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‘He saw I was upset’: A lunch with Rajinikanth led to Ekta Kapoor’s first show, later remade as Ghar Ek Mandir
While her first opportunity came through her father Jeetendra’s friendship with Rajinikanth, Ekta dismissed the idea of nepotism when asked about it, calling it “non-existent.”
Ekta Kapoor spoke about ALTT app. (Photo: Ekta Kapoor/Instagram)
We all know Ekta Kapoor today as one of the most influential showrunners in Indian television, but there was a time when she was struggling to find work. Interestingly, it was Rajinikanth who played a key role in giving her first break. Ekta began her journey not in Hindi television, but in the South Indian industry.
When Rajinikanth helped Ekta in getting work
In a recent conversation with MK Talks, Ekta recalled how a chance meeting with Rajinikanth changed her life. She said, “Once Rajinikanth came to my house for lunch. He is good friends with my father. He saw I was upset. When he asked me what I wanted to do, I said, ‘I just want to work.’ I was upset because I didn’t have work. He liked it. He then said, ‘Fine, I can help you arrange a meeting with someone, not anything more than that.’”
She went on to reveal that Rajinikanth connected her with Kalanidhi, the granddaughter of M Karunanidhi. “After that meeting, he gave me a non-prime-time South Indian show. However, they questioned how a North Indian would be able to handle a South Indian show. We had to buy slots. We wrote the show in Hindi, sent my team to shoot with local actors, and it became the number one show. I then used its TRPs as proof and started getting opportunities in Hindi television,” she shared.
Ekta remade the same show as Ghar Ek Mandir
Ekta added that she later remade the same show in Hindi as Ghar Ek Mandir, which further strengthened her footing in the industry. Eventually, she approached Star Plus and pitched Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, which was approved—marking the beginning of her iconic journey.
While her first opportunity came through her father Jeetendra’s friendship with Rajinikanth, Ekta dismissed the idea of nepotism when asked about it, calling it “non-existent.”
Ekta Kapoor on how her career began
In an earlier podcast with Usha Kakade Productions, Ekta Kapoor shared that her career began out of a fear of being married off at a young age.
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“When I was 17, I was always going out with friends, roaming around and bunking college. So, my dad told me that I had to either focus on my studies or do some work. Otherwise, he said he would get me married. That scared me so much that I felt I had to start working. It was like my dad had hung a sword over my head,” she said.
Ekta admitted that at the time, she was simply enjoying her life and wasn’t ready to settle down.
“I was enjoying life a lot — sometimes partying, sometimes travelling. At 18, who wanted to get tied into the bond of marriage? I was like I don’t want to get into all this. I wanted to work, and even later I kept working and never got married,” she said.
Ekta Kapoor’s television career
Today, Ekta Kapoor is known for delivering some of Indian television’s biggest hits. Her popular franchise Naagin continues to enjoy massive fan following and is currently in its seventh season. She has also recently revived Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2, which has been topping TRP charts for the past four weeks.
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