Ekta Kapoor: What is a modern Indian woman?

She leads a contrasting double life as producer - almost like those dramatic ones they show in the movies. As the moneybag behind several cutting-edge films, Ekta Kapoor keeps reinventing Hindi crossover time and again. As India's soap sultana she celebrates cliches, routinely drawing accusations of promoting regressive stereotypes that insult the modern Indian woman through her TV shows. "What is a modern Indian woman? I find the term amusing," Ekta retorts. "Indian women have forever been strong multitasking individuals. They have always been emancipated." The subject comes up as we chat about her new show Naagin, which is enjoying steady ratings as all Ekta soaps do. Call it cool or call it trash, Indian television owes its current shape to Ekta.

It all changed with the advent of her saas-bahu formula, after all. She has no qualms defending her prototype creation - the gaudy, heady world of excesses that spawns heroines many have alleged belong to the medieval ages. "I cannot create pretentious heroines. Television has actually given Indian popular culture its strongest heroines," she counters. "Beneath their lavish saris and jewellery, the women we show are always known to take hard decisions. I don't know what is regressive about them," she says.

The protagonist of Naagin is half-snake, half-woman, and wholly adhering to the Ekta theory of heroines. Essayed by popular TV actress Mouni Roy, Ekta describes the character as "a fantasy with a tough emotional core". "She is on a mission of revenge and clearly knows her job. She will give it back to those who have wronged her. That is how women who matter behave," explains Ekta.

Her brand of television fare, she would tell you, has no other reason to exist but to entertain. "We make what people want to watch, and the truth is most people in India still watch soaps for mass entertainment," she claims. "Television shows reflect society, particularly the small town mindset. And small town people have simple thinking," she reasons, on why Indian television refuses to move to more complicated levels. But is it not worth a try to experiment with something different once in a while? "We do try it. I tried going off the beaten track with Ajeeb Daastaan Hai Ye but the outcome was far from encouraging," she says, of the recent serial starring Sonali Bendre. "The basic nature of this medium does not allow experimentation." It is a reason why, for Naagin, Ekta chose not to move away from the folklore as we have known it over the ages. "The snake woman folklore has been one of the most popular stories of India. It is our own vampire series. While the masses have enjoyed the story over and over again, we have tried to make it interesting for the young generation with the new serial," she explains. Ekta's recipe for her version of Naagin was simple: she retained the basics and added her trademark narrative style with all its colours and pomp. "We have maintained the essentials of the traditional snake woman tale. There is naag-naagin romance, there is drama, horror and tragedy, and there is revenge of the naagin. We could not tamper with that basic structure while telling a naagin story. Instead, we worked on the narrative treatment and special effects."

Rumour suggests Naagin is her costliest serial till date, but Ekta is neither confirming nor denying it. She will not get into budget talk either. "I always keep in mind not to jeopardise the economics of the channel I am working in. All I can say is Naagin is lavish but within budget." It could have to do with the expensive spread, but Ekta has chosen to make a shorter show this time, than what she normally produces. "Unlike most other shows I have made - indeed, unlike most other Indian shows - Naagin is a finite series. We decided in advance that we will wrap up the story in just 36 episodes." Miss Moneybag, however, has no plans to call the shots. Direction is beyond her plans and the reasons have to do with her busy schedule. You spot a method streak in her when she says she could never turn director without due preparations. "I can never be a director. I honestly do not have the learning or expertise to tackle that area. In order to master direction I would have to start imbibing the basics, which itself would take two to three years. Where is the time?" she avers. Beyond TV, Ekta is currently looking at Kamal Haasan's Vishwaroop 2 on the big screen.

She has produced the Hindi version of the film. If the first film was anything to by, Kamal will have another explosive, off-the-beaten track entertainer lined up. If Ekta's television sojourn identifies with saas-bahu cliches, many of her film productions have been different. Films such as Love Sex Aur Dhokha, Ragini MMS, The Dirty Picture and Shootout At Lokhandwala have raised eyebrows with uninhibited uniqueness. "I try to demarcate between television and film. Television reaches homes, and there are themes you can talk about only on the big screen," she explains, about being more open with sex, expletive language and violence in her films. She seems not too impressed by Bollywood's big players who cow down before the star system. "Producers like to play safe with content. That is why they need saleable faces. People put in too much money into film projects and they are scared to move away from the formula," she says. Ekta is happy, though, that the scene is changing. "Now, even the most commercial of producers are trying something different. We all need to understand that in the end profitable filmmaking is about budgeting and not the star system," she concludes.

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