Ekta Kapoor tells Divya Kaushik that Ek Thi Daayan is an attempt to revive folklore. She will be launching a mega-series, Jodhaa Akbar, next month
She appears somewhat different from the general impression of her as someone uppity. She struck us as fun-loving. She also spoke her mind in measured, appropriately chosen words and rolled her eyes often while talking. And as she chatted, Ekta Kapoor seemed to observe things around. It was evident she is passionate about what she does and says too.
We had a chance to meet the producer known for changing the tide on TV, while she was here to promote her latest film Ek Thi Daayan.
It has been in news from quite some time. And Ekta has devised innovative promotional strategies to make it talked about. Ek Thhi Naayika, a special TV series was launched on life Ok. This is a first-of-its-kind promotional attempt. A book on the film was also released. The movie is co-produced by Ekta and Vishal Bhardwaj, who presented the story to Ekta, who wanted to be a part of it.
“As producer, my job is to get involved. But I do not trespass on the director’s creative force. Instead, I involve myself with elements like marketing, presentation and promotion,” she said, informing us the “film has a U/A certificate.”
She rubbished allegations that it portrays women in poor light and said, “Vishal Bhardwaj is a magician. His concept was to focus on getting folklore back in the picture. It is no horror film but a supernatural thriller. It caters to youth and mainly to teens who prefer watching Hollywood vampire films or a Harry Potter series over Bollywood. It is edgy, with special attention paid to effects.”
The movie is based on a story written by Konkana Sen Sharma’s father Mukul Sharma, a friend of Bhardwaj. Konkana plays a prominent role in Ek Thi Daayan.
The producer, who created films like The Dirty Picture, gets bored too easily, as Geminians like her are prone. “I don’t believe in trends and enjoy risks. I never know what my day will be like. I love unpredictability and have to get out of my comfort zone to do different things. My mother often says she doesn’t knows which Ekta she will be waking up to the next morning. Same goes for the work I involve myself with. I take up anything that makes me happy, cry or scared. If I feel a movie will give me creative and promotional satisfaction and I should be a part of it, I go for it. I am having fun with whatever I do. I never analyse my career more than it’s required. It’s others who keep analysing my career.”
We know her great work on TV, giving us characters like Tulsi and Parvati, who are still part of public memory.
“I feel blessed I got a chance to do TV at 17. I never lived in a joint family. I never had the typical middle-class life, but my shows were about them. I am a modern Punjabi, girl but I know about Bengali and Gujarati cultures and their functions — all through my TV shows. I have lived a different life through my shows.”
She added, “Both TV and films are good and bad for different reasons. I love interesting characters. In serials you get bored, as they go on for years. But films have their gestation period. In TV if there is an interesting turn or phase to a characters’ lives interest can be rekindled.”
She said The Dirty Picture was the most experimental movie she produced. “I was criticised that I make women good or bad. But why not have a woman okay with two men in her lifeIJ Or able to declare her choices with freedomIJ I missed presenting such characters on TV and have reflected, ‘Why is a woman condemnedIJ’ ‘Why are we so strong on morality that we don’t give women space to liveIJ’ Vidya’s character in The Dirty Picture is neither a victim, nor warrior. She did what she thought was right at the time. I would have loved playing that character on screen.”
On TV, making Mahabharat was her challenge. “We made it like a Roman epic, but people didn’t like it.”
Seems she is fascinated with history. It will be Jodhaa Akbar on Zee TV next. “I want to present Akbar as a sexy, mean man. An ego-centric ruler who had so much success, he doesn’t understand failure. He was a king in the 14th century — that meant you could do whatever you wanted. Have billions of wives, hundreds of slaves and the world at your feet. And then one day he lost his heart and became humble to the world. I think it is a beautiful story to be told,” she ended.