On Koffee With Karan this week, host Karan Johar invites the woman who revolutionised Indian television, Ekta Kapoor.
Ekta talks about her winning streak, the generation leaps in her soaps, murders and comebacks, and also clears the air about her relationship with Smriti Irani and Rajeev Khandelwal.
Joining her on the show are her favourite actors and TV's heartthrobs, Ram Kapoor, Ronit Roy and Hiten Tejwani.
Here is a sneak preview of the show.
Karan: Look at you, looking all glamorous! I look at you like this and get the visual of the same little podgy girl. Look at me talking, I was double your size then... dancing in Abhishek's birthday party in a silver dress. You looked like a silver ball, like a silver disco ball.
Ekta: (laughs) Disco Rani!
Karan: And you were doing this little disco step and I remember you crying because you came third!
Ekta: I came third and they gave the first prize to Adi and I wanted that prize.
Karan: Now, it's a lesser-known fact that Aditya Chopra won over Hrithik Roshan in the dance competition. Hrithik came second and Aditya Chopra came first and you came third. I remember you bawling and then Adi very magnanimously gave you the crown and made you get the first prize!
Ekta: I think it was in his genes to be extremely gentlemanly.
Karan: Now, when I look at you, I think life has taken a complete circle with him doing so well and you doing so well.
Ekta: I hope in the future also he gives me something generously. (Laughs)
Karan: But really, today you are the queen of prime time. Two years ago, I told you the same thing. Two years later, you're even beyond that. How does it feel to be the numero uno in your field?
Ekta: You know what? It has been the same. There was a sense of complacency, which had come into the medium a couple of months ago when there was no competition and we were doing well. But now, suddenly, with Zee coming up, it's becoming tougher to be on the top. But the fun, aggression, and competition that TV has now, it's only going to get better and more fun.
Karan: Ram, she has had a problem with you earlier during your bout with Ghar Ek Mandir.
Ram: Yeah! I have to say I was a very different person at that point of time. She gives all the credit to my wife (actress Gautami Kapoor) for changing me and I have to agree with her because my first innings in television was more of discovery. I was deciding where I want to be.
Ekta: And you know what happened? I didn't know at that point of time that Gautami and he were seeing each other and I bitched him out to Gautami only!
Karan: Ronit, you are the blue-eyed boy of Balaji. You are practically in every show. With grey hair in some, without grey hair in the other. You play all kinds of ages, stages, rages, everything! How is it working with Ekta?
Ronit: You know, there was a point in my life where there was a lot of alcoholism. One evening, this friend of mine called Raj, who was looking after my work, came home after meeting a producer. I asked him, 'What did he say?' so he went and fixed me a drink and said, 'Let it go, we just had a chat.' So I said, 'No, tell me! I am a big boy; I can handle it.' He said, 'You know Ronit, you are done! He said why should I take Ronit when I can cast any junior artist with more talent and less money.' And I thought, 'Yeah, maybe I am done.' And then Ekta came along and Balaji came along and I said to myself, 'No, I'm not!' At that point of time, Karan, I really did not know which way to go. So that's why I always thank her. She has brought a dead actor, a dead human being, she has resurrected me.
Karan: Hiten, you are a young boy today. You are in your early 30s but you are playing what, a 50 year old man in one show and who knows with another leap, you will be 80 soon. But you have the love and the regard of millions of people at such a young age. How does it feel?
Hiten: It feels very nice. I never thought of it. I always wanted to be somebody somewhere and suddenly, one day everything happened and it's all her (Ekta) doing.
Watch Koffee With Karan on Sunday, May 27 at 9 pm on Star One and Star World.
