Ekta Kapoor Clarifies Her Non-Association with Banned OTT Platforms Amid Controversy
Clarification from Ekta Kapoor
Mumbai: Ekta Kapoor, a prominent figure in the television industry, has publicly stated that neither she nor her mother, Shobha Kapoor, has any ties to ALTT following its ban by the government.
This clarification comes in light of the government's recent decision to prohibit ALTT, ULLU, Desiflix, and 23 other OTT platforms due to their explicit content.
In a post on Instagram, Ekta shared a statement asserting, "Balaji Telefilms Limited, which is listed on the BSE and NSE, is a professionally managed media entity. Following the approved merger of ALT Digital Media Entertainment Ltd., which was previously a wholly owned subsidiary, it will operate ALTT from June 20, 2025."
She emphasized that both she and Shobha had distanced themselves from ALTT in 2021.
The statement further clarified, "Reports have circulated regarding ALTT being disabled by authorities; however, it is important to note that Ms. Ekta Kapoor and Mrs. Shobha Kapoor are not associated with ALTT in any capacity and had stepped down from their roles in June 2021."
"Any contrary insinuations are firmly denied, and we urge the media to report the accurate facts. Balaji Telefilms Limited adheres to all relevant laws and maintains high standards of corporate governance," the statement concluded.
The post was captioned: "To whom it may concern."
On July 25, the government took action against illegal and obscene content by instructing Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to block access to 25 OTT platforms, including well-known services like Ullu, ALTT, and Desiflix.
A notification from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) highlighted that intermediaries must remove or restrict access to unlawful content as per the Information Technology Act, 2000, and the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.
This initiative aims to prevent the spread of content considered sexually explicit and contrary to Indian legal and cultural norms.
The list of banned applications includes Big Shots App, Boomex, Navarasa Lite, Gulab App, Kangan App, Bull App, Jalva App, Wow Entertainment, Look Entertainment, Hitprime, Feneo, ShowX, Sol Talkies, Adda TV, HotX VIP, Hulchul App, MoodX, NeonX VIP, Fugi, and Mojflix, among others.
These platforms were found to be in violation of several laws, including Section 67 and Section 67A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, Section 294 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and Section 4 of the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986.
In April, the Supreme Court addressed a petition seeking a ban on sexually explicit content across OTT platforms and social media.