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Tag: Ekta Kapoor

  • Star Plus puts dads in the parenting picture

    Star Plus puts dads in the parenting picture

    MUMBAI: Who says only mums can multitask? Star Plus has just served a reality check on that stereotype with its new brand film Not Just Moms, launched at FICCI Frames 2025.

    The film champions equal parenting, reminding viewers that raising a child isn’t a one-woman show but a team effort involving fathers, families, and society.

    At the heart of the campaign is a familiar face, Tulsi, the beloved matriarch from Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. Her return in a refreshed avatar adds a nostalgic twist to a modern message, underscoring that shared responsibility at home is the ultimate family value.

    A Star Plus spokesperson said, “With Not Just Moms, we want to challenge the age-old idea that mothers alone carry the burden of parenting. Stories have the power to change mindsets, and Tulsi’s comeback embodies that change.”

    The campaign’s unveiling set the tone for a lively discussion between Ekta Kapoor and Smriti Irani at FICCI Frames on Revolutionising Content: Women, Television, and 25 Years of Kyunki…

    Known for blending cultural resonance with mass entertainment, Star Plus continues to use storytelling as a mirror to society. With Not Just Moms, the channel reminds India that when it comes to parenting, teamwork truly makes the dream work.

  • Ekta shines in Dr.Rashel’s new Korean Glow act

    Ekta shines in Dr.Rashel’s new Korean Glow act

    MUMBAI: Move over K-dramas, it’s time for no drama. India’s TV czarina Ekta Kapoor is swapping plot twists for pore care in her latest starring role, fronting Dr.Rashel’s new campaign, No Drama, Only Flawless Glow.

    In a first-of-its-kind collaboration, Dr.Rashel, one of India’s fastest-growing skincare brands under PP Consumer Pvt. Ltd., has teamed up with Kapoor to launch its Korean glass skin series, a premium skincare range inspired by K-beauty rituals but designed especially for Indian skin.

    The campaign’s launch video has already gone viral, with Kapoor playfully calling herself the “original drama queen” before introducing her very own “K-series,” not another serial, but a skincare saga with no drama, just glow. In her trademark tongue-in-cheek style, she showcases each product, from the glow-boosting serum to the blackhead-busting nose strips, as part of a fuss-free routine that promises radiant, glass-like skin.

    “Ekta Kapoor represents ambition and authenticity, values that mirror what we stand for at Dr.Rashel,” said PP Consumer co-founder Pravin Bera. Fellow co-founder Devji Hathiyani, added that the collaboration is about “showing every individual that skincare can be simple, effective, and drama-free.”

    With Kapoor’s mass appeal and the Korean glass skin range already popular in metros, the brand now aims to take the glow revolution deeper into tier 2 and 3 markets.

    The No Drama, Only Flawless Glow campaign marks a bold new chapter for Dr.Rashel as it looks to make global-quality skincare accessible across India. The products are available at www.dr.rashel.in, and if Ekta’s promise is anything to go by, the only drama your skin will see is how flawless it suddenly looks.
     

  • Balaji Telefilms and Story TV forge alliance for micro-dramas

    Balaji Telefilms and Story TV forge alliance for micro-dramas

    MUMBAI: India’s Balaji Telefilms, the production house behind two decades of television hits, has teamed up with Story TV, a fledgling micro-drama platform, to flood smartphones with bite-sized narratives tailored for impatient viewers.

    The collaboration promises original content spanning multiple genres and languages, designed for vertical screens and short attention spans. Story TV, launched earlier this year by the Eloelo group, claims 10 million users already—a rapid ascent for a platform banking on one-minute episodes.

    “Micro dramas will be more than a $5 billion market in the next three years,” predicts Story TV founder & chief executive Saurabh Pandey. “Together with Balaji, our exclusive partnership will make micro dramas a staple across India.”

    Balaji Telefilms  jt managing director Ekta Kapoor calls the alliance “a game-changer, setting the stage for powerful, fresh storytelling that’s fearless and fast-paced.”

    Balaji brings decades of audience trust and a catalogue of iconic serials to a format that strips storytelling down to its essentials.

    Balaji Telefilms chief executive Sanjay Dwivedi frames it as evolution. “Micro dramas represent an exciting frontier—short, impactful, and designed for today’s mobile-first viewers,” he says. “This collaboration allows us to take our storytelling legacy into a new format.”

    Story TV has already amassed over 300 original micro-dramas with titles like Mafia Don, Secret Soldier and Hacker King. The platform’s vertical-video approach aligns with consumption habits shaped by social media, where brevity trumps depth and swipes outnumber sits.

    The partnership marks a significant bet on India’s appetite for culturally rooted stories delivered at breakneck speed—entertainment reimagined for thumbs, not remotes.

  • Ekta Kapoor distances herself from Altt after Centre bans OTT app for obscene content

    Ekta Kapoor distances herself from Altt after Centre bans OTT app for obscene content

    MUMBAI: Ekta Kapoor on Saturday issued a sharp clarification, asserting she has no links with Altt—the OTT platform recently blacklisted by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for streaming “obscene and vulgar content.” 

    The Centre earlier this week banned 25 websites and apps, including Altt, Ullu, Desiflix and Big Shots, citing repeated violations of The Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, Section 67 of the IT Act, and Section 292 of the Indian Penal Code. The ministry said the banned platforms hosted content with “sexual innuendos” and “long portions of sexually explicit scenes involving nudity,” crossing the threshold into pornographic territory. 

    In a detailed statement, Kapoor clarified that although she runs Balaji Telefilms, she has had no role at Altt since June 2021. “Contrary to reports, I am not associated in any capacity whatsoever with Altt I stepped down from any involvement over three years ago,” she stated.  

     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

    A post shared by EktaaRkapoor (@ektarkapoor)

    She further added that Altt is now operated by Balaji Telefilms Ltd, following the merger of ALT Digital Media Entertainment Ltd.—earlier its wholly owned subsidiary—approved by the National Company Law Tribunal. The merger officially came into effect on  20 June  2025. 

    “Balaji Telefilms Ltd, listed on the BSE and NSE, is a professionally managed media company and fully compliant with all applicable laws. It continues to uphold the highest standards of corporate governance,” the statement read. 
    Kapoor’s comments come amid a media frenzy linking her to the now-banned Altt. “Any insinuation contrary to the above facts is strongly denied. The media is requested to report accurately,” she concluded.

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  • Balaji Digital breaks the stream ceiling with two chartbusters in Ormax Top 50

    Balaji Digital breaks the stream ceiling with two chartbusters in Ormax Top 50

    MUMBAI: Balaji Digital has pulled off a streaming stunner. In just over a year since its OTT rebirth, two of the studio’s three original shows have stormed into Ormax Media’s Top 50 Streaming Originals in India (Jan–June 2025), cementing its digital street cred.

    Kull: The Legacy of the Raisingghs, a regal potboiler dripping in dynastic drama and betrayal, grabbed the #17 spot with 10.4 million viewers. Not far behind, Power of Paanch, a coming-of-age campus saga with a fantastical edge, clocked 9.4 million views to land at #23. Both shows are streaming on JioHotstar, a platform rapidly becoming Balaji’s preferred playground.

    “At Balaji, storytelling has always been our lifeblood, and digital is just another canvas, albeit a thrilling one,” said Balaji Telefilms Head of Digital Originals, Aparna Ramachandran. “It’s incredibly encouraging to see both Kull and Power of Paanch in the Ormax Top 50. Each of these shows was built with a deep belief in the audience’s appetite for emotionally intelligent, narratively bold content. This kind of validation tells us we’re on the right path.”

    It all began in 2024 with Dus June Ki Raat, a quirky comedy-thriller that laid the foundation for Balaji’s emotionally rich, character-forward narratives. But it’s in 2025 that the brand truly hit its stride. Power of Paanch brought spunk and sorcery to college corridors, while Kull unleashed a Game of Thrones-style royal rumble, desi edition.

    Reflecting on the digital landscape, Ramachandran noted, “There’s no captive audience anymore. Today’s viewer curates content based on mood, taste, and emotional relevance. We are happy to have struck a chord with specific segments and look forward to building more powerful stories from here.”

    Under Ekta Kapoor’s watchful eye and Ramachandran’s digital leadership, Balaji Digital is now eyeing bigger games, genre-benders, deeper platform partnerships, and stories that slice through the clutter.

    “The pressure on creators today is real, but it’s also an opportunity,” added Ramachandran. “We’re building a space where fresh voices, morally complex characters, and unconventional genres can thrive. The aim is simple: break moulds and stir conversation.” 

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  • Balaji Telefilms goes big on movies and OTT, trims TV bets

    Balaji Telefilms goes big on movies and OTT, trims TV bets

    MUMBAI:  Balaji Telefilms is flipping its script. In a year marked by a strategic overhaul, the Ekta Kapoor-backed entertainment house has declared a decisive pivot from television towards high-growth verticals: movies, digital streaming, and branded content.

    Addressing analysts on its FY25 earnings call, group chief executive and CFO Sanjay Dwivedi outlined a transformation roadmap: “Movies will be our growth engine, digital will scale next, and television—once our mainstay—will become the third line of business.”

    The studio reported consolidated revenue of Rs 453 crore in FY25, down from Rs 625 crore the previous year. Yet net profit surged to Rs 84.6 crore from Rs 19.4 crore, largely due to a rights-heavy strategy in film and digital. The PAT margin stood at 18.7 per cent, and the company ended the year with Rs 172 crore in cash and mutual funds.

    Balaji’s OTT platform ALT Balaji saw a turnaround. Once burning Rs 120–145 crore a year, its cash burn has now dropped to just Rs 35 lakh a month. The platform added 3.29 lakh subscriptions in Q4 FY25, with total active subscribers crossing the 2 million mark.

    The company is also phasing out its pure SVOD model in favour of a hybrid SVOD–AVOD play, supported by a short-form vertical content app called Kutting. YouTube strategy and advertiser-funded content (AFP) are set to bolster revenue.

    Crucially, Balaji sealed a long-term content partnership with Netflix, spanning original films, binge series, telenovelas, and reality formats over 3 to 7 years. “This is not a one-off deal—it’s a foundational alliance for the future,” said Dwivedi.

    Balaji is betting on movies to power future growth. It has de-risked the vertical by recouping up to 90 per cent of production costs via pre-sales and co-production deals. In FY25, films contributed 30 per cent to revenue.
    Its upcoming slate includes Vrushabha (starring Mohanlal), the Priyadarshan-directed Bhoot Bangla with Akshay Kumar, and Vvan, a collaboration with TVF featuring Sidharth Malhotra.

    The studio targets 6 theatrical releases per year and is building on a franchise playbook with sequels like Dream Girl, LSD, and Shootout.
    TV content production touched 133 hours in Q4, with four shows on air. However, broadcaster yields remain 25 per cent below pre-Covid levels, and Balaji is cautious about further TV expansion.

    “TV is a volume game now. Rates aren’t recovering. We’ll stick to 6–8 shows a year, with a cap around Rs 350 crore,” said Dwivedi.

    New shows include Bade Achhe Lagte Hain – Phir Se and a reboot of Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi.
    The company is also experimenting with AI-led production, launching a series titled Kalnagri on its platform. Regional expansion is on the cards, starting with Tamil and Telugu.

    On YouTube, Balaji hit 1 million subscribers in a month, banking on a mix of new shows and IP-retained repurposed content—especially as Indian viewers seek alternatives to banned Pakistani serials.

    Balaji has a Rs 300 crore B2B order book from leading OTT platforms. It expects digital to contribute 20–25 per cent of revenue in two years. The company is not planning a spin-off of the digital business for now, but hints at unlocking value once scale justifies it.

    “We are storytellers, not just platform owners,” Dwivedi said. “Our job is to find the next big content wave—whatever the screen.”

  • Balaji Telefilms merger proposal for ALT Digital and Marinating Films with itself gets NCLT sanction

    Balaji Telefilms merger proposal for ALT Digital and Marinating Films with itself gets NCLT sanction

    MUMBAI:  Balaji Telefilms has received the green light from the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), Mumbai, for its Composite Scheme of Arrangement that merges its wholly owned subsidiaries — Alt Digital Media Entertainment and Marinating Films — into the parent company. The appointed date for the merger has been set as 1 April 2024.

    The scheme, sanctioned under sections 230–232 of the Companies Act, aims to simplify the group structure, slash redundancies, and boost operating efficiency across its content empire — from streaming platform ALTT to reality show production and IP development.

    According to the tribunal’s order, the merged entity will benefit from economies of scale, unified cash flow management, and enhanced resource optimisation — all under the Balaji banner, which is already listed on NSE and BSE. No shares will be issued, given the transferor companies are fully owned by the transferee.
    The consolidation brings together:

    * Alt Digital, home to subscription-based OTT content under the ALTT brand;
    * Marinating Films, known for unscripted and event IP;
    * and Balaji Telefilms, India’s leading producer of Hindi and regional TV content.

    The merger was approved by shareholders at an April 2025 meeting and has cleared all statutory hurdles, including SEBI, BSE, NSE and tax authorities. The company has also settled creditor objections and responded to pending GST disputes, with all liabilities transferring to Balaji Telefilms post-merger.

    In short, Balaji is scripting a cleaner, leaner, and meaner future — bringing its IP under one tent to better play the platform and profit game. The final step? Filing the certified order with the Registrar of Companies, which will trigger the scheme’s effective date.

    More drama, less duplication — just the way Ekta Kapoor likes it.

  • Content queen Ekta Kapoor inks storytelling deal with global streamer Netflix

    Content queen Ekta Kapoor inks storytelling deal with global streamer Netflix

    MUMBAI: One’s a streaming juggernaut. The other, a serial storyteller. Together, they’re set to write India’s next big entertainment chapter, one frame at a time.

    In a move that could reshape the contours of desi drama for global screens, Netflix and Ekta Kapoor’s Balaji Telefilms Ltd. have inked a long-term creative partnership to co-create a diverse range of stories across formats and genres. The collaboration marks a major milestone for both powerhouses uniting Netflix’s premium production muscle with Kapoor’s cultural storytelling instinct.

    With hits like Kathal, Pagglait, Jaane Jaan, and Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare already under their belt, the duo’s past collaborations have blended mass appeal with narrative nuance. But this new deal isn’t just a sequel, it’s a universe-expanding reboot.

    Netflix India vice-president of content Monika Shergill summed up Ekta’s impact best. She elaborated: “Ekta has been a force in shaping Indian entertainment with unforgettable stories and characters that made it to pop culture, even before hashtags existed. Her creative instinct and deep understanding of the audience’s pulse have consistently set her apart in shaping what India chose to watch and love for more than two decades. At Netflix, our focus is to serve audiences with very diverse tastes and this  collaboration will bring unique stories in rooted ways, marking an exciting new chapter in our creative journey.” 

    Now, with this partnership, Kapoor’s flair for emotionally resonant, rooted tales is set to stream straight into the hearts (and queues) of Netflix’s 300 million-plus subscribers across 190 countries.

    For Kapoor, this tie-up isn’t just business, it’s a mission. Says she: “At Balaji Telefilms, storytelling has always been at the heart of everything we do — whether through cinema, television, or digital platforms. Partnering with Netflix, the world’s leading storytelling platform known for its premium content and constant innovation, is a big moment for us. It allows us to bring powerful, culturally rooted, and emotionally resonant stories to a global audience. The beginning of this new collaboration marks an exciting new chapter where we continue to push creative boundaries and deliver content that entertains, inspires, and connects people everywhere.”

    The first untitled series from the slate is already in advanced development, and if history is any cue, Kapoor’s next wave of characters will likely live rent-free in the minds of audiences for years to come.

    With Netflix betting big on local stories with global resonance and Balaji armed with two decades of insight into what India loves to watch the new partnership promises not just eyeballs, but emotional buy-in. After all, when Balaji’s drama meets Netflix’s dynamism, expect nothing less than a streaming superhit.

  • Balaji raises the stakes with Kull: a royal drama poised to rule the streams

    Balaji raises the stakes with Kull: a royal drama poised to rule the streams

    MUMBAI:  Balaji Telefilms, the name long synonymous with India’s soap-operatic swagger, is charging ahead in the digital domain. Its newly energised arm, Balaji Digital, is making a bold play for streaming supremacy with its third original for JioHotstar – Kull – The Legacy of the Raisingghs, set to premiere on 2 May 2025.

    Featuring a heavyweight cast of Nimrat Kaur, Ridhi Dogra, and Amol Parashar, the series dives deep into dynastic dysfunction, weaving a rich tapestry of loyalty, betrayal, legacy, and secrets best left buried. The recently released trailer has sparked a torrent of buzz across platforms, with fans dissecting every brooding glance and cryptic one-liner.

    “At Balaji, storytelling has always been our lifeblood — and digital is just another canvas, albeit a thrilling one,” said , Balaji Telefilms head digital originals Aparna Ramachandran. “With Kull, we’re venturing into new tonal territory. It’s layered, political, emotional – and unafraid to ask hard questions about what families choose to remember, and what they’d rather forget.”

    The move marks a sharp creative pivot for Balaji Digital, which has already made a streaming splash with Dus June Ki Raat – a dark, emotionally charged drama – and Power of Paanch, a long-format youth series that drew praise for its raw depiction of campus life.

    “Power of Paanch was an important moment for us – it showed that youth stories can have depth, nuance, and emotional consequence,” Ramachandran added. “And with Dus June Ki Raat, we demonstrated that Balaji could tackle mystery and emotional realism in a slow-burn format.”

    Kull, however, is a different beast. Set against the backdrop of a powerful royal family navigating present-day ambition and past sins, the show blends opulence with angst. Think Succession meets Gulzar — with the emotional complexity dialled all the way up.

    “The digital viewer is restless, sharp, and demands emotional authenticity,” said Ramachandran. “They’re sampling Korean thrillers, Spanish crime sagas, and British slow-burns — so we have to be at our sharpest. The brief at Balaji Digital is simple: break moulds, not hearts.”

    While Kull promises  a spectacle, it’s also being pitched as a narrative about power and truth in the age of curated legacies. The Raisingghs, the show’s central family, are emblematic of India’s royal residues — clinging to relevance, shrouded in secrecy.

    At the helm of this digital renaissance is Ekta Kapoor, who, after conquering TV and film, is reshaping her empire for the age of OTT. “Ekta has always believed in staying ahead of the curve,” Ramachandran said. “Balaji Digital is her next act — and Kull is just the beginning of what we have in store. We’re forging deep collaborations with platforms, and are already developing a slate that pushes the boundaries of genre and storytelling.”