Producer Ekta Kapoor criticised filmmaker Anurag Kashyap for insulting her popular “saas-bahu” TV serials during a panel discussion with Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos. The debate reignited longstanding tensions between India’s mainstream television and its edgier streaming content creators.
The controversy began when Sarandos admitted that launching Netflix India with Kashyap’s gritty crime thriller Sacred Games may not have been the smartest move to capture the mass Indian audience. Kashyap doubled down, taking a jab at traditional television, saying Indian viewers have been “brainwashed by regressive daily soaps”—a clear dig at the serials Kapoor is best known for.
Not one to remain silent, Ekta Kapoor responded openly, defending her body of work and its profound cultural significance. She emphasised that her broadcasts, which were sometimes rejected by the elite, resonated with millions and laid the groundwork for Indian television. “It’s easy to mock mass appeal when you don’t have it,” she wrote on social media, eliciting a flood of support from fans and TV stars.
The spat highlights the ongoing clash between traditional Indian storytelling and OTT-driven realism, with Kapoor and Kashyap symbolizing two divergent paths in Indian entertainment. As streaming platforms continue expanding in India, the debate over what defines quality content—and who gets to decide—seems far from over.
