Ekta Kapoor In Hot Water Again: 5 Times ALT Balaji Owner Stoked Controversy

Producer Ekta Kapoor and her mother Shobha Kapoor are facing legal issues as a case has been filed against them under the POCSO Act. They are accused of showing inappropriate scenes involving minor girls in an episode of the ALT Balaji web series Gandi Baat. The case specifically relates to season 6 of the show on the OTT platform ALT Balaji, which is no longer streaming. This isn't the first time Ekta Kapoor has been involved in controversy. Here are five other controversies surrounding the TV and film producers.

Nudity clause in a contract

In 2015, Ekta Kapoor introduced a nudity clause in her contracts, according to ANI reports. This ensures that actors signing up with her cannot object to intimate scenes or provocative dialogue in the script. 
 

Despite concerns from the Central Board of Film Certification, which has deterred some filmmakers, Ekta continued with her erotic project titled XXX. To prevent any future objections from debutants regarding explicit scenes or suggestive dialogue, she included this 'nudity clause' in their contracts.

FIR filed against XXX web series

According to PTI, an FIR was filed in 2020 against filmmaker Ekta Kapoor, accusing her of disrespecting the national emblem, Hindu Gods, and army personnel in the ALTBalaji web series XXX. Ekta’s team has since confirmed that the controversial scene has been removed.

The Jodha Akbar controversy 

Reports suggest that Balaji Telefilms' Jodha Akbar was Ekta Kapoor's first show that faced controversy. As per the PTI, the Rajput Kshatriya Akhil Bharatiya Chatariya Sabha objected, claiming the series falsely portrayed Jodha marrying Akbar to save her father's kingdom. 

 

Other groups also protested, demanding the show's removal. The situation escalated to the point where protestors even burned an effigy of Ekta Kapoor.

Arrest warrant issued against producer Ekta Kapoor, mother over web series

In 2020, a court in Bihar 's Begusarai issued arrest warrants for producer Ekta Kapoor and her mother, Shobha Kapoor, over accusations of insulting soldiers and offending their families in the web series XXX Season 2.

The warrants were issued after both Ekta and Shobha Kapoor failed to respond to a court summons. The case stems from a complaint filed by Shambhu Kumar, a former serviceman from Begusarai.

"The court had summoned them based on Shambhu Kumar's complaint, but they did not appear, leading to the warrants being issued," explained Advocate Hrishikesh Pathak to PTI. 

Filmmaker Sudhanshu Saria accused ALTBalaji of plagiarism controversy

In April 2021, as per PTI, National Award-winning filmmaker Sudhanshu Saria accused ALTBalaji of plagiarising the poster for their upcoming web series His Storyy. Saria claimed the poster closely resembled that of his 2015 film Loev, calling the act "brazen, disrespectful, inconsiderate, careless, and arrogant." He also alleged that the show's title was copied from a Korean series.

Although ALTBalaji issued an apology, Saria expressed dissatisfaction, noting that while the production claimed to have noticed the issue on 9th April, the photographer revealed the shoot had taken place two months earlier. Following Saria's claims, Twitter users highlighted similarities between other ALTBalaji posters and international projects.

Also Read: Ekta, Shobha Kapoor Likely to Be Questioned by Mumbai Police Over POCSO Complaint | Republic World