Indian Television Iron Lady Ekta Kapoor Success Story

Ekta Kapoor – Iron Lady of Indian Television

Introduction:

Ekta Kapoor, daughter of legendary actor Jeetendra Kapoor and his wife Shobha Kapoor, took the show business by storm when she first came up with the idea of bringing a catastrophic twist to the soap plethora that has left a permanent change of ideologies in the minds of producers and audiences alike. She began with an unusually not-so-realistic soap starring Sandhya Mridul, named Koshish Ek Asaha; little did anyone know that soon this young, fat, good-for-nothing star daughter would be helmed as the “Queen of Soap Operas in India.”

Early Life:

From attending school at Bombay Scottish School to attending college at Mithibai College; Ekta wasn’t a bright student as one might think of her to be. She barely passed with average marks and thought of life as a dead-end even after being born the daughter of a superstar. If there was anything she was good at, then it had to be watching television, literally! Her parents wanted her to pursue an MBA but she had some other plans; plans, she didn’t have any idea about until they finally showed up in front of her in quite an unrealistic fashion. She was a victim of guilt for disappointing her parents until her big break came. Ekta was only 19 years old when she founded BTL (Balaji Telefilms Limited) along with her mother in the year 1994. Then started a journey that has scorched unreachable heights with absolutely no regrets and looking back.

Entrepreneurship:

Her success stories include many prominent serials and movies that have remained in the hearts of her ever faithful viewers since their very beginning but like every pro, she had to start somewhere, right? Let’s take a look at how Ekta Kapoor became the brand she is now from the very beginning.

The Rise and Rise of Ekta Kapoor

Ekta’s first big break came in the form of “Hum Paanch” after her first six plots turned out to be failures, but with a gripping narrative and a comic take on the life of five sisters living with their hapless mother, worked like a charm and turned out to be a relative success.

It was actually around the year 2000 when Ekta took the front seat to stardom and started the ever-so-great K-Phase. Both “Kyuki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi” and “Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki”, two of the biggest and greatest ever telecom shows were launched this year and Ekta’s career graph has never hit a low ever since.

Ekta ventured into the film business in 2001 and hit rock bottom straight away with her earliest ventures resulting in box office disasters but in 2005, she hit the right road with “Kya Kool Hai Hum” which starred her brother turning out to be a success. What followed, were a plethora of films that carved a niche’ for Ekta in Bollywood as well. Films like, “Love, Sex Aur Dhokha”, “Once Upon A Time In Mumbai”, “Dirty Picture”, “Ragini MMS”, “Shootout at Lokhandwala” gave the industry a different outlook on things and helped Ekta leave her mark in the minds of celebrities and audiences as well.

Fall:

Ekta has not faced any falls as such but has been a regular part of controversies as of now. From a spat with Smriti Irani, her lead actress in the evergreen serial “Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi” to troubles with the Censor Board regarding obscene scenes in her films; Ekta has now become a veteran in facing the wrath of media for positive and negative publicity alike.

Awards and Achievements:

She has received multiple awards for her daily soaps almost every year and she has also been the host of other awards that dictate her strong influence as an ideal women entrepreneur. The list includes:

• Indian Television Academy Awards (Best Star Cast and Popular Serial) – Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi (2001)
• Indian Television Academy Awards (Best Star Cast and Popular Serial) – Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi (2002)
• Indian Television Academy Awards (Best Popular Serial) – Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi (2003)
• ITA Scroll Honor of the Year (2003) – Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi and Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki.
• Indian Television Academy Awards (Best Thriller) – Kya Hadsa Kya Haqeeqat (2004)
• Indian Television Academy Awards (Best Popular Serial) – Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi (2004)
• Asian Television Awards – Asia’s most-watched show  – Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi (2004)
• Indian Telly Awards (Best Serial Jury) – Bade Acche Lagte Hai (2012)
• Indian Television Academy Awards (Best Serial Jury) – Kyaa Hua Tera Vaada (2012)
• GR8 Women Award for the Most Successful Woman – 2012

Ekta Kapoor is a remarkable personality and is a name that shall be remembered in the Indian Television industry forever.