach Baliye Season 7 will be a seven-day show format with a dance face-off on Sunday at 8 pm and reality from Monday to Saturday at 11.30 pm. This time, the show will not only focus on Nach but also the equation with the Baliye making it Nach Baliye. The weekday format will be called Nach Baliye: Daily Punchanama. While the dance face-off is the expression of the couple's story, in Daily Punchanama, the jodis will be tested on the strength of their relationship. The viewers can expect a dance extravaganza on Sundays, but from Monday to Saturday, they will go through the ups and downs of every jodi. The fresh judging panel - Preity Zinta, Marzi Pestonji and Chetan Bhagat - will bring varied perspectives to each relationship and entertainment to the show. So, all in all, yes, it will be too much to handle.
Was this your idea?
Some of these ideas are mine and some by the team, as I am doing a reality show for the first time. Every show has a new realm to cross. Viewers today are no longer swayed by the glamour and celeb quotient that every other show has to offer. They want to see the complete real package - the roller coaster of emotions that go behind keeping the jodi together and making the relationship work. The 'too much' angle this season was the natural evolution of the show and the channel wanted to recreate the magic of Nach Baliye by giving viewers the real deal behind celebrity jodis! That is exactly what I bring to the table - the same show with exciting new twists and turns.
The show has traditionally been about dance. Will this new format take away from that?
Dance will always be the heart of the show. It is just one part of expression and with the new format, we are trying to explore layers of each relationship so that we will see a lot more storytelling in the dance defined by the couple's journey in the week.
What are the kind of love-relationship challenges that the couples will have to face?
The challenges will range from the smallest to the wackiest, the main idea will be to test each jodi on how well they know and understand each other. They will be judged on key aspects that make any relationship work. So, we will be taking them through a challenge based on trust, one based on team work, another one on compatibility and so on. Viewers will have much to look forward to through the season.
So, what are the qualities that a perfect couple on your show needs to have?
A Nach Baliye jodi is a real couple who may have their flaws, but make their relationship work with a sense of understanding between them. On camera, people act as if their relationship is the best. Our job here is to catch the reality in their relationship, like, who are real on and off camera.
Chetan Bhagat is a rather unusual choice for a judge...
Since this year is all about 'too much', we thought why not go ahead with another twist and bring in someone that people would not normally expect. Chetan is the X factor of the show and his role will be that of a motivator and storyteller.
What about Preity Zinta as a choice for a judge?
Always positive and full of life, she lifts the mood of the show with her personality. She is a glass half full person and a strong support to the jodis to keep them positive through their various journeys.
What role will the judges play in the weekday tasks?
The judges are on the lookout for the perfect couple. They will look into their story, the way they are during the punchnama and thus, what is being reflected in the chemistry during the dance.
How are the couples going to be evaluated this season? Apparently, there is no audience voting...
Every week, basis the love challenge, the jodi that scores the maximum points gets love power, which makes them safe from saying goodbye to the show. They have the power to choose another jodi to be safe with them. And obviously, keeping in mind that the show is primarily a dance one, the jodi with top points also gets the love power and is safe that week. However, basis the dance performance and the judges points, jodis will either be safe or face Nach Ka The End.
You have given the television industry some great reel jodis. But wasn't it tough getting real life jodis to be a part of this 'too much to handle' show?
To be honest, there are many jodis who developed cold feet and backed out. Some even backed out at the last minute admitting that the format was too much for them. We still managed to get 11 amazing and real jodis on board. I have come to believe that these couples are the ones who truly believe that their relationship can withstand any test and are willing to challenge themselves on this platform.
Hosts Karan Patel and Rithvik Dhanjani are also a rather rare combination...
Content on television has evolved over the years and I think it is only fitting to try something new! We have two of the most desirable men on television hosting the show, but even there, we have tried to keep it light-hearted and fun. We will be seeing a lot of bromance this season with Rithvik and Karan, both ex-contestants and spectacular hosts. They will definitely bring out the humour with their excellent comic timing and set a mood for the show.
Which of your favourite Nach Baliye jodis would you like to see win?
Ritvik and Karan (laughs). Just kidding; may the best couple win.
Are you going to feature on the show, maybe as a special guest?
Like I said earlier, this year Nach Baliye is going to be too much. There are surprises at every turn, so you never know what comes next!
Fiction on TV has been your forte. Are you now looking to tap the non-fiction genre in a big way with this show?
Storytelling comes naturally to me, be it in movies or television series. With this show, we will be exploring 11 different stories of these jodis and that is my reason for doing this show.
Nach Baliye 7 will air every Sunday at 8 pm and Nach Baliye - Daily Punchanama, Monday to Saturday at 11:30 pm on Star Plus.
They say the show this season is going to be 'too much' to handle.What exactly is this 'too much'?
Viewers today want to see more than just glamour and glitz; they want to see celebrities with their masks off. Nach Baliye Season 7 will be a seven-day show format with a dance face-off on Sunday at 8 pm and reality from Monday to Saturday at 11.30 pm. This time, the show will not only focus on Nach but also the equation with the Baliye making it Nach Baliye. The weekday format will be called Nach Baliye: Daily Punchanama. While the dance face-off is the expression of the couple's story, in Daily Punchanama, the jodis will be tested on the strength of their relationship. The viewers can expect a dance extravaganza on Sundays, but from Monday to Saturday, they will go through the ups and downs of every jodi. The fresh judging panel - Preity Zinta, Marzi Pestonji and Chetan Bhagat - will bring varied perspectives to each relationship and entertainment to the show. So, all in all, yes, it will be too much to handle.
Was this your idea?
Some of these ideas are mine and some by the team, as I am doing a reality show for the first time. Every show has a new realm to cross. Viewers today are no longer swayed by the glamour and celeb quotient that every other show has to offer. They want to see the complete real package - the roller coaster of emotions that go behind keeping the jodi together and making the relationship work. The 'too much' angle this season was the natural evolution of the show and the channel wanted to recreate the magic of Nach Baliye by giving viewers the real deal behind celebrity jodis! That is exactly what I bring to the table - the same show with exciting new twists and turns.
The show has traditionally been about dance. Will this new format take away from that?
Dance will always be the heart of the show. It is just one part of expression and with the new format, we are trying to explore layers of each relationship so that we will see a lot more storytelling in the dance defined by the couple's journey in the week.
What are the kind of love-relationship challenges that the couples will have to face?
The challenges will range from the smallest to the wackiest, the main idea will be to test each jodi on how well they know and understand each other. They will be judged on key aspects that make any relationship work. So, we will be taking them through a challenge based on trust, one based on team work, another one on compatibility and so on. Viewers will have much to look forward to through the season.
So, what are the qualities that a perfect couple on your show needs to have?
A Nach Baliye jodi is a real couple who may have their flaws, but make their relationship work with a sense of understanding between them. On camera, people act as if their relationship is the best. Our job here is to catch the reality in their relationship, like, who are real on and off camera.
Since this year is all about 'too much', we thought why not go ahead with another twist and bring in someone that people would not normally expect. Chetan is the X factor of the show and his role will be that of a motivator and storyteller.
What about Preity Zinta as a choice for a judge?
Always positive and full of life, she lifts the mood of the show with her personality. She is a glass half full person and a strong support to the jodis to keep them positive through their various journeys.
What role will the judges play in the weekday tasks?
The judges are on the lookout for the perfect couple. They will look into their story, the way they are during the punchnama and thus, what is being reflected in the chemistry during the dance.
How are the couples going to be evaluated this season? Apparently, there is no audience voting...
Every week, basis the love challenge, the jodi that scores the maximum points gets love power, which makes them safe from saying goodbye to the show. They have the power to choose another jodi to be safe with them. And obviously, keeping in mind that the show is primarily a dance one, the jodi with top points also gets the love power and is safe that week. However, basis the dance performance and the judges points, jodis will either be safe or face Nach Ka The End.
You have given the television industry some great reel jodis. But wasn't it tough getting real life jodis to be a part of this 'too much to handle' show?
To be honest, there are many jodis who developed cold feet and backed out. Some even backed out at the last minute admitting that the format was too much for them. We still managed to get 11 amazing and real jodis on board. I have come to believe that these couples are the ones who truly believe that their relationship can withstand any test and are willing to challenge themselves on this platform.
Hosts Karan Patel and Rithvik Dhanjani are also a rather rare combination...
Content on television has evolved over the years and I think it is only fitting to try something new! We have two of the most desirable men on television hosting the show, but even there, we have tried to keep it light-hearted and fun. We will be seeing a lot of bromance this season with Rithvik and Karan, both ex-contestants and spectacular hosts. They will definitely bring out the humour with their excellent comic timing and set a mood for the show.
Which of your favourite Nach Baliye jodis would you like to see win?
Ritvik and Karan (laughs). Just kidding; may the best couple win.
Are you going to feature on the show, maybe as a special guest?
Like I said earlier, this year Nach Baliye is going to be too much. There are surprises at every turn, so you never know what comes next!
Fiction on TV has been your forte. Are you now looking to tap the non-fiction genre in a big way with this show?
Storytelling comes naturally to me, be it in movies or television series. With this show, we will be exploring 11 different stories of these jodis and that is my reason for doing this show.
Nach Baliye 7 will air every Sunday at 8 pm and Nach Baliye - Daily Punchanama, Monday to Saturday at 11:30 pm on Star Plus.
Is marriage only a woman's responsibility?-Ekta Kapoor
7:40 AM
Priya Gupta (BOMBAY TIMES; October 7, 2014)
The story of Ajeeb Daastaan Hai Ye: 
It's about a woman, played by Sonali Bendre (interestingly, her character is named after Ekta's mother Shobha in the serial), who is in love with her husband and relies on him a lot. He is monied and she thinks she is doing all the right things, till one day when she discovers that he has cheated on her. He is caught in a sexual scandal and she sees him making out with another woman on TV. He lands up in jail. She had earlier taken up a degree only to get married. She now takes up a job after so many years, where she develops a connection with a man, her boss in this case. It is a funny rhetoric connection called friendship and is completely non-sexual. Her boss is somebody who she initially can't stand, as he is a rude, mean bas***d. He doesn't like to talk to women and doesn't even realise that he is lonely. But he too, finds a friend in her. He may not look like the perfect guy, but he is great with your kids, he talks to you and while you never have a physical affair with him, there is a mental connection you develop.
Excerpts of a conversation with producer Ekta Kapoor:
How did Ajeeb Daastaan...come about?
Uday (Shankar) sir asked me what the show was about. And I said, '95% shows on television are about pro-marriage.' He asked, 'Therefore, are you doing an anti-marriage show?' I said, 'No. I am doing a show where I am asking the question, 'Is marriage only a woman's responsibility? What is marriage? Marriage is companionship. It's about spending a whole life with someone. It's about being each other's habit. It's about getting to know about each other and having similar likes. And if these things are not marriage, is marriage just a social status?' He said, 'I am doing it.' He said, 'Somewhere, we have to give women the courage, who constantly see our shows and say marriage is sacrosanct even if it is not working as they try and make it work.' Neena Guptaji did it in Saans many years ago. Asha Parekhji did it in Kora Kagaz. I did it with Kkehna Hai Kuch Mujhko many years back when I was the youngest producer. My first show called Shuruaat never got on air, as no channel was willing to pick it up. It was about a woman at the age of 40 who had just started her life, as up till then she had only been a wife, daughter and mother. Today, people are going to accept it. So Ajeeb Daastaan... came to life. It is not bold in content and will connect with every woman in some way. It's never at the cost of your husband. But what if you are married to a man who betrays you? Should you just keep that marriage going? And even if you do, is that really all that you are going to be? Imagine after 12 years of marriage, you come to know that your husband has another life. Will you still be able to go back home and maintain that and pretend that there is nothing wrong?
Ajeeb Daastaan... is not a feminist show. It's a romcom love story, where a woman develops a mental connection, not physical, with another man, after discovering that her husband has cheated on her. It's not anti-marriage. It's anti-betrayal. Uday sir said, `You and me have done so many shows telling women that you have to stick in a marriage and that marriage is important. But so many of them are in bad marriages and yet, they see these shows and feel that they have to be this kind of daughter-in-law and wife. Today, let's do a show, where a woman has hope that there is an idol, a character out there who may be in a similar situation. Will we support her walking out of that marriage?'
Is it different from other fictional shows on television today?
Yes, very different from all the shows in recent times. There is an audience today who wants to hear a different story. You lead your whole life thinking that you are married and one day, he gets bored. He has an affair. And what about you, who has made that commitment? Is marriage only your responsibility? He can have an affair, but you can't even have a mental connection? I want to know how India reacts and how much our audiences have matured. Marriages in India are considered only the woman's job. And it's unfortunate that it's not two-sided; where a man can make a mistake and a woman is supposed to forgive him. It's about mental connection, about landing up in a situation, where you realise that you have made a wrong choice. Can women walk out of that marriage? I don't know. I want my audiences to decide. It's an important story in the evolution of television. I think I have done it all for populist television. I am not being niche, but am doing another show representing another part of the country that we don't show.As we don't want to have women who can even once think that they can have the courage to walk out of their marriages, even though they are in a bad one. We want to be able to say that you don't have to be married to a bad man. You don't need to be in a marriage if it doesn't give you compatibility , self-assurance and individuality after being together. And if we, who have constantly sold to them the other side, don't do it, we will be doing disservice to the society that we live in.
Tell us what you think the end of this show should be?
If this show fails, for me, it is more a human failure than a show failure. For me, doing this show is a test at many levels. I want to see how India reacts. I am not showing a woman having an affair. But what if she says tomorrow that I don't want to go back to that marriage? I want to see how India takes this. Midpoint in the show, her husband comes out and says, `Let's be normal again.' I want women to have the courage and I hope in hell that the audience stands up and supports her. The other man actually does not matter. What matters is, will she go back to a bad marriage?
Ironically, your central character Sonali Bendre, in real life, is in a terrific marriage?
Irony is great. Sonali is in a great marriage. Women, who are in great marriages, will support women who are not in such great marriages. So, my marriage may be working, but if yours is not, I will still give you that same respect.When I signed up Sonali, she was so happily married and said to me, 'Me and my husband Goldie have kept that distance work-wise and he has given me the individuality to grow. I hope men do that and I know of many who don't. I have seen women who don't discover this after years of marriage.' It was lovely to see Goldie spending 12 hours a day at home, while Sonali was shooting 12 hours a day. Sonali Bendre starts the serial by saying, 'It's 9 years of marriage and while I don't know what may happen tomorrow, I do know that till my last day, I will be with this man.' And at that point, the love affair is exposed. You can never predict your whole life... Ajeeb Daastaan Hai Yeh. Kahan Shuru Kahan Khatam... At a time when the GEC space is crowded with the usual saas-bahu soaps, Ajeeb Daastaan... will raise questions about a woman's right to economic independence. It's a departure for Ekta Kapoor in many ways, in the sense that it is riskier and finite. It also marks Sonali Bendre's debut on a fictional TV show and took 6 months of convincing her, given that she is a mother of two kids and is happily married for over a decade. Ajeeb Daastaan...required her to shoot 12 hours a day. Interestingly, it was her husband Goldie Behl who helped in convincing her to do the show.
It's about a woman, played by Sonali Bendre (interestingly, her character is named after Ekta's mother Shobha in the serial), who is in love with her husband and relies on him a lot. He is monied and she thinks she is doing all the right things, till one day when she discovers that he has cheated on her. He is caught in a sexual scandal and she sees him making out with another woman on TV. He lands up in jail. She had earlier taken up a degree only to get married. She now takes up a job after so many years, where she develops a connection with a man, her boss in this case. It is a funny rhetoric connection called friendship and is completely non-sexual. Her boss is somebody who she initially can't stand, as he is a rude, mean bas***d. He doesn't like to talk to women and doesn't even realise that he is lonely. But he too, finds a friend in her. He may not look like the perfect guy, but he is great with your kids, he talks to you and while you never have a physical affair with him, there is a mental connection you develop.
Excerpts of a conversation with producer Ekta Kapoor:
How did Ajeeb Daastaan...come about?
Uday (Shankar) sir asked me what the show was about. And I said, '95% shows on television are about pro-marriage.' He asked, 'Therefore, are you doing an anti-marriage show?' I said, 'No. I am doing a show where I am asking the question, 'Is marriage only a woman's responsibility? What is marriage? Marriage is companionship. It's about spending a whole life with someone. It's about being each other's habit. It's about getting to know about each other and having similar likes. And if these things are not marriage, is marriage just a social status?' He said, 'I am doing it.' He said, 'Somewhere, we have to give women the courage, who constantly see our shows and say marriage is sacrosanct even if it is not working as they try and make it work.' Neena Guptaji did it in Saans many years ago. Asha Parekhji did it in Kora Kagaz. I did it with Kkehna Hai Kuch Mujhko many years back when I was the youngest producer. My first show called Shuruaat never got on air, as no channel was willing to pick it up. It was about a woman at the age of 40 who had just started her life, as up till then she had only been a wife, daughter and mother. Today, people are going to accept it. So Ajeeb Daastaan... came to life. It is not bold in content and will connect with every woman in some way. It's never at the cost of your husband. But what if you are married to a man who betrays you? Should you just keep that marriage going? And even if you do, is that really all that you are going to be? Imagine after 12 years of marriage, you come to know that your husband has another life. Will you still be able to go back home and maintain that and pretend that there is nothing wrong?
Ajeeb Daastaan... is not a feminist show. It's a romcom love story, where a woman develops a mental connection, not physical, with another man, after discovering that her husband has cheated on her. It's not anti-marriage. It's anti-betrayal. Uday sir said, `You and me have done so many shows telling women that you have to stick in a marriage and that marriage is important. But so many of them are in bad marriages and yet, they see these shows and feel that they have to be this kind of daughter-in-law and wife. Today, let's do a show, where a woman has hope that there is an idol, a character out there who may be in a similar situation. Will we support her walking out of that marriage?'
Is it different from other fictional shows on television today?
Yes, very different from all the shows in recent times. There is an audience today who wants to hear a different story. You lead your whole life thinking that you are married and one day, he gets bored. He has an affair. And what about you, who has made that commitment? Is marriage only your responsibility? He can have an affair, but you can't even have a mental connection? I want to know how India reacts and how much our audiences have matured. Marriages in India are considered only the woman's job. And it's unfortunate that it's not two-sided; where a man can make a mistake and a woman is supposed to forgive him. It's about mental connection, about landing up in a situation, where you realise that you have made a wrong choice. Can women walk out of that marriage? I don't know. I want my audiences to decide. It's an important story in the evolution of television. I think I have done it all for populist television. I am not being niche, but am doing another show representing another part of the country that we don't show.As we don't want to have women who can even once think that they can have the courage to walk out of their marriages, even though they are in a bad one. We want to be able to say that you don't have to be married to a bad man. You don't need to be in a marriage if it doesn't give you compatibility , self-assurance and individuality after being together. And if we, who have constantly sold to them the other side, don't do it, we will be doing disservice to the society that we live in.
Tell us what you think the end of this show should be?
If this show fails, for me, it is more a human failure than a show failure. For me, doing this show is a test at many levels. I want to see how India reacts. I am not showing a woman having an affair. But what if she says tomorrow that I don't want to go back to that marriage? I want to see how India takes this. Midpoint in the show, her husband comes out and says, `Let's be normal again.' I want women to have the courage and I hope in hell that the audience stands up and supports her. The other man actually does not matter. What matters is, will she go back to a bad marriage?
Ironically, your central character Sonali Bendre, in real life, is in a terrific marriage?
Irony is great. Sonali is in a great marriage. Women, who are in great marriages, will support women who are not in such great marriages. So, my marriage may be working, but if yours is not, I will still give you that same respect.When I signed up Sonali, she was so happily married and said to me, 'Me and my husband Goldie have kept that distance work-wise and he has given me the individuality to grow. I hope men do that and I know of many who don't. I have seen women who don't discover this after years of marriage.' It was lovely to see Goldie spending 12 hours a day at home, while Sonali was shooting 12 hours a day. Sonali Bendre starts the serial by saying, 'It's 9 years of marriage and while I don't know what may happen tomorrow, I do know that till my last day, I will be with this man.' And at that point, the love affair is exposed. You can never predict your whole life... Ajeeb Daastaan Hai Yeh. Kahan Shuru Kahan Khatam... At a time when the GEC space is crowded with the usual saas-bahu soaps, Ajeeb Daastaan... will raise questions about a woman's right to economic independence. It's a departure for Ekta Kapoor in many ways, in the sense that it is riskier and finite. It also marks Sonali Bendre's debut on a fictional TV show and took 6 months of convincing her, given that she is a mother of two kids and is happily married for over a decade. Ajeeb Daastaan...required her to shoot 12 hours a day. Interestingly, it was her husband Goldie Behl who helped in convincing her to do the show.
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