Ekta Kapoor, the reigning queen on Indian TV shows for over two decades, has given a lot of fresh faces a chance to enter the industry. From Vidya Balan to Karan Singh Grover, a number of actors made their break in the Hindi TV industry because of Ekta Kapoor. She sure has an eye for talent! This producer launched her favourite actors under the Balaji Telefilms banner and in some cases, even produced the Bollywood movies they went on to do. Here is a list of all the TV actors who joined Bollywood after Ekta Kapoor gave them their big break.
1. Sushant Singh Rajput
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Sushant got his big break under Ekta Kapoor’s banner with Kis Desh Mein Hai Meraa Dil. And even though Sushant didn’t play the lead in the show, it paved way for his award-winning performance in Ekta’s next, Pavitra Rishta in 2009. In 2013, Sushant finally made his big Bollywood break with Kai Po Che! where he played one of the three leads alongside Rajkummar Rao and Amit Sadh.
2. Rajeev Khandelwal
Though Rajeev made his break in TV shows with a negative role in Kya Hadsaa Kya Haqeeqat in 2002, it was Ekta Kapoor’s Kahiin To Hoga in 2003 that made him a household name. By 2008, the actor made his debut in Bollywood with Aamir in which he was applauded for his acting skills. Rajeev’s career graph hasn’t been on a high since, but we hope to see more of him soon.
3. Karan Singh Grover
In 2004, Karan Singh Grover made his debut with MTV’s Kitni Mast Hai Zindagi, which was produced by Balaji Telefilms. But it was his role in Kasautii Zindagii Kay a year later that put him on the map! Now, the actor has over four movies to his name, including Alone in 2015, where he met his current wife, Bipasha Basu.
4. Mouni Roy
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She made her debut with Ekta Kapoor’s Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi in 2007 and her career has been just seen an upward graph since! With Naagin in 2015, Mouni became a crowd favourite and can now be seen in movies like Gold and Romeo Akbar Walter.
5. Pulkit Samrat
Pulkit made his debut with Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi in 2006 but it wasn’t until his debut in Bollywood with Bittoo Boss in 2012 that he gained popularity. Now, Pulkit is a part of the rather successful Fukrey franchise and will next be seen in Pagalpanti alongside Anil Kapoor and John Abraham.
6. Surveen Chawla
With Kahiin Toh Hoga in 2003, Surveen Chawla was a part of Ekta Kapoor’s K-franchise and went on to become a successful Bollywood star after a decade of doing TV shows. Not just Bollywood, Surveen has done over 20 movies in the Punjabi, Tamil and Telugu industry and was even seen in Sacred Games.
7. Vidya Balan
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In 1995, Vidya Balan first made an appearance on our TV screens with Ekta Kapoor’s Hum Paanch. Yes, Ekta Kapoor has been around since forever! And now, Vidya Balan is one of the most successful actresses in the industry and even has a Padma Shri to her name.
8. Ronit Roy
In 2002, Ronit Roy was approached by Ekta Kapoor’s Balaji Telefilms for a role in Kammal but his real breakthrough came in the form of Mr Bajaj in Kasautii Zindagii Kay. Since 2010, Ronit has been in various Bollywood films including Udaan and 2 States.
9. Prachi Desai
With Kasamh Se, Prachi Desai became a favourite of Indian Television and went on to do various other successful shows like Jhalak Dikhla Jaa and Kasautii Zindagii Kay. Her big Bollywood break came in the form of the box-office success, Rock On! opposite Farhan Akhtar.
Is Ekta Kapoor the gateway to a successful Bollywood career?
Featured Images: Instagram
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