Surbhi Jyoti in Naagin 3. (Image courtesy: Instagram)
Highlights
- You cannot take a step with a fear of criticism: Ekta Kapoor
- Ekta has been criticised making web-series with sexually explicit content
- She's also been criticised for shows like the Naagin series
Producer Ekta Kapoor, who is gearing up for the release of her forthcoming web-series Apaharan, has answered all her critics by saying that anything populist has always been criticised all over the world. Ekta, along with the ALTBalaji web series' actors Arunoday Singh, Nidhi Singh and Mahie Gill, interacted with the media here on Wednesday. The producer has always been criticised as she shows superstition (for example, the Naagin series, Qayamat Ki Raat and Daayan) and sexually explicit content (in web-series like XXX and Fourplay) through her shows. When asked to comment on criticism that she faces, Ekta said: "I am very happy showing sex. There is no problem with sex when you show it onscreen. We should not have a problem with sex."
"I feel the problem with our country is that we have two set of teeth - one is to show off and the other to chew with. We should have problem with non-consensual sex and sexual crime," she added.
"As far as superstition is concerned, Naagin is a fantasy show. I loved Harry Potter and Game Of Thrones. We don't match up in effect because our budgets are 1/100 of that and the day we get those kind of budgets, we will match up to that also. We make up more in our storylines, and that is why Naagin is such a big hit. As far as the world over, I am talking about post-colonial era, anything populist will be criticised. You cannot take a step with a fear of criticism."
On her experience of working in Apaharan, Mahie said: "I always wanted to work in a web-series. I really like its subject and the director of this web series is really nice. I always wanted to be associated with Balaji Telefilms (production house) but I never got that opportunity. Ten years ago, when I was struggling to get work as an actress, I went outside Balaji's office to meet Ekta Kapoor but the security person over there sent me back and now after 10 years, I have got an opportunity to work with them. So, it's a really nice feeling working them."
Arunoday said the character he portrays in the show is very different from his personality. Apaharan is directed by Siddharth Sengupta and has dialogues by Varun Badola.