Veteran film producer and ex-CBFC chairperson Pahlaj Nihalani has lashed out at TV czarina Ektaa Kapoor, accusing her of contributing to the erosion of traditional Indian culture through her television content. In a recent appearance on the YouTube channel Learn From The Legends, Nihalani didn’t hold back as he shared his concerns about the changing face of Indian entertainment.‘A woman gets married thrice… great!’While discussing the cultural shift in storytelling, Nihalani took a direct jab at Kapoor’s long-running serials, calling them regressive and culturally confusing. “But then, we as an audience are getting fed things like a woman getting married three times… Ektaa Kapoor, the great!” he said sarcastically. “Here, men are not allowed to get married twice, and she gets these women married thrice! So the culture is slowly getting destroyed, shifted...”‘Now they are having sex even in the air’He also lamented what he perceives as the over-sexualisation of content, noting that today’s mainstream shows and films often push the envelope. “Earlier, there were very few erotic movies that were released, and now they are having sex even in the air,” he remarked, expressing dismay over the changing narrative styles.Shah Rukh Khan’s guns and ‘Kalki 2898 AD’s Mahabharat’Reflecting on cinema’s current trajectory, Nihalani acknowledged the rise of action-oriented roles even among stars known for romantic leads. “Shah Rukh Khan, who was known for romancing in films like Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, even he is holding a gun in his films,” he pointed out.
He praised big-budget spectacles like RRR and Kalki 2898 AD, citing their mythological underpinnings. “Take RRR, which was based on Ramayana and Mahabharata, and then in Kalki, the end was completely inspired by Mahabharata. Hindustani culture is still so strong in our society.”So far, Ektaa Kapoor, known for her television hits like Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, Kasautii Zindagii Kay, and Naagin, has not issued any public statement regarding Nihalani’s remarks.
