Born on the 7th of June 1975; the queen of soap operas – Ekta Kapoor is one woman who wishes no introduction!
The Director / Producer / Venture Capitalist / Businesswoman, presently acts because the Joint Managing Director & Creative Director of her Bombay Stock Exchange listed – Balaji Telefilms.
Having completed over 15,000 hours of tv content material seeing that inception; there's no single soul on this united states of america or for that count in the continent who has the center to compete together with her.
And pretty frankly; through single handedly earning her stature in the industry, Ekta has end up an unmatchable instance for the entire girl race at the side of all the aspiring young innovative minds and entrepreneurs too!
Personally, Ekta has completed her training from Bombay Scottish School, Mahim and had attended the Mithibai College. Her circle of relatives combines of: the surprisingly acclaimed movie star actor Jeetendra & his wife Shobha Kapoor and the younger brother & Bollywood actor Tusshar Kapoor.
Lastly, a few lesser recognised statistics about her are that; Ekta not like other women is a mommy’s woman, loves goodies & animals, is a die-tough birthday party animal, and has a completely whacky experience of humour!
Early Life
Like maximum people realize that Ekta began at pretty an early age but what many don’t understand is that, it changed into 17 and now not 19!
At the age of 17, she had first attempted her hand to work with Kailash Surendranath – the ad/function-filmmaker, however became unsuccessful.
When she became 19, her dad – Jeetendra became provided a mouth-watering commercial enterprise deal by an antique friend Ketan Somaia – owner of Dolphin Group. He had currently sold a Europe-based totally South Asian TV channel called ‘TV Asia’ from the god of appearing – Amitabh Bachchan and offered Jeetendra the opportunity to create suggests for the community.
Obviously, excited via the offer’s scope, Jeetendra requested the ladies of the residence to absorb the venture!
Hence, after completing her bachelor’s degree in Commerce, Ekta underneath the recommendation and financial backing of her father, started out her production house – Balaji Telefilms, in 1994 (that call changed into used because Jeetendra had big recognize & love for Tirupati Balaji temple).
Now even though, she had started out with huge hopes however lamentably her first six telefilms pilots and three filmed ventures had turned out to emerge as drastic disasters, and handiest in 1995, whilst she launched the tv serial – Hum Paanch, did she acquire the a great deal needed fulfillment.
Entrepreneurship
Ekta Kapoor is the founder & Managing Partner of Balaji Telefilms Ltd which became founded inside the 12 months 1994. Apart from her; her father Jeetendra Kapoor acts because the Chairman of the company and her brother Tusshar Kapoor is a sitting director in the employer. As per the stats referred to on Wikipedia; Balaji’s sales in 2014 had been INR four.2544 billion (US$sixty seven million) whereas their internet profits changed into INR 0.10 billion (US$1.6 million).
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Balaji Telefilms has 3 Subsidiaries beneath its wing: Balaji Motion Pictures, ALT Entertainment & BOLT Media Limited.
Since the very starting; Balaji has produced many & fantastically famous cleaning soap operas, a number of consist of: –
- Hum Paanch,
- Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi,
- Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii,
- Kasautii Zindagii Kay,
- Kabhii Sautan Kabhii Sahelii,
- Kahiin to Hoga,
- Kasamh Se,
- Kkusum,
- Gumrah – End Of Innocence,
- Pavitra Rishta,
- Bade Acche Lagte Hain,
- Jodha Akbar, and plenty of others.
And being within the movie industry as properly, they have got left in the back of their mark with some of the very best grossing films together with: –
- Kyo Kii… Main Jhuth Nahin Bolta
- Kucch To Hai
- Krishna Cottage
- Kyaa Kool Hai Hum & Kyaa Super Kool Hai Hum,
- Shootout at Lokhandwala & Shootout at Wadala
- Love Sex aur Dhokha,
- Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai & Once Upon a Time In Mumbaai Dobara
- Shor within the City,
- Ragini MMS & Ragini MMS 2
- The Dirty Picture,
- Ek Thi Daayan,
- Shaadi Ke Side Effects,
- Main Tera Hero and lots of greater to return!
Now Ekta & Balaji’s Entrepreneurial Journey is specifically divided into three exclusive sections i.E. Rise, Fall & Comeback!
1. Rise
Ekta placed on the Entrepreneurship boots on 10 November 1994, whilst she integrated her organisation as Balaji Telefilms Private Limited.
She had a simple and sole objective of creating tv software program including serials and other enjoyment content. And their specialisation lied in formatted programming, which can be adapted for specific languages locally & globally.
Her first stint – Hum Paanch, was the one which got her substantial achievement and reputation. It was a tale about a own family of five sisters & their parents which had an uncommon comedy surrounding it.
It become after the success of this serial, that gave her and Balaji a distinctive stage of stature inside the near-to-dead telefilms marketplace!
After airing Hum Paanch for a few years; Ekta launched her & Television’s maximum popular and maximum ran serial “Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi” within the yr 2000.
The serial targeted girls of the house and their plot ran around conditions and troubles which touched the hearts of girls across the nation! This serial of theirs; took the nation with a wave and tore aside the TRP charts. The insanity was so much that no longer handiest did women watch the repeat telecast religiously however the first subject matter of every gossip turned into the serial & its characters!
From right here onwards, there has been no searching lower back for her and massive leaps were taken!
Following the fulfillment of the serial; Ekta took a bold step and quick & very strategically converted Balaji Telefilms right into a Public Limited Company on 29 February 2000.
Along with that; inside the identical year itself, Balaji Telefilms Ltd. Merged with Nine Network Entertainment India Pvt. Ltd, a subsidiary of Nine Broadcasting India Pvt. Ltd.
After one year i.E. 2001; Balaji Films Group ventured into its first film – “KyoKii… Main Jhuth Nahin Bolta” starring Govinda. Even although, this turned into their first film but the formal incorporation of, Balaji Motion Pictures Limited didn’t appear till ninth March, 2007.
2. Fall
While at the peak of her fulfillment; Balaji turned into hit with a disaster within the 12 months 2008, which eventually gave rise to the want for a brand reassessment.
Apparently; this wasn’t because of the global recession that had taken region in advance that 12 months, it turned into because their long-walking megahits Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki and Kasautii Zindagii Kay have been seen to be dipping drastically.
If this wasn’t enough; the company had setup a costly set solely for their a good deal-hyped serial based totally on the epic story of Mahabharata, which was expected to run for at least three years, but it went off-air and hitting them with a lack of INR 27 crores, hence, Balaji became pressured to depreciate the complete set value.
To upload to that; one after the opposite, Balaji’s serials were being pulled Off-Air! All this took the founding circle of relatives off-defend, they weren’t prepared for it!
But instead of freaking out; the own family graciously regular the troubles and took big pay cuts at Balaji Telefilms, to control the charges.
From INR 9.42 crores to INR 5.Sixty one crores, their collective remuneration fell by way of nearly 40%! Jeetendra’s overall remuneration changed into halved from INR 1.03 crores to approximately INR forty four.7 lakhs, Ekta Kapoor fell from INR four.22 crores to INR 2.69 crores, Shobha Kapoor got here down from INR 4.Sixteen crores to INR 2.47 crores and Tusshar Kapoor needed to step down from the location of Sitting Director and his prices of INR 60000 have been also revoked.
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3. Comeback
Seeing that matters are falling aside; Ekta determined to take control of the scenario and connect the damages. She started out dissecting the troubles from its root and reassessed the enterprise’s strategies!
As a first; inside the year 2010, the company created “ALT Entertainment” – a banner to provide and deal with teenagers-centric subjects in films and television, and within the identical yr, they launched “Love, Sex Aur Dhokha” across 487 theaters countrywide, underneath the ALT Entertainment subsidiary.
This flow of hers worked well in her favour and gave them the tons wished platform.
Following that; in November 2012, the corporation additionally released “BOLT Media Ltd,” – a subsidiary to Balaji Telefilms which specialised in classified ads and online content! Besides that; BOLT turned into also proposed to cowl genres like children, humour, neo- mythology, reality, scripted truth, factual entertainment!
Since then there was no searching lower back for her, once more!
But this time she has made sure that a protection & protection net, surrounds her empire to make sure they don’t fall anymore!
Over the years Balaji has accelerated its base by each progressive way possible. And maximum currently, its fully owned subsidiary Balaji Motion Pictures inked a deal with B4U – a Bollywood production organisation to co-produce Bollywood films, in November 2014.
Joint undertaking and other investments
Over the time frame; the entity has made pretty a few expansions both via Joint Ventures or by at once investing into thoughts.
At first “INDUS BALAJI FUND” – a now leading Indian Private Equity Firm turned into created to invest in emerging opportunities both via incubation or early-stage project acquisitions in high increase regions of education, amusement, mobile and actual estate; was created!
Some in their investments encompass: –
- Institute of Creative Excellence: – Founded in 2010, the firm usually caters to the aspiring media and leisure expert and extreme hobbyists by means of growing publications.
- MobilArt: – Incubated in 2009, the employer develops & distributes original content for cellular platforms in genres starting from devotional, grownup, romance, humour, health and Bollywood trivialities.
- SmartQ: – Founded in 2009, The enterprise develops guides focused towards five+ years old children aiming to increase their analytic skills and interest. The company in most cases caters to the preschool and primary college baby development area.
- Perfect Pincode: – Founded in 2011, the organization offers pre-accredited actual property solutions to residential clients in South India.
- SmartPrep: – Founded in 2011, the enterprise supplies general take a look at prep coaching for Under Graduate, General Competition and Study Abroad front tests with a focus on the 9 – 12++ goal group.
Later in the 2014; the organization entered into Joint Ventures as well, inclusive of:
- Balaji Telefilms Ltd. Received a controlling stake in Marinating Films Private Limited (MFPL) to exhibit Box Cricket League.
- Balaji Telefilms Limited (BTL) partnered with Select Media Holdings Private Limited to shape Events Media LLP.
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Achievements
With one of these commendable career graph; it is going with out pronouncing that the achievements could be enumerable too! Some of those include:
- Awarded with Start-up Entrepreneur of the Year award by way of Ernst & Young (E&Y) (2001)
- Honoured as the ‘ITA Scroll Honour of the Year’ (2003)
- Honoured because the ‘Performer of the Year’ with the aid of Screen awards (2011)
- Received the ‘Great Woman Award’ for the Most Successful Woman (2012).
- Received the ‘Phalke Iconic Film & Television Producer award’ from inside the Dadasaheb Phalake Academy Awards (2012)
- Awarded as ‘Box-Office Surprise of The Year’ via ETC Bollywood Business Awards (2012)
- Listed amongst the ’50 most powerful girls in Asia’ by means of Forbes (2012)
