Today marks the 46th birthday of Ekta Kapoor, dubbed the “TV Queen.” Jeetendra and Shobha Kapoor’s daughter has made a name for herself on the small screen and in Bollywood. Ekta is a well-known director, screenwriter, and producer.
Ekta was born on June 7, 1975, in Mumbai. She has a younger brother, Tushar Kapoor, a Bollywood actor who made his debut in 2001.
Balaji Telefilms also has Ekta and Shobha Kapoor as partners. At the same time, Ekta began producing TV serials after receiving financial assistance from her father. Ekta started her career at the age of 19.
Today, on Ekta Kapoor’s birthday, we’d like to share some special facts about her.
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Ekta Kapoor- God Mother for Many actors
Many artists consider Ekta Kapoor to be their godmother. From Sushant Singh Rajput to Vidya Balan was given a break by Ekta. Many actors and actresses who have appeared in her serials are now making a name for themselves in Bollywood. Also, Ram Kapoor, one of television’s most expensive stars, gained a genuine identity by appearing in Ekta Kapoor’s serial.
Her debut serial, Padosan, starred actors like the late Jatin Kanakia and was telecasted on Door Darshan. However, her first major hit was Hum Panch, which starred Ashok Saraf, Soma Anand, Priya Tendulkar, Vandana Pathak, and Vidya Balan (who also made her debut).
Then she had some quiet years, though she produced quite a few serials at the time. The next big thing came in the year 2000, when her 2 daily soaps, Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi and Kahani Ghar Ghar ki, broke all records of TRP.
The 5 feet 4 inches tall Ekta Kapoor grew in stature after these two serials. The biggest find of her career may be Smriti Irani, who became a household name then and later entered politics. She is now an MP and minister.
Ekta manages the company alongside her mother, Shobha Kapoor. To date, she has created approximately 40 TV serials. Ekta also made her Bollywood debut in ‘Kyunki Main Jhooth Nahi Bolta.’ Following this, she went on to direct a number of movies. Shootout at Lokhandwala, Once Upon a Time in Mumbai, The Dirty Picture, Ragini MMS, Shor in the City, and Kya Kool Hain Hum are some of Ekta’s hit movies.
Ekta Kapoor has also directed several movies featuring her brother, actor Tushar, to help him gain popularity. But, more than Tushar, Ekta has made a name for herself in Bollywood.
Many artists have gained recognition from house to house due to their TV serials. Ekta was named one of Asia Week Magazine’s “Most Powerful Communicators.” For her achievements, Ekta Kapoor has received the Indian Television Academy Award, Indian Telly Award, Artist Award, and Asian Television Award.
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Fight with stars
Ekta Kapoor has given a chance to many new faces and she has also had a rift with some stars.
In 2007, Smriti left the serial Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi due to a rift with Smriti Irani. Then, Ekta cast Gautami Kapoor in the role of Smriti, but after leaving the serial, the TRP was greatly affected. In 2008, both of them came back again in the serial, removing their estrangement.
Rajeev Khandelwal, who played Sujal in the serial Kahin To Hoga, became a favorite of the whole country and became very popular. In an interview, Rajeev Khandelwal said that he could have achieved success without Ekta Kapoor. Ekta Kapoor did not like this, and after a few days, Rajiv Khandelwal got out of Kahin To Hoga.
Ronit Roy started his career with Hindi films but got a taste of success on the small screen. Ekta Kapoor gave Ronit a chance in her two most popular shows, Kasautii Zindagii Kay and Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, which made him a household name. Later, there was a lot of estrangement between the two about something, but both of them showed maturity and resolved this estrangement through mutual talks.
After Rajeev Khandelwal, if Ekta Kapoor has had the biggest fight with anyone, it is Pulkit Samrat. The fight grew so much that Pulkit filed a case against Ekta Kapoor and her production house Balaji Telefilms in court over non-payment and Ekta not letting him work anywhere else.
ALTBalaji
When Netflix came to India and became very successful, many Indian production houses also tried to establish their foot in the OTT platform. This includes Ekta Kapoor, who launched her OTT platform, Alt Balaji, in April 2017. Many popular web series have been released on Alt Balaji, which is counted among the 5 best OTT platforms in India.
In our old post, we discussed some of Alt Balaji’s best web series. If you haven’t seen this series, then definitely check it out.
Ekta Kapoor’s Marriage and Husband
Ekta Kapoor, despite her successful career, is still unmarried. While discussing this, Ekta once stated that she is unmarried due to her father’s condition. Otherwise, she wished to marry and settle down at 22. ‘When I was 17 years old, my father told me I should either get married or work instead of partying,’ Ekta Kapoor said. He said he wouldn’t give me anything other than pocket money. So, I began working in an advertising agency to make money.
‘I was feeling better seeing the situation there and thought that my life would be fine,’ Ekta Kapoor continues. “I planned to marry at 22 and have a happy life. But, unfortunately or fortunately, no matter what we think, it never happens. I decided to film a pilot for a show called Hum Paanch, which I then sold to Zee-TV. When it first aired, I was 19 years old. When the show became popular, everything changed,” she said.
Ekta Kapoor became a mother through surrogacy in 2019. Her son, Ravi Kapoor, was named after her father.
Another interesting fact about Ekta Kapoor is that she strongly believes in Astrology and Numerology. Some astrologers advised her to wear black clothes, and she has been seen wearing them ever since.
Due to astrological suggestions, most of Ekta’s films and serials begin with the letter ‘K.’
Net Worth
In 2021, Ekta’s net worth is $13 million, or 100 crore Rupees. Her monthly salary and other income are more than 1 crore Rupees.