SPECIAL
FEATURE
EKTA KAPOOR
She is the biggest name
of Indian television. Ekta
Kapoor is an eternal success
story women live by. She
has redefined an industry
with her dedication, passion
and will-power thats an
inspiration for many. Saimik
Sen, CEO, WCRC LEADERS
ASIA in a conversation with
EKTA KAPOOR
EKTA
KAPOOR
More than 100 different television programs
across 5 languages and as many as 21 films till
2014. In your own perception- How did Ekta
Kapoor emerge as one of the most powerful
Indian women?
I don’t know how you can define power, but for me
it is not the 100 shows that matter, but the fact that
60 percent of India’s cable audience was watching
those shows. So you land up realizing that not only
are you entertaining growing middle class, you are
influencing the minds of the social fabric of the
country. India with huge population and having it’s
the hugest say with its ethnic audience all over the
world; it was an interesting journey for me also from
2000 when ‘Kyunki’ went on air.
It was those 5 shows that probably spoke more
than any other did to the ethnic as well as similar
sensibility audiences.
To actually realize you have created characters, and
thought processes, fashions and probably changed
20
Up Till October 15, 2015
not only styling, but thinking and behavioral patterns
in almost the growing generations of cable watching
homes. I think that’s unimaginable power and
humbling at the same time.
What is your greatest achievement till date?
We have a lot of complaints and accusations from
pluralists like television is regressive, pulls you
down to basic sensibility but actually its traditional
not regressive. Boston Research Company did
its independent research and found that Indian
television during the years from 2003-2007 was
highly watched, women started emulating their
popular characters on TV and had voice in family
discussions which used to be a man’s domain. It
kind of established a norm. And I think that more
than any TRP or any other professional achievement
could be the biggest achievement. Also there were
reports that after the tragic Gujarat earthquake,
people were watching a lot of television at that