Interview
" I would never live in a joint family"
Interviewed by Anil Thakraney
Adore her or detest her, you have to admit Ektaa Kapoor is a huge success story. While a whole lot of us love dissing her K-serials for being mind-numbingly regressive and glitteringly over-the-top, let's never forget, once all the scornful laughter has died down, she's the one who laughs all the way to the bank.
I meet the 31-year-old soap queen inside her godly palace in Andheri. You'll find far fewer images of deities in a happening Mandir than you do in the lady's 12X12 cabin. There's no scope of placing a cup of tea on the table, without risking collision with the Almighty.
It's clear Ektaa is very edgy, very insecure, very volatile and very crazy. But she is also blessed. After all, how can even think of making a fortune out of gossip and bitchiness?
• Despite all the criticism, your serials continue to rule the roost, you must be happy.
More than happy, there's also a huge amount of insecurity. It's always tougher to make it last than to make it happen. It's a constant fight.
• What critics say doesn't matter.
I always try to remain focussed on what my audiences want, rather than on what my critics say.
• What is your market share in the desi serials business?
About 50 per cent.
• What is Balaji's turnover?
(Hesitates.) Last year it was more than Rs 200 crore, I think.
• You are not sure about your company's sales?
I know the profit.
• Which is?
Around Rs 58 crore.
• You never expected this sort of a result when you started out?
(Laughs.) Yeah, I am very surprised myself.
• On how many serials are you personally involved?
Four.
• Who comes up with the germ of the idea?
I usually come up with that, and then my creative team elaborates on it.
• So you are the ideas person.
I think I am, yes.
• What is your strike rate, how many
serials fail?
Fifty per cent.
• That's a lot of failure.
Yeah, absolutely (laughs). Let's say 30 per cent scrape through, and 20 per cent don't work.
• With all those failures, shouldn't you stop being superstitious, your serials are still named with K?
It's my kick (giggles.) If I think if I put a K, I will hit a jackpot, then I must be a psycho. It's just a quirk.
• Are you a control freak?
Yes, very much so. On some of the serials. And I am a part of all major decisions on the creative aspects.
• You are known to be a hard taskmaster.
In television, you have to be, there is no place for mistakes.
• Which is why you have a high staff turnover.
Yes, we do have a very high staff turnover. We have 14 shows today, we have actors who do about 12 hours a day. We almost shoot a feature film a day! Monotony can happen after a point.
• But that's the same thing with any production house. So why do people leave you so much?
Because of volumes, we make that many number of shows.
• Or is it because you are overtly tough with your people.
When people join us, we make it very clear to them about the timings etc, and they are told to join only if they are clear about the stress.
• How many people leave you in a month?
Lots! (Laughs.) We lose four people a day. And an equal number join us as well. We also have the highest rate of people coming back. Also, if you have Balaji on your bio-data, you get picked up in seconds.
• Are you for self-censorship or regulation?
I think it should be a bit of both.
• Once you open your doors to regulation, it stays.
Our soaps are any way milder than U/A films, we don't use abusive language.
• But there is a lot of crime in your serials. Murders, rapes…
In our rape scenes, we don't even show the shoulder. In Kyonki, we had Nandini being raped with her jeans on!
• Who's to decide what's okay?
They should put out guidelines.
• So if they declare you cannot show crime and rape, you are okay with that?
What do I show then, morning to night pooja? I am okay with censorship, as long as they aren't myopic about it.
• Who's going to decide what's myopic and what's not?
(Changes her mind.) Maybe you are right. I don't want guidelines.
• And this social evil bit is an eyewash, it's all about TRPs.
As for Kyonki, the subject was a social issue, that is marital rape.
• That's an excuse, it's all about commercial considerations.
That is true. The social issue is a by-product. Ninety eight per cent is for commercial reasons, two per cent is for conscience!
• I think that two per cent is an afterthought.
(Slight pause.) Maybe.
• Pratibha Naitthani tells me your soaps our damaging our society.
She's got problems with cartoons too! That's her opinion, not mine.
• She's a teacher.
But I am not her student.
• Tomorrow a PIL can be filed against your work…
I read your interview with her, and she quite irritated me. What she says doesn't worry me, I don't agree with her at all.
• Your serials tend to be repetitive and very regressive. It's the same story all the time, women trying to outdo each other…
Television is about women, for women, by women.
• And that's what women want to see?
Yes.
• That's not a compliment you are paying to the Indian woman.
I am entertaining them. If they didn't like it, they wouldn't watch it.
• You think the Indian female audiences aren't ready for better content?
(Thinks.) Women are the same the world over. Women love to gossip. It could be near a well in a village, or at a kitty party, even in a boardroom… their reactions are typical, very similar. And yet, when there's a problem, they stick together. And that's why these soaps work.
• You think the audience is dumb, they only want gossip?
They love doing it, why not? You are calling them dumb, I am not.
• Why aren't you experimenting?
When I do, it doesn't work. They like to see my shows, and the similar formats.
• Hum Log wasn't about women trying to finish each other, but that worked.
I don't think Hum Log will work today. Times have changed.
• Now people only want gossip?
Yeah, maybe.
• Your soaps are very addictive, even children are hooked. You don't feel guilty?
Not at all. It's not such a bad thing. I used to watch TV 24X7, and I don't think I turned out so bad. (Laughs.)
• Well, you made it by making soaps, not everyone will do that.
I think it's parental responsibility. They need to monitor the hours their children spend watching TV. It's not my concern.
• How important is loyalty to you?
Absolutely.
• You were very upset with Ronit Roy when he signed up for Sarrkar, made by a rival production house.
Yes. Because you cannot sign for a show that directly competes with your show that's already running. It can be very confusing for a viewer. So we told him to leave that show, and he did.
• People say you are like George Bush. 'You are either with us or against us' type.
We say to people when you are working for a show, be a part of that show. Adopt the show the way we adopt it. Be a part of that process which is giving us money for our personal lives.
• You don't forgive easily.
I do, I am a Gemini. I have an instant temper, but I can't sustain it. My brother is not like that. He doesn't react instantly, but he never forgives.
So I have a problem there. Anyone who comes back to me, I just can't say no.
• But Sujal (Rajeev Khandelwal) is a no-no.
That had to do with his constant interviews, where he called my creative team a 'bunch of idiots'. That I couldn't take. Because I think my team is much more intelligent than him.
• You'll never take him back.
No.
• You are very short tempered.
Yes, very. But these rings have helped. (Puts out her hands, there are more rings than fingers.) The Munga has helped me a lot. I think I have lost the steam; I used to be a terror.
• You've smashed edit studios.
Yes, the edit table.
• And you are proud of it.
(Giggles hysterically.) I loved it!
• Have you ever got physical with an employee, maybe a tight slap like it happens on your serials?
No, but I have broken a chashma once.
• Whose?
One of my editing guys, I pulled his glasses out. (Demonstrates how she pulled it out.)
• What did he do to deserve that?
My tape didn't go on air.
• But no slapping?
Not yet. But I got punched by my mom a couple of times at work.
• Maybe that's where you inherit the anger.
(Laughs.) Yeah!
• Do you want to marry at all?
Of course I do. But I am not ready for it yet.
• Not ready, or haven't found someone?
Both!
• When you do marry, would you prefer to stay in a joint family or a nuclear family?
Nuclear, very clear about that.
• Isn't that cool? After years of preaching virtues of a joint parivar, you want nuclear for yourself.
(Laughs loudly for a long time.)
• You are a fraud.
(Continues laughing.) It may work for most of India, but it doesn't work for me. I'd like to meet my in-laws only on the weekends. (More laughter.)
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* "The social issue is a by-product. Ninety eight per cent (of soaps) is for commercial reasons, two per cent for conscience"
* "Parents need to monitor the hours their children spend watching TV. It's not my concern"
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
Kumkum Bhagya
