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On her own terms
There is many a star child who has tried to follow
in his or her parents footsteps, but few have shone
as bright or as long as their parents
have. Fewer still have made a distinct mark for themselves
or have been called individuals in their own right.
Most have fizzled out as soon as their 15 minutes
of fame were up. Among the few who have made a mark
for themselves are Karan Johar, Aditya Chopra,
Karishma Kapoor, Hrithik Roshan and Ekta Kapoor,
daughter of filmstar Jeetendra. In an industry
in which most parents are trying to launch their sons
and daughters as stars, it comes as a surprise that
a girl takes a plunge into production.
Here, Jeetendra and Ekta
Kapoor talk to indias-best about the success
of their production house Balaji Telefilms.
"Twenty five and successful, that is not something
everyone can handle," says Ekta, producer of
television serials like Hum Paanch, Kanyadaan,
Koshish and many others. At present more than
20 of her serials are on air. The company has also
come out with a share issue. " Nobody likes anybody
else's success, People always try to find fault with
your work or try to put you down. With me the criticism
goes the extra mile as I happen to be Jeetendra's
daughter." she adds.
Ekta points out that she was born into a star family,
and didn't marry into one- and that is her identity
with regard to 'connections.' She also says that when
she started her career at 18 there were advantages
as well as disadvantages. While she had finances at
her disposal , there were also people out to take
 her
for a ride as she was impressionable. With no formal
training in production, she learnt through experiences
and mistakes. Her father was always encouraging. "OK,
so you made a mistake, learn from it and move on is
always his attitude", she says. She could not
have let down a faith like that. To this Jeetendra
says, "We have always encouraged our kids to
do what they wanted to without imposing our views
on them. Ekta is a producer because of her strong
basics, creativity and determination. There are
many people who have money but not all become producers.
What we did was our duty, what we got back was a bonus."
Contrary to what people think, Hum Paanch was not
Ekta's first serial. Before that she had shot for
four pilots with four episodes each- all of which
were rejected. With Hum Paanch it was a last chance
kind of a thing and she hit the bull's -eye with it.
She says she has to be tough as nails with people
, because the channels are tough as steel with her
when she takes her serials to them for approval. They
don't let her rest on her past laurels, so how can
she accept work that is not up to the mark? Cut out
the frills and come to the point, that's her attitude.
The criterion she uses to pick actors for her serials
is that they should fit the part even if they are
relatively new. She says this has become a kind of
work culture with them. " In life if you have
five genuine friends you've made it. I feel lucky
I have them," she adds. She also feels that as
long as her conscience is clear and she does not cheat
on her work, she's fine.
 She
does feel discriminated against as a woman. "When
a guy tells his office staff to cut down on expenses,
he is not seen as arrogant. He is seen as somebody
who is doing his job. But when I do the same thing,
people feel 'who the hell does she think she is? Just
because she is Jeetendra's daughter doesn't mean she
can speak to us that way?"
Surprisingly she actually wanted to be a journalist,
to be able to speak her mind. And she never wanted
to be an actress as they speak lines written by someone
else. One aspect she likes about being a producer
is that she gets a chance to express herself.
Interestingly brother Tushar is getting into
films. Jeetendra says, " He is going to be launched
by Vashu Bhagnani and I am going to produce
the second film for him."
Ekta shares a professional relationship with her
father in the office, but at home she is his little
girl. He loves her to death. She says even when she
turns 40, she will still be his little girl. As Jeetendra
says, " I was out shooting most of the time.
My wife has brought up my kids. We are a close knit
family and love each other very much. God has been
very kind to us , I thank him for that."
By :
Latika Sidana
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3:07:20 PM 
