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Such a raw account of the hypocrisy and ideological duplicity that goes on behind closed doors in Mumbai, the glittering city of entertainment, has come to light, which has put the so-called liberal and elite section of Bollywood in the dock. Veteran filmmaker Ekta Kapoor, who has given direction to Indian television and cinema for decades, has for the first time openly launched a scathing attack on the ‘Hinduphobia’ and cultural hesitation that has been deeply rooted within the industry for decades. Ekta Kapoor, who reached the famous chat show of famous podcaster Ranveer Allahabadia, boldly raised the question that why does the film industry which is earning hundreds of crores of rupees at the box office today by making big budget devotional films based on Lord Shiva, Hanuman, Gods and Goddesses and folklore, does the same industry look at people who wear Sanatan symbols in real life as second class and with inferiority complex? Ekta in simple words exposed the bitter reality where every trend of western civilization is given the label of modernity, but if an Indian proudly embraces his faith, the tilak on his forehead or the Raksha Sutra in his hand, he is made an object of ridicule in the so-called intellectual circles of the industry.
This look of Ekta Kapoor, who is always seen in front of the camera wearing yellow-sandalwood tilak on her forehead, Raksha Sutra around her neck, Kalava in her hands and rings of different planets, has been very familiar to the audience and media for decades. But behind this look, the pain of how much social and professional harassment he had to face in his early days is now expressed on his tongue. Ekta recalled with a heavy heart that in the beginning of her career, when she used to go to meetings, parties or film sets with tilak on her forehead, big people from the industry used to label her as ‘freak’ and even ‘tantrik’ behind her back. Ekta asked in sharp words that how can applying a simple tilak on the forehead or tying a Kalava on the hand make someone strange or uncivilized? He said that in Western countries, if people openly wear crosses or other symbols related to their faith, it is considered ‘cool’ and personal freedom, but why does expressing one’s own Sanatan roots while living in India become such a big crime or a topic of discussion?
During the podcast, Ekta Kapoor shared a very eye-opening anecdote from her personal life, which completely exposes the hollowness of the so-called elite class of Bollywood. She told that once after having darshan and worship at the temple in the evening, she had gone straight to a high-profile nightclub in Mumbai with her friends. When some people present there saw the sandalwood and prasad applied on her forehead, they were surprised and started asking with very strange looks whether she had really come to the club after visiting the temple. Ekta hit back at this narrow mentality and said, what is shocking in this? Can’t a person who worships God enjoy music, parties with friends or modern life? She said that she has always carried both her faith and her modern lifestyle without any hesitation. He clearly believes that being religious does not mean being conservative, but being proud of one’s cultural identity and keeping pace with the world.
This explosive statement of Ekta Kapoor has come at a time when her recent release folklore-based fantasy film ‘The V Vaan’ has made a business of more than Rs 90 crore at the box office. Citing the success of this film, he attacked the ideological bankruptcy of the creators of the industry. Ekta said that Bollywood directors and writers admire Hollywood’s foreign fantasy stories, Marvel Universe, Harry Potter and western animation with great enthusiasm and are ready to spend billions of rupees on them, but when it comes to making films on India’s rich folklore, Yaksha-Gandharvas, Vedas and mythological myths, they feel helpless. He alleged that for a long time, a certain section of the industry deliberately kept stories related to Indian culture and faith away from mainstream cinema because they considered it ‘backward’ and non-secular. But in recent years, films like ‘Kantara’, ‘Kartikeya 2’ and now ‘The Weaver’ have proved that the common Indian audience is flocking to theaters to watch stories related to their soil and mythological roots.
Turning her point in a positive direction, Ekta Kapoor said that today’s India is no longer like the 90s or early 2000s, where getting Western validation was considered the ultimate measure of success. Today’s new generation i.e. ‘Gen Z’ is not a victim of any inferiority complex regarding its cultural heritage. From the cities like Lucknow, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Jaipur and Indore, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, to the metropolitan cities of the country, today without any hesitation, youth are going to offices and colleges with Tilak on their forehead, making reels of Mahakal and Kedarnath darshan and proudly flaunting their Sanatan identity. Ekta humorously described herself as the ‘Gen-G’ of her time and said that she stood up for her faith without fear even at a time when doing so in the industry was considered like putting one’s career at stake.
This candid interview of Ekta Kapoor has shown a mirror to the Bollywood syndicate which has been making fun of the cultural beliefs of the majority society in the name of secularism for years. If a producer or actor is so personally allergic to religious faith and spiritual symbols, then he should have no moral right to earn crores of profits from the stories and devotion of Sanatan culture. The public mood has now completely changed; Audiences are now demanding authenticity and respect on and off screen. This bold step of Ekta Kapoor will undoubtedly give courage to all those artists and creators of the industry who till now were forced to hide their faith in some corner.