GUEST COLUMN | Ekta Kapoor’s three-decade journey of reinvention, through the astrological lens

MUMBAI:Ekta Kapoor’s career has been defined by an unusual ability to reinvent herself as India’s entertainment landscape has evolved, moving from television soaps and films to streaming, micro-dramas and new digital platforms. Vikkramm Chandirramani examines Kapoor’s horoscope and traces the planetary cycles alongside the major turning points of her career, from the breakthrough of Hum Paanch and the television phenomenon of Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi to Balaji’s setbacks, her success in cinema, the launch of ALTBalaji and her more recent moves into new forms of content and distribution. The analysis also looks ahead to 2027, which Chandirramani believes could mark another significant reinvention in Kapoor’s career, with technology, new audiences, partnerships, investments and new revenue streams potentially shaping the next phase.

Ekta Kapoor’s horoscope suggests an interesting combination of emotional sensitivity, imagination, commercial instinct and considerable determination. A Cancer ascendant gives her an intuitive and receptive nature, while Venus in Cancer strengthens her emotional side and attachment to family. Yet there is also considerable fire in the horoscope. Her Moon is in Aries, giving initiative, impatience and the instinct to act quickly rather than wait for circumstances to change. The Sun and Mercury are conjunct in Taurus, adding practicality and persistence to this otherwise highly intuitive chart. Taurus is a fixed sign and can make someone extremely determined once convinced about an idea. Mercury’s conjunction with the Sun can give strong opinions and confidence in one’s judgement, while Taurus is concerned with tangible results and value. Kapoor may rely heavily on instinct, but she is unlikely to be interested in creativity merely for its own sake. There is a strong commercial dimension to the way she thinks.

Mars and Jupiter are together in Pisces. This is particularly significant because Mars is the ruler of both the fifth house of creativity and the tenth house of career for a Cancer ascendant, making it an important planet in Kapoor’s professional life. Pisces adds imagination and an ability to respond to moods, emotions and possibilities that may not always be immediately obvious, while Jupiter occupies its own sign, strengthening these qualities further. This combination is particularly appropriate for someone whose career has depended on understanding stories and audiences. Kapoor has spent more than three decades creating entertainment for a mass audience, frequently relying on concepts that critics or competitors may not necessarily have anticipated would work. Rahu and Neptune in Scorpio add another dimension. Scorpio is associated with intensity, secrecy, sexuality, power and subjects that often lie beneath the surface. Kapoor’s work has repeatedly ventured into emotionally charged, unconventional or controversial territory, particularly as her career expanded beyond the family dramas with which she first became famous.

The Moon’s sextile with Saturn adds emotional resilience. Her Aries Moon can make her quick to react, but Saturn brings discipline and the ability to endure difficult circumstances. Jupiter square Saturn creates another interesting contradiction. Jupiter seeks growth and expansion, while Saturn imposes limits, discipline and structure. Kapoor’s career has repeatedly alternated between extraordinary expansion and periods when circumstances forced her to consolidate, change direction or rebuild. This combination of ambition and resistance appeared remarkably early in her career.

Kapoor began working in her teens and interned with advertising and film-maker Kailash Surendranath. Her early television pilots were rejected and she has spoken about losing around ₹50 lakh before achieving her first major success. Astrologically, she was then in her Moon mahadasha, which began in June 1990 and continued until June 2000. The Moon occupies Aries in her horoscope, a sign associated with initiative, independence and the willingness to begin something new, and also forms a favourable sextile with Saturn, combining initiative with persistence.

Kapoor was in Moon-Rahu between November 1991 and May 1993, followed by Moon-Jupiter until September 1994. Balaji Telefilms was founded in 1994, with Kapoor becoming its creative force. An important change came when Saturn became the bhukti lord in September 1994. In 1995, Balaji produced Mano Ya Na Mano for Zee and Dhun Dhamaka for Doordarshan. More importantly, Hum Paanch arrived that year and became Kapoor’s first major television success. The programme ran from 1995 until 1999 and later returned for another season. It also gave Vidya Balan an important early television break, creating a connection that would become particularly interesting many years later when Balan starred in ‘Dirty Picture’, one of Balaji’s most successful films. Moon-Saturn continued until April 1996. Saturn is associated with structure, discipline and perseverance. Kapoor had already experienced rejection by then, but Hum Paanch demonstrated that she had found a formula that could work on Indian television.

Mercury became the sub-period lord in April 1996 and remained influential until September 1997. Mercury is conjunct the Sun in Taurus in Kapoor’s horoscope and is associated with communication, commerce and ideas. Moon-Ketu followed from September 1997 until April 1998 and Moon-Venus from April 1998 until December 1999. By the end of the Moon mahadasha, Kapoor had established herself as a successful television producer. What followed, however, would transform the scale of her career.

Kapoor entered her Mars mahadasha on June 1, 2000. Mars is one of the most important planets in her horoscope because it rules both the fifth house of creativity and entertainment and the tenth house of career. It occupies Pisces alongside Jupiter, linking career and creativity with imagination and intuition. Just over a month after the Mars mahadasha began, Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi premiered on Star Plus on July 3, 2000. The programme became a phenomenon, eventually running for more than eight years and approximately 1,833 episodes. At its peak, its television rating reportedly reached 22.4, illustrating the extraordinary reach television programmes could command during that period. A second Balaji programme, Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii, premiered on October 16, 2000. Both programmes began during Mars-Mars, the first bhukti of Kapoor’s new mahadasha. The timing is particularly interesting. Mars governs both creativity and career in her horoscope, and its own sub-period at the beginning of its mahadasha coincided almost exactly with the programmes that transformed Kapoor’s professional standing.

Rahu became the sub-period lord on October 28, 2000 and the expansion accelerated. Kasautii Zindagii Kay followed in 2001, while Balaji Motion Pictures was also launched that year. By the middle of 2001, Balaji was reportedly producing more than 30 hours of television programming every week and was projected to achieve turnover of around ₹35 crore. Rahu occupies Scorpio in Kapoor’s fifth house of creativity. Rahu is associated with scale, unconventionality and the desire to push beyond existing boundaries, making its placement in the fifth house particularly significant in the horoscope of someone whose career revolves around entertainment. Kapoor was no longer merely producing successful television programmes. Balaji was becoming one of the dominant content producers in Indian television.

The move into films, however, proved more difficult. Kyo Kii… Main Jhuth Nahin Bolta, Balaji’s first film, was released on September 21, 2001 during Mars-Rahu and failed commercially. Further failures followed with Kucch Toh Hai and Krishna Cottage in 2003 and 2004. Television and cinema were therefore producing very different results during the same Mars mahadasha. Kapoor had found an extraordinarily successful formula in one medium but was still trying to establish herself in another. Mars-Jupiter ran from November 2001 until October 2002, followed by Mars-Saturn until December 2003 and Mars-Mercury until November 2004. A major corporate development came in August 2004, when Star’s Asian Broadcasting acquired a 25.99 per cent stake in Balaji Telefilms, reflecting the importance Balaji had acquired within the Star ecosystem.

Mars-Ketu began in November 2004 and continued until April 2005, after which Venus became the bhukti lord. Kyaa Kool Hai Hum was released on May 6, 2005, just days after the beginning of Mars-Venus, and became Kapoor’s first real film hit. Venus is naturally associated with entertainment, glamour and the arts and occupies Cancer in Kapoor’s horoscope. After several unsuccessful attempts at cinema, the beginning of Mars-Venus coincided with the first clear evidence that Balaji could succeed in films as well. By the time Kapoor’s Mars mahadasha ended in June 2007, Balaji had become one of the most important television production companies in India. The seven-year period had begun almost simultaneously with Kyunki and encompassed the years in which Kapoor came to dominate Hindi television.

A very different planetary cycle began on June 2, 2007, when Kapoor entered her eighteen-year Rahu mahadasha. Rahu occupies Scorpio in her chart. Scorpio is associated with transformation, intensity, secrets and subjects that are often unconventional. Rahu can magnify these tendencies and can also bring sudden changes, disruptions and departures from established patterns. The first years of Kapoor’s Rahu mahadasha brought precisely such a disruption.

The relationship between Balaji and Star had already begun changing. In April 2007, the two companies signed a regional-language joint venture, but within little more than a year the relationship that had defined Kapoor’s greatest period of television dominance was breaking apart. The year 2008 was particularly difficult and Kapoor was then in Rahu-Rahu. In January, controversy erupted over a sequence involving Thakorji in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, following which Kapoor apologised. By March and June, the deterioration in the relationship between Balaji and Star had become public, with reports of discussions surrounding Star’s stake in the company. On August 19, Balaji informed the stock exchanges that Star’s 25.99 per cent stake and the regional-language joint venture were being terminated. Balaji’s promoters were given the option of acquiring the stake at ₹190 per share within 240 days, while the prime-time exclusivity arrangement was also lifted.

Then came the end of the programmes that had defined Balaji’s dominance. Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii ended on October 9. The following day, Star issued a termination notice for Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, seeking to end the programme by November 10 and citing a ratings-related clause. Balaji disputed the move and on October 20 informed the stock exchange that it considered Star’s action a breach of contract. Balaji shares fell around 13 per cent and touched a 52-week low. The dispute moved to arbitration and the courts. Justice B.N. Srikrishna was named as arbitrator, while Balaji approached the Bombay High Court seeking a stay. On November 3, the High Court dismissed the petition. Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi broadcast its final episode on November 6 and the following day a division bench dismissed Balaji’s appeal.

The television setbacks were accompanied by an extraordinary sequence of failures in cinema. Mission Istaanbul, released on July 25, failed. C Kkompany followed on August 29 and also failed, while EMI, released on November 7, met the same fate. Balaji’s ambitious Kahaani Hamaaray Mahaabhaarat Ki, which had begun on July 7, also failed and ended in November. By the end of December 2008, Balaji shares were trading at around ₹65, approximately 81 per cent lower than at the beginning of the year. Profit in the following financial year fell to approximately ₹47 lakh from around ₹96 crore in FY2008. The timing is striking. Kapoor had entered Rahu mahadasha only in June 2007, and during Rahu-Rahu virtually every pillar of the business model built during the preceding Mars mahadasha came under pressure.

Yet Rahu is not simply associated with setbacks. It is also a planet of reinvention and the breaking of established patterns. The rebuilding began before Rahu-Rahu had ended. Pavitra Rishta, which premiered in 2009, became another major success for Balaji. A more significant astrological transition came in February 2010, when Kapoor entered Rahu-Jupiter. Jupiter occupies Pisces in its own sign in her horoscope and is conjunct Mars, the ruler of her fifth and tenth houses. Jupiter is associated with expansion, growth and the widening of horizons.

The film business began changing during this period. Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai, released on July 30, 2010, became a hit. Then came The Dirty Picture. Released on December 2, 2011, the film became one of the defining successes of Kapoor’s career, grossing approximately ₹117 crore worldwide, while Vidya Balan won the National Film Award for Best Actress. There was an interesting connection with Kapoor’s beginnings. Balan had received one of her earliest television opportunities in Hum Paanch, the programme that established Kapoor during Moon-Saturn in 1995. Sixteen years later, she became the face of the film that helped establish Balaji as a serious force in cinema.

Rahu-Jupiter ended in July 2012 and Saturn became the bhukti lord. Saturn is in Gemini in Kapoor’s horoscope and its periods frequently demand persistence and can bring responsibility, consolidation and slower progress. Yet this period also produced another major cinematic success. Ek Villain, released on June 27, 2014, became a super hit. Made on a reported budget of approximately ₹39 crore, it earned roughly ₹153-170 crore worldwide. The success did not continue uninterrupted. Kapoor later spoke about suffering five consecutive film failures after Ek Villain and reaching a point where she almost considered giving up films. The Jupiter-Saturn square in her natal horoscope is relevant when considering this pattern. Jupiter encourages expansion and confidence, while Saturn imposes limits and forces reassessment. Kapoor’s career repeatedly demonstrates this movement between expansion and periods when circumstances compel her to rethink an earlier strategy.

Mercury became the sub-period lord in May 2015. That year brought another major television breakthrough with Naagin, which became a huge success and developed into a long-running franchise. Mercury is conjunct the Sun in Taurus in Kapoor’s horoscope. Mercury represents communication and ideas, while Taurus is practical and commercially oriented. The Rahu influence is equally relevant. Rahu occupies Scorpio in the fifth house, and the supernatural, mysterious and fantastical elements of Naagin were considerably removed from the domestic dramas that had first made Balaji famous.

Another important project arrived during Rahu-Mercury. Udta Punjab was released in June 2016 after becoming the centre of an intense censorship battle with the Central Board of Film Certification. Its commercial performance was more moderate than some of Balaji’s biggest hits, but the controversy surrounding the film made it one of the most discussed releases of the year. The following year, Kapoor made one of the biggest strategic moves of her career when ALTBalaji was launched. Streaming offered something traditional television could not: the ability to distribute content directly to viewers without relying entirely on broadcasters, while also allowing greater freedom in subjects, language and formats. The move was consistent with the broader character of Kapoor’s Rahu mahadasha. The producer who had built her fortune supplying programmes to television networks was now attempting to create her own digital distribution platform. The biography Kingdom of the Soap Queen was also published in 2017, chronicling her rise through Indian television.

Rahu-Mercury ended in December 2017 and was followed by Rahu-Ketu until December 2018. Venus then became the bhukti lord, and within weeks Kapoor’s personal life changed significantly. Her son Ravie Kapoor was born through surrogacy on January 27, 2019. He was named after her father Jeetendra’s original name, Ravi Kapoor, and his naamkaran ceremony was held on February 11. Venus occupies Cancer in Kapoor’s horoscope. Cancer is strongly associated with home, family and emotional bonds, and Venus reinforces these themes.

Rahu-Venus was also significant professionally. Dream Girl, released on September 13, 2019, became a major commercial success and Kapoor’s highest India-nett film, earning approximately ₹139 crore domestically. A few months later came one of the most important honours of her career. On January 26, 2020, Kapoor was announced as a recipient of the Padma Shri in the field of Arts. The award was presented to her by President Ram Nath Kovind at Rashtrapati Bhavan on November 8, 2021. The timing during Rahu-Venus is particularly interesting. Venus is naturally associated with art and entertainment, while its placement in Cancer connects it closely with Kapoor’s ascendant.

Rahu-Venus ended in December 2021 and was followed by Rahu-Sun until November 2022. Rahu-Moon then began and brought further recognition. Kathal, produced with Guneet Monga and released on Netflix in May 2023, would subsequently win the National Film Award for Best Hindi Film. On November 20, 2023, Kapoor received the International Emmy Directorate Award at the 51st International Emmy Awards in New York, becoming the first Indian woman producer to receive the honour. The Moon occupies Aries in her horoscope and forms a favourable sextile with Saturn. Aries provides initiative and independence, while Saturn adds endurance. The aspect is particularly appropriate when considering the length of the journey that preceded the award. By then, Kapoor had spent almost three decades in television and films.

Mars became the final bhukti lord of Kapoor’s Rahu mahadasha in May 2024. Mars, as ruler of both her fifth and tenth houses, is closely connected with creativity and career in her horoscope and occupies Pisces alongside Jupiter. The closing year of Rahu also brought a significant transaction involving Kapoor family assets. On May 29, 2025, family companies Pantheon Buildcon and Tusshar Infra Developers sold approximately 2.39 acres of land at the Balaji IT Park site in Andheri to NTT Global Data Centres for ₹855 crore. The transaction was widely reported as one of the highest-value Bollywood-family-linked land deals of the year. The companies, rather than Kapoor personally, were the sellers, an important distinction when considering the transaction.

Just days later, Kapoor entered an entirely new planetary cycle. Her eighteen-year Rahu mahadasha ended on June 1, 2025 and Jupiter mahadasha began. Jupiter is strongly placed in Pisces, the sign it traditionally rules, and is conjunct Mars. For Kapoor’s Cancer ascendant, Mars rules both creativity and career, connecting Jupiter with two of the most important themes of her life. The opening bhukti is Jupiter-Jupiter and continues until July 2027. A week after the mahadasha changed, Kapoor and her father sold their 2,149-square-foot apartment at Omkar 1973 in Worli for ₹12.25 crore. They had purchased it together in June 2017 for ₹11.52 crore. The two property transactions therefore occurred on either side of the transition from Rahu to Jupiter, although the much larger Andheri transaction involved family companies rather than Kapoor personally.

The beginning of the Jupiter mahadasha, however, was not uniformly favourable. In July 2025, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting blocked ALTT along with a number of other digital platforms over obscene-content concerns. Reports over the years had suggested that approximately ₹900 crore had been invested in or loaned to the OTT business. The development represented a major setback for one of the most ambitious initiatives Kapoor had undertaken during her Rahu mahadasha.

At almost the same time, however, one of the most famous properties of her career returned. Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2 premiered on July 29, 2025 on Star Plus and JioHotstar, almost exactly twenty-five years after the original programme had first appeared. The launch attracted a television rating of around 2.5. Although ratings subsequently declined, the programme remained on air and was extended into late 2026, while a spin-off, Kyunki Rishton Ke Bhi Roop Badalte Hain, followed in March 2026.

Another important recognition followed. The National Film Award for Best Hindi Film for Kathal was announced on August 1, 2025, and Kapoor received the award, along with Guneet Monga and Netflix, at the ceremony at Vigyan Bhavan on September 23. By then Kapoor had received the Padma Shri, the International Emmy Directorate Award and a National Film Award, recognition spanning Indian popular culture, international television and cinema.

Yet Jupiter-Jupiter has also demonstrated the contradictory influence created by Jupiter’s natal square with Saturn. Vrusshabha, starring Mohanlal and released on December 25, 2025, became a major commercial failure. Balaji’s financial results for FY2026 were also weak. The results were announced in May 2026. There were also disputes around the company during this period, including a contractual disagreement with Raaj Shaandilyaa and allegations concerning vendor dues, which Balaji denied.

At the same time, Kapoor delivered what she described as the biggest hit of her career. Bhooth Bangla, released on April 17, 2026, reportedly earned approximately ₹240-270 crore worldwide. The simultaneous presence of major success and financial pressure is particularly interesting in the context of Jupiter square Saturn. Jupiter is strongly placed in Pisces and encourages expansion, but Saturn places limits on that expansion and demands structure and accountability. The first year of Kapoor’s Jupiter mahadasha therefore contained striking contrasts: major recognition and commercial success alongside regulatory, financial and corporate difficulties.

Another significant development came in September 2026, when Kapoor entered into an agreement with YouTube India for five shows comprising approximately 200 episodes, with Kapoor retaining the intellectual property. The arrangement represents another change in distribution for someone whose career has evolved alongside virtually every major transformation in Indian entertainment over the past three decades. When Kapoor began producing television in the 1990s, Doordarshan and the emerging satellite channels were the principal platforms. The 2000s brought the extraordinary dominance of satellite television. Balaji subsequently expanded into cinema, then created its own streaming platform, and Kapoor is now producing content for YouTube.

Kapoor’s journey across these different platforms also illustrates one of the more interesting contradictions in her horoscope. Cancer and Taurus favour familiarity, continuity and what has already proved its value, while Rahu and Neptune in Scorpio and Mars and Jupiter in Pisces encourage experimentation and imagination. Kapoor became famous through family dramas built around marriage, relationships and domestic conflict, yet subsequently produced films such as The Dirty Picture and Udta Punjab, entered streaming through ALTBalaji and, more recently, moved into micro-dramas and a large programming arrangement with YouTube. She has therefore been both a creator of successful formulas and unusually willing to move beyond them.

Resilience has been equally important. The Moon-Saturn sextile gives persistence and emotional discipline, while the Jupiter-Saturn square creates a recurring tension between expansion and limitation. The events of 2008 could have permanently diminished Balaji, while the later run of film failures could have ended Kapoor’s cinematic ambitions. Instead, she repeatedly rebuilt. That ability to adapt becomes particularly relevant when considering the next phase of her career.

The months ahead could mark the beginning of another important phase. October 2026 could bring a sizeable investment. This may be in one of Kapoor’s businesses, although the investment could equally involve another asset class. She is also going through her Sade Sati, which continues until May 2032. Saturn periods can bring greater responsibilities, delays and circumstances that require patience. However, Kapoor’s career already demonstrates a considerable capacity to persevere through difficult phases, and patience and persistence should help her navigate the challenges that arise during this period.

I believe 2027 could be a seminal year for Ekta Kapoor and may bring another major reinvention of her career. Reinvention has already been a recurring feature of her journey. She began with sitcoms and television soaps, expanded into films and subsequently entered digital entertainment through ALTBalaji. In April 2026, Balaji Telefilms also ventured into micro-dramas, another attempt to adapt content to changing patterns of consumption. This process could accelerate considerably in 2027. Kapoor’s business model itself may undergo a transformation, with new technology, including artificial intelligence, playing a part. She may also make a concerted effort to reach younger audiences whose tastes and viewing habits are very different from the television audiences on which Balaji originally built its success. New sources of revenue are likely, and she could also acquire or build a new facility.

The period from mid-February to mid-March 2027 looks particularly favourable for money and gains through her career. New projects or ventures into unfamiliar areas are possible, with technology potentially playing an important part. Overseas companies or collaborators may also be involved. Kapoor could invest substantial sums in her businesses or acquire assets during this period. A new partnership is possible, while another manifestation could be the sale of a stake in one of her companies. The period is likely to be highly eventful professionally and could set in motion some of the larger changes that define the year.

April should continue the momentum and looks like an active month for Kapoor’s career. Significant professional developments and announcements are possible, along with further career-related gains. She may make additional investments or acquire assets, and some of this expenditure could be directly connected with her businesses and the new direction they are taking.

The second half of 2027 could be even more eventful, with Kapoor’s career gaining momentum almost as soon as it begins. August stands out in particular and could bring path-breaking professional and personal developments. It may prove to be a turning point, although Kapoor would be well advised to steer clear of unnecessary controversy during the month and deal quickly with anything that has the potential to escalate.

Taken together, I believe 2027 could be a seminal year for Kapoor. Her stature may rise further and major career-defining developments are possible. More importantly, the year could bring another reinvention of the business model she has repeatedly adapted over the past three decades. Technology, new audiences, new revenue streams, partnerships, investments and possibly new infrastructure may all play a part. Kapoor evolved from sitcoms and soaps to films, streaming and micro-dramas as the entertainment business changed around her. In 2027, she may begin another such transformation.