Stories
Ekta Kapoor Opens Up About Early Internet Hate and Facing Hinduphobia
- •Ekta Kapoor recalled that long before modern social media, she and Aishwarya Rai had some of the most-followed hate groups on Orkut.
- •The producer shared that she was once mocked and called a freak for openly wearing a religious tika and threads.
- •Ekta discussed facing judgment for visiting a temple before going to a club, stating that temples are places to manifest.
- •She criticized what she described as Hinduphobia surrounding Indian folklore and mythology, noting resistance to these themes compared to other fantasy content.
Key Questions Answered
Ekta Kapoor recalled that people mocked her appearance and called her a "freak" or a "tantrik" during her younger years simply for openly wearing a tika and a religious dhaaga. She argued that there is a deep-seated "Hinduphobia" regarding Indian folklore, mythology, and visible religious symbols, even as audiences readily consume other forms of fantasy.
Ekta Kapoor recalled that when she first explored Orkut, she discovered dedicated hate communities and found that the two profiles with the maximum followers were "I Hate Aishwarya Rai" and "I Hate Ekta Kapoor". Despite coming across a derogatory caricature of herself, she found humor in being placed in such august company.
Ekta Kapoor stated that she was happy rather than offended when people compared the visual treatment of her folklore-inspired film The Vvaan: Force of the Forrest to a television serial. She described television as the staple food of India and emphasized that the most important aspect of the project is that it deals with traditional folklore and mythology.
