| Even as the shows emerging from UTV overtake those from Ekta Kapoor's Balaji Telefilms in terms of popularity and TRP ratings, rumours about her alleged high-handedness and temper tantrums are doing the rounds.
However, no one who has worked with Balaji is ready to go on record about the rumours. Despite the downward trend in popularity ratings, Kapoor is a very formidable enemy to have.
There are rumours of flare-ups and violent tantrums on the sets of her daily soaps.
People who have worked with her say that she has a very feudal attitude towards the stars of her daily soaps and is not co-operative with their problems.
She allegedly changes cast and stars of her serials ruthlessly, dropping actors and directors mid-way.
The latest incident that has forced the ever churning rumour mill to go on an overdrive is the ousting of Anuj Saxena, who essayed the role of Abhay Kapoor, on Kkusum, a daily soap telecast on Sony Television.
In fact, fans from across the world who have formed a Kkusum fan club on a Yahoo chat group have written to Sony Television protesting against the unceremonious onsting of Saxena, who was replaced by Ronit Roy.
Sony Television is not saying anything on the issue and neither is Balaji telefilms.
| | Ronit Roy now plays the lead in Kkusum | According to very reliable sources, Saxena was forced to leave the serial by the producers, Balaji Telefilms, who were allegedly "being very unrealistic and unjustified in their demands".
He reportedly had a scrap with another actress, Sonya Kapoor, who essays the role of Naina Bajaj in Kkusum. She allegedly complained to Ekta about Anuj's bad behaviour.
The tiny problem took on huge proportions when she decided to interfere. Besides which, Ekta has also reportedly refused to adjust the shooting schedule of the serial for the schedules of a film he has just bagged.
Besides Anuj Saxena, Kkusum itself has seen several changes and disappearances of characters, which includes Esha, played by Shweta Kwatra.
According to sources again, Kwatra quit Kkusum because Ekta reportedly refused to give her leave to go to Delhi to attend a relative's funeral.
While Saxena was not available for comment, Kwatra says that there was a death in her family and she had to complete the shoot for the serial before she could leave.
"But that is not the only reason I decided to move out of Kkusum. I am shooting throughout the month and there is too much stress," she adds.
This isn't the first time that Kapoor's decision to replace the cast of her serials and her films has attracted so much of attention.
A year ago, she chucked out Ketki Dave, who played the adorable Daksha Ben in Kyunkii Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, because she refused to make a dig at another TV actress who had made uncharitable remarks against Ekta's brother, Tusshar Kapoor in her show.
Dave says, "Whatever happens, I will never speak against any actor or actress."
About two years ago, she unceremoniously chucked out actor Ram Kapoor, who played the lead in her serial, Ghar Ek Mandir, because he allegedly refused to do what she asked.
More recently, she replaced director Anurag Basu, who was directing Kucch to Hai, with Anil V Kumar, because the film was not shaping up to her expectations.
If it's not her complete control over Balaji that draws attention then it is allegations about how regressive her often petty and malicious or sweet and subservient women characters really are or the spate of extra-marital affairs she shows her characters indulging in, the latest being the once pure-as-snow Mihir Virani, that's got people talking.
Many allege that her attitudes to employees, many of whom she appears to have plucked out of thin air, is feudal. Says an actor who works in one of her several serials, "Her crew works round the clock, often moving from shift to shift without a break."
To be fair to her, Kapoor seems to be a product of our times when the television industry is not governed by any rules.
Her attitude and her sweatshop operation style seem merely an unassailable fact of the tacky, brassy world of the daily television soap.
Despite our attempts to contact her at Balaji, Kapoor was not available for comment on any of these issues.
andheri@mid-day.com
Why did they leave? Anuj Saxena
• He played the role of Abhay Kapoor in Kkusum
• He reportedly had a scrap with an actress, Sonya Kapoor, who plays Naina Bajaj in Kkusum
• Naina allegedly complained to Ekta about his behaviour
• Ekta interfered creating a bigger fight
• Ekta also reportedly refused to adjust the schedule of shooting of the serial for the schedules of a film he has just bagged
• He was not available for comment
• Sony television is not saying anything on the issue and neither is Balaji telefilms Shweta Kwatra
• She plays Esha in Kkusum
• According to sources, she quit because Ekta reportedly refused to give her leave to go to Delhi to attend a relative's funeral Ketki Dave
• She played Daksha Ben in Kyunkii Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi
• She was forced to quit as she refused to make a dig at another TV actress, who had made uncharitable remarks against Ekta's brother, Tusshar Kapoor.
The accusations • Ekta Kapoor throws violent tantrums on the sets of her daily soaps
• She has a very feudal attitude towards the stars of her daily soaps and is not sympathetic to their problems
• She changes the cast of her serials ruthlessly, dropping actors and directors mid-way according to her whims and fancies |
Anupamaa
