Latest news with #LearnFromTheLegend
Hindustan Times
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Ektaa Kapoor ‘destroyed Indian culture' with her TV shows, says Pahlaj Nihalani: ‘Ek ladki teen jan ke saath shaadi…'
Ektaa Kapoor completes 30 years in the television industry this year. She made iconic shows such as Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi and Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii. However, many of her shows also faced criticism for degrading family values and portraying women with barely any agency. In an interview with Learn From The Legend's YouTube channel, producer Pahlaj Nihalani has now slammed Ektaa for ruining Indian culture with her television serials. (Also read: Ram Kapoor addresses rumoured fallout with Ekta Kapoor: 'She can say whatever she wants to') Pahlaj Nihalani said Ektaa Kapoor should be blamed for ruining Indian culture with her TV shows. What Pahlaj said about Ektaa During the interaction, Pahlaj was asked about the current shift in Hindi films and how the audience has a different taste now. In response, he said, 'Shah Rukh Khan, who was known for romancing in films like Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, even he is holding a gun in his films. So these films are working now. Take RRR, which was based on Ramayana and Mahabharat, and then in Kalki 2898 AD, the end was completely inspired by Mahabharat. Hindustani culture is still so strong in our society." 'The culture is slowly getting destroyed' Pahlaj went on to add, 'But then, we as an audience are getting fed things like a woman getting married three times… Ektaa Kapoor, the great! Here, men are not allowed to get married twice, and she gets these women married thrice! So the culture is slowly getting destroyed, shifted… Earlier, there were very few erotic movies that were released, and now they are having sex even in the air.' Over the years, Ektaa has also ventured into Bollywood with her production house, Balaji Telefilms. She has produced films like The Dirty Picture, Raagini MMS, Veere Di Wedding, and Dream Girl. She recently backed the reality show Lock Upp, on ALTBalaji, which featured Kangana Ranaut as the host.
Indian Express
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
‘Ekta Kapoor ruined Indian culture with her TV shows,' says Pahlaj Nihalani: ‘Erotic films were rare, now sex is everywhere'
25 years ago, Ekta Kapoor launched her first batch of K-serials, and soon enough, the popularity of shows like Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi and Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii, skyrocketed. Her saas-bahu serials became culture-defining over the next decade, so much so that they continue to influence the Indian television space. While the folks associated with these shows made massive profits from them, others saw them as regressive. Recently, producer Pahlaj Nihalani blamed Ekta Kapoor for ruining that idea of Indian culture. In a chat shared on Learn From The Legend's YouTube channel, Pahlaj said the Bollywood is 'not making Hindi pictures for the masses anymore.' He said, 'Shah Rukh Khan, who was known for romancing in films like Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, even he is holding a gun. That is working now.' He then continued to say that films like RRR and Kalki 2898 AD are inspired by Mahabharat and Ramayana, and implied that films presenting ancient Indian mythological texts were working for the masses. He said, 'Films like RRR, they are fully based on Ramayana and Mahabharat, even in Kalki, the end was all about Mahabharat. People are taken in by Indian culture but we are force-feeding people that one woman can get married to three men…' Pahlaj then proceeded to blame Ekta Kapoor for portraying the practice of polygamy in many of her shows, but insisted that it was only the women who were shown to be getting married multiple times. 'Ekta Kapoor, the great… I mean men are not allowed to get married twice but she gets women married three times… Our culture has been ruined,' he said and added, 'Earlier, erotic movies were made rarely, now there's sex everywhere.' ALSO READ | KBC turns 25: Writer who gave Amitabh Bachchan lines like 'lock kiya jaye' says actor 'very charged up' about Season 17 In the same chat, Pahlaj also mentioned that until the early 2000s, none of the actors interfered with the casting process of the film but the first actor who put a condition with regard to this was Akshay Kumar. 'Earlier, producers and directors used to cast and heroes wouldn't interfere in casting. The first actor to interfere in casting with me was Akshay Kumar in Talash in 2002. He told me that 'we can start the movie tomorrow, and you can give me any amount that you want, but the heroine of this film will be Kareena Kapoor.' It was one of the most costly film of that time, it was made in Rs 22 crore. This was the first time in my career that an actor had demanded a certain cast,' he said. Pahlaj has produced films like Andaz, Aankhen in the 1990s, and in the recent years, he produced Govinda-starrer Rangeela Raja and a sequel to Neha Dhupia-starrer Julie, albeit with a different cast. Pahlaj remains a controversial figure, for producing films with suggestive themes and his tenure as the CBFC chairperson. ALSO READ | Ramayana Teaser Out: Ranbir Kapoor's first look as Ram, Yash as Ravan in mythological epic; credits are a reminder of Game of Thrones Previously, Varun Badola, in a chat with the YouTube channel Zindagi with Richa, was asked if Ekta was responsible for 'ruining' Indian television and he said, 'More than spoiling the content on TV, Ekta Kapoor changed the face of Indian television, whether for the good or the bad. She went from strength to strength because the shows were earning money. In our industry, when corporates get involved, they don't care about the art form; they just want to earn money. Once Ekta had said in an interview that if you want to make a show your way, put your own money and make it, and she wasn't wrong. You have to deal with so much pressure otherwise.' Actor Mukesh Khanna also criticised Ekta Kapoor, specifically for her show Kahaani Hamaaray Mahaabhaarat Ki, and shared with Siddharth Kannan, 'If you look at the Pandavas and their costumes in Ekta Kapoor's show, they were looking like models, exposing their bodies. Bheem wasn't looking like Bheem, and neither was Arjun. If you look at five of them together, you won't be able to recall who was who.'
News18
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- News18
Akshay Kumar Wanted To Star With 'Young' Kareena Kapoor So His Own Age Would Look Less: Pahlaj Nihalani
Akshay Kumar insisted on casting Kareena Kapoor in Talaash, says Pahlaj Nihalani, calling it a turning point in Bollywood's actor-driven casting culture. Former CBFC chief and filmmaker Pahlaj Nihalani recently opened up about the changing dynamics of Bollywood casting and rising entourage costs. Speaking on the YouTube channel Learn From The Legend, he recalled a moment during the making of the 2003 film Talaash: The Hunt Begins, when Akshay Kumar insisted that Kareena Kapoor be cast as the female lead. Nihalani explained how casting decisions used to be strictly the domain of producers and directors, with actors rarely getting involved. 'Earlier, producers and directors used to cast and heroes wouldn't interfere in casting. The first actor to interfere in casting with me was Akshay Kumar in Talash in 2002. He told me that 'we can start the movie tomorrow, and you can give me any amount that you want, but the heroine of this film will be Kareena Kapoor.' It was one of the most costly films of that time, it was made in Rs 22 crore. This was the first time in my career that an actor had demanded a certain cast." Pahlaj added that Akshay's motivation was partly about image. 'Sometimes, as the actors grow old they want to star against younger actresses so that their own age looks less. That was the first time I heard that, but these days actors decide everything and producers work as a courier service." The veteran filmmaker also slammed the ballooning costs caused by actors' entourages. 'Where one person was working now 10 people are employed. Earlier, there used to be one vanity van, but now actors demand six vanity vans — one for exercising, one for the kitchen, one for meetings. Sharam ani chahiye un actors ko ko che vanity vans mangate hai (Actors feel ashamed for asking for 6 vanity vans). Earlier, only makeup man used to go with actors, now they demand a separate hairdresser and a person just to hold their mirror. They give Rs 1.5 lakh bills for nothing. Earlier they used to bring home-cooked food, but now they want diet food. They want drugs at night and diet food in the morning." First Published:
Time of India
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Akshay Kumar 'demanded' a particular actress to star opposite him in a movie, says famous Bollywood producer and shares why
Pankajl Nihalani about celebrities' drug use You Might Also Like: 'Want diet food in morning and drugs at night': Famous Bollywood producer spills dark secrets about actors Veteran filmmaker and former CBFC chief Pahlaj Nihalani has offered a blunt look at how Bollywood 's power dynamics have drastically changed over the years. In a recent interview on the Learn From The Legend podcast, Nihalani reflected on how the control once held by producers and directors in casting decisions has now completely shifted to actors. Drawing from his own experience, he recalled that the first time he ever encountered an actor insisting on a particular co-star was during the making of Talaash in the early 2000s, when Akshay Kumar demanded Kareena Kapoor be cast as the lead to Nihalani, the 2003 action thriller was one of the most expensive films of its time, with a lavish budget of ₹22 crore. It featured extravagant sets, including 22 built from scratch, scenes shot in South Africa, and even a moving train sequence. The producer recalled that Akshay was ready to start the shoot very next day as the script was ready, but he demanded that the heroine has to be Kareena Kapoor. He speculated that Akshay had already worked with Karisma Kapoor and wanted to be paired with a younger heroine, possibly to appear younger himself on stood out, however, was the shift in decision-making: from directors and producers to actors calling the shots on co-stars to technicians. Nihalani remarked that today's industry functions like a "racket," where the actor decides everything while the producer is reduced to someone who simply arranges finances and delivers the producer also weighed in on Akshay Kumar's recent slump at the box office, with 10–12 films reportedly flopping back-to-back. He noted that while the actor began his career with discipline, punctuality, and sincerity—qualities that ensured continued work despite his early films not performing well—those strengths may no longer align with current audience preferences. Nihalani pointed out that even when Akshay takes up philanthropic efforts now, the timing seems to be working against a recent podcast, filmmaker Pahlaj Nihalani criticised the growing entitlement of actors, highlighting how stars today demand massive entourages, including multiple vanity vans for workouts, meetings, and meals. He noted that what once required one person now needs ten, including separate staff just to hold mirrors. He also alleged rising costs for makeup and fitness, and even claimed that drug use remains prevalent in the industry, saying it's sometimes visible in the very eyes of certain actors.
Economic Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Economic Times
'Want diet food in morning and drugs at night': Famous Bollywood producer spills dark secrets about actors
Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Pahlaj Nihalani about Akshay Kumar About Pahlaj Nihalani In a no-holds-barred interview, veteran producer and former CBFC chief Pahlaj Nihalani has sparked controversy by calling out the extravagant and, at times, toxic culture brewing in Bollywood today. Speaking on the Learn From The Legend podcast, Nihalani didn't mince words as he slammed the new-age celebrity lifestyle—from bloated entourage bills to the persistent drug culture lurking behind glamorous pointed out that where earlier one person was sufficient, actors today show up with teams of ten. Even newcomers insist on having their own make-up artist, hairdresser, someone to hold their mirror, and a personal fitness trainer—all paid for by the producer. He also criticised the demand for six separate vanity vans for things like working out, cooking, and holding meetings, calling it excessive and producer also alleged that many actors today lead double lives—demanding clean, diet-specific meals during the day while indulging in substance use by night. He claimed that stars often submit inflated bills for basic services, with make-up expenses alone running into lakhs. When asked if drug culture still persists in the film industry, he responded without hesitation, stating that it's very much present and, in some cases, clearly visible in the behaviour and appearance of certain Nihalani recently shared that during Talaash: The Hunt Begins... (2003), Akshay Kumar insisted on Kareena Kapoor as the female lead. Nihalani noted this was the first time in his career an actor made such a demand, overriding the traditional producer-director casting approach. He revealed that today, actors often control major decisions—from the cast to the director and crew. He also hinted at age-gap casting, suggesting older actors prefer younger heroines to appear younger on screen. Talaash, made on a Rs 22 crore budget, flopped at the box office upon its Nihalani is an Indian film producer and former chairman of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). He served as president of the Association of Pictures and TV Programme Producers for 29 years until 2009. Nihalani made his production debut with Haathkadi in 1982 and later launched actors like Govinda (Ilzaam, 1986) and Chunky Pandey (Aag Hi Aag, 1987). He produced several popular films including Shola Aur Shabnam and Aankhen. He made his directorial debut with Avatar in 2012 and last produced Rangeela Raja in 2019.
