Birthday Special: Ekta Kapoor and her experiments with genres

The filmmaker may have revolutionised Indian television with her soap dramas but didn’t limit her genre when it came to financing films. From horror to comedy to drama, she experimented with gusto, full aware of the inevitability of failure.

Ekta Kapoor led to the massive boom of Indian television with the historic success of her ‘Saas-Bahu’ dramas, a genre that occupied a life of its own after she came into the picture. Women refused to leave the screens and struck a chord with the central characters that they meticulously observed. In 2001, Kapoor forayed into film production and has been doing after two decades too.

The filmmaker may have revolutionised Indian television with her soap dramas but didn’t limit her genre when it came to financing films. From horror to comedy to drama, she experimented with gusto. How many do you remember?

COMEDY 

Kyo Kii... Main Jhuth Nahin Bolta (2001)

It all began with a comedy, directed by David Dhawan and starring Govinda. ‘Liar Liar’ inspired the plot of this courtroom farce. The leading man of the yore was rollicking in a character that lies to climb up and is unashamed of his sycophantic nature. The film may have been a far cry from what the filmmaker was usually associated for, her fixation (read fascination) for K was intact in what remains a highly underrated comedy.

HORROR

Krishna Cottage (2004)

Not too many could’ve pulled off a ‘Raat’ or a ‘Bhoot’ but this horror meets thriller was adequate to send a chill down your spine on many occasions. The eerie atmosphere and pulsating background music were combined for a sincere attempt that sadly didn’t find too many takers. 

DRAMA

It’s this genre that Kapoor has nailed in the last many years in her career as a film producer. There are three names that stand out and they remain three of our most formidable films in recent times:

Love Sex Aur Dhokha (2010)

Dibakar Banerjee is a man with balls. You truly need balls to be able to tell a story in the manner in which he did. The entire film, shot through web cameras, security cameras, set the mood for what will follow in the next two hours. The title says it all, through this inventive style of shooting and narrating, we see three stories about the above three words. For someone to back such a script, one needs bigger balls. Kapoor proved it.

Shor In The City (2011)

Raj and DK are arguably one of the most exciting director duos in the country currently. ‘Shor In The City’ is not much of a comedy like their ‘99’ and ‘Go Goa Gone’ but it does connect with the miseries of their protagonists. There are parallel stories against the backdrop of the Ganesh Chaturthi in Mumbai city. And the filmmakers ensure these subplots do justify the title. There’s indeed a lot of noise in the film, both tangibly and metaphorically.

Udta Punjab (2016)

Standing tall is another cracker of a filmmaker called Abhishek Chaubey, the man who sucks you in the heartland he presents in his brand of cinema. 'Udta Punjab' is the naked truth of shamelessness, guilt, redemption, and destruction. There are parallel stories here too, ranging from farcical to frightening. What connects them is the lucrative business of drugs. What stands out is the unique name. And it suits, since filmmaking is all about flying high. 

Also Read: Ekta Kapoor-Dibakar Banerjee collaborate again for Love Sex Aur Dhokha 2

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