Having produced numerous TV shows focussed on women, Ekta
Kapoor believes informing people about the issues in Indian society through the
entertainment mediums works better them educating them about it.
"I personally think education is one and infotainments
the other (aspect). If you educate people, they get bored. If you go out there
and show them films, which are entertaining and then they like the characters
and start relating to the story because of the characters, you land up doing a
lot more to change mindsets than ever," Ekta said.
Maker of hit TV shows like "Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu
Thi", "Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii", "Kumkum Bhagya" and
"Yeh Hai Mohabbatein", she also said that a film or a TV show
"can't empower" but enlighten people.
"It can enlighten (viewers) about the wars that women
are fighting. Empowerment comes from within. It comes from each one of us
taking a stand against the various biases that we face and then saying no to
it. The time has come when we should enlighten our viewers by showing films
like 'Lipstick Under My Burkha'," she told.
Ekta is taking forward her pursuit of producing "bold
and inspiring" tales about women by backing the upcoming movie
"Lipstick Under My Burkha", which has gone through various hurdles
because of the Central Board of Film Certification's (CBFC) objections that it
was too "lady oriented".
"When I heard about the film, I was pretty sure that
it'll be something boring. But when I saw the film, I thought it's an
entertaining and empowering film. It's very, very strong," Ekta said.
Directed by Alankrita Srivastava, the film, featuringKonkana
Sen Sharma, Ratna Pathak Shah, Aahana Kumra and Plabita Borthakur, revolves
around four women and their sexual desires and freedom.
Such conversations must be prevalent in society, Ekta told.
"We don't talk about things that exist in women's
lives. We have been told for years to brush things under the carpet. We have
been told for years that things that belong to us like our own bodies are not
meant for pleasure, they are only meant for reproduction," she told.
She told women are told that sacrifice should be in her DNA,
her own choices should come last: family should be a priority not the women.
"Until you start talking about what a woman goes through internally, you
just see her fitting into the space that society has chosen for her. That's why
stories like these need to be told," she further added.
"Lipstick Under My Burkha" has now been cleared
for a theatrical release in India on July 21 by Film Certification Appellate
Tribunal (FCAT).
"‘Lipstick Under My Burkha' is the only film that I
have seen in recent times which talks about women after the age of 50.
Censorship is very big issue, but at the same time let's not forget the film
and talk about that," Ekta told.
"I have huge respect for Nihalani (CBFC chairman Pahlaj
Nihalani) and I'm sure he has a thought process behind what he is doing. I have
huge respect for the censor board and I am not contesting what they are
doing," she told.
She said FCAT had asked them to do some minor cuts.
"These were very, very minor cuts and no scene was removed. We are looking
to present the film is 400-500 screens," she further added.
Asked how she thinks women are going to receive
"Lipstick Under My Burkha", Ekta told, "With open arms,"
adding "India is so ready to accept the new Indian women that they will
have no problems."
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