Tejasswi Prakash on Ektaa Kapoor: A mastermind, impeccable businesswoman

Actress Tejasswi Prakash has come out in strong support of television and film producer Ektaa Kapoor, describing her as a “mastermind” and an “impeccable businesswoman” who knows how to adapt to changing audience preferences.

Tejasswi, who is currently part of the fifth season of the gaming reality show ‘Playground’, spoke to IANS alongside Elvish Yadav and Aarush Bhola during the show's promotional activities at a hotel in Mumbai’s Juhu area.

The actress was asked whether Ektaa’s influence was diminishing at a time when traditional daily soaps have seemingly taken a back seat, while reality shows continue to attract viewers.

Rejecting the suggestion, Tejasswi said Ektaa has remained the “queen of television” because she understands the importance of adapting with the times.

“No, Ektaa Kapoor has always been the queen of television, but at the same time, she is a mastermind and an impeccable businesswoman. She knows what’s in trend,” Tejasswi told IANS.

She pointed out that refusing to adapt can often prevent people from moving forward, adding that she too has learnt to make changes in her own approach over time.

“She is not someone who is so old-school that she will only walk her own path no matter if it’s a hit or a flop. I have seen a lot of people who don’t want to change their way of dealing with things, and because of that, they are stuck in the same way,” she said.

“With time, I have also realised my mistakes and have made necessary tweaks. You have to change with time, that’s what she is doing, and she is doing it smartly,” the actress added.

Tejasswi has previously worked with Ektaa Kapoor on the popular supernatural drama ‘Naagin 6’, following her victory in ‘Bigg Boss 15’. She also has first-hand experience of Balaji Telefilms’ reality-show ecosystem, having been associated with ‘Lock Upp’.

Talking about the show's success, Tejasswi said she was happy to see the format finding a wider audience and praised Ektaa and the makers for successfully entering the reality space.

“The second season of ‘Lock Upp’ has been so successful for a platform like Netflix or even for the makers Balaji. I'm so happy and so proud of them,” she said.

Recalling her own association with the show, she added, “I was a part of ‘Lock Upp’ on a smaller scale. And it was so much fun to be a part of the show, and to be on that stage.”

Tejasswi also argued that Ektaa’s career should not be viewed only through the performance of television soaps. According to her, Ektaa’s work extends across television, films and reality entertainment.

“Even that has done so well for the platform, on their social media. And I'm so happy that the show has done well for Balaji as well,” she said.

“She’s also a filmmaker, so the films are also doing well. She’s never just been television. And she has something great coming up as well. So I don't think the spark is going down,” Tejasswi added.

For Tejasswi, Ektaa’s ability to recognise changing trends and adapt without losing sight of her larger creative vision is precisely what has helped her remain relevant across different phases of the entertainment industry.