WHO DARES WINS: Shakti Kapoor with the Item Bomb contestants auditioning for Zee’s in Bangalore In a shocking expose carried out by India TV on Sunday morning, actor Shakti Kapoor was videotaped soliciting sex from an aspiring actress in return for helping her get a role. The actress, in fact, was an undercover reporter.
In the incriminating video, Kapoor said that top actresses in the Mumbai film industry have had sex with noted directors to reach their present position of fame.
Kapoor claimed a top actress slept with director Subhash Ghai (who made Taal) to achieve dizzy heights in her career.
To buttress his point, Kapoor goes on to claim that actresses Preity Zinta and another top actress slept with director/ producer Yash Johar. Johar, who is the father of director Karan Johar, died some months ago.
Shakti Kapoor’s wild accusations have
sent a chill around the Mumbai film world.
“There’s amazing support for those who have been wronged,” an India TV spokesperson said, giving the gist of these messages even as they were sweeping in.
The spokesperson said that every effort is being made to seek the versions of the wronged and their points of view will be given similar prominence. The girls come, we f**k them, they go away
The modus operandi of the channel’s sting operation was simple. A lady reporter contacted Shakti Kapoor for help to gain entry into the Mumbai film world.
Kapoor agreed to meet her in a hotel room in what he describes as “a blind date.”
Within minutes he agrees to help her out in a variety of ways in lieu of a quid pro quo of sexual favours.
When the girl did not appear convinced, Kapoor goes on to offer help in losing weight, supporting her through acting and dance training and having his secretary take her to the big guns of the film industry.
“Once Shakti (Kapoor) backs you, no one will touch you,” Kapoor explains, while consistently begging the undercover reporter “to make love” with him.
He goes on to state that three top actresses had to sleep with certain directors to make it
big.
Ultimately, the girl spurns his offer and a frustrated Shakti Kapoor walks out. At this stage, the India TV team storms into the room and confronts him, only to find Kapoor get violent and abusive.
After several minutes of altercation, Kapoor profusely apologises for his impetuousness and goes on to justify how “this happens every second day. The girls come, we f**k them, they go away. That’s the way everything goes on.”
Excerpts from the video-taped conversation:
Shakti Kapoor in a room at the Tulip Star Hotel, Juhu with India TV’s undercover reporter
Shakti: I want make love to you, I want to make love to you. I want to kiss you. If you don’t want to do this, it’s cool. But then I have to go.
Ruchi: Then you won’t help me out?
Shakti: I have no time, I want make love to you. I want to sleep with you.
Ruchi: I can’t. I have never done this, mujhe samajh nahi aa raha hai.
Shakti: Please, pleeese...please sit.
Shakti: Ok, in this line it is better to know one person and not two thousand persons, one right person.
Ruchi: That is very true.
Shakti: A************ went to Subhash Ghai, R************* went to Yash Johar and this girl Preity (Zinta)....
Ruchi: She met…?
Shakti: Again Johar...
Ruchi: Accha...
Shakti: So you have to do it just once...
Ruchi:
What?
Shakti: F**k.
***
Shakti: Come in January....
Ruchi: In January?
Shakti: Ya...come here...settle here (Mumbai). I will give you a system to follow...go to acting class, dance class, do the best...
Ruchi: Accha, then I have to meet producers?
Shakti: Woh sab main karoonga...my secretary will take care of you...nobody will touch you....
Ruchi: But I just need support....
Shakti: Come (to Mumbai)...I want to make love to you only because I saw you and I feel you are trustworthy. And if you want to come in this line, you have to do what I am telling to do…
Ruchi: Jaise?
Shakti: Is line main kya hota hai, when Shakti Kapoor supports you nobody will touch you...
Ruchi: Accha?
Shakti: Koi aur baat nahi. Shakti Kapoor,Yash
Chopra, Ghai... Usse
pahale, teen mahine I need to train you...
Ruchi: Accha..
Shakti: Train your body...train you with acting class with my teachers...phir apki nayi look ayegi…
We have been working on this for the last three months
Rajat Sharma, Chairman, India TVWhen and how was the sting operation carried out?
We have been working on this project for the last three months. We prepared a list of several names from the industry that were apparently involved in the casting couch and Shakti Kapoor’s name was just one in several. As for how the operation was carried out, I really don’t want to comment on that. The videotape says it all.Where did you get these names?
A lot of people talk about this and rumours abound in media circles but no one talks about these things openly. A lot of people have said several names on and off record and we prepared a list from those.
Kapoor claims the reporter called him to her hotel room at 11.30 pm. Isn’t that suggestive on the channel’s part?
Firstly, Shakti Kapoor is on camera saying vulgar things to the reporter. After he realised that he was being taped, he tried to fight with the crew, then threatened them. He is on camera saying how sorry he is and how he will never do this again.
Secondly, if you go through the report airing on the channel, it becomes very clear that he himself offered to come to her room at that time of the night.
Kapoor was sitting in the bar of the hotel telling her that he would be able to see her only at that time as he was busy. In fact, we have records showing that it was him who called her several times and fixed up the appointment at that time of the night.
Inputs by Upala KBR and Zahra Khan
The slandered foursome react
Yash Chopra
I was shocked to hear about this. To think that Shakti Kapoor would take the names of three big producers and heroines just to impress a girl is disgusting.
We must do something about this. He is maligning the industry and spoiling its name. I think everybody should take action against him for talking about respected people like this. I don’t think the tapes have been doctored, that’s his voice and face.
Subhash Ghai
These kind of people doing such shameful acts survive in every sector of society, including cinema. Today, our film industry is full of professionals who belong to respectable, cultured families.
It’s really sad to see how he (Shakti Kapoor) has projected our industry’s seniors and respected stars in such a bad light. I am sure our association bodies are going to take some action against him.
Karan Johar
I have nothing to say. I don’t want to tarnish my father’s dignity by even commenting on a situation like this. He is not here anymore. I am sure Mr Kapoor is facing enough problems of his own without me adding to it.
Preity Zinta
It’s the silliest and stupidest thing I have heard! It’s ridiculous to even point a finger at such respectable people. The Johars are the most decent and cultured people I’ve worked with. I haven’t worked with Mr Ghai but I have met him and he’s a wonderful human being.
This is in very bad taste. I think he needs some kind of help. He should restrict himself to the villain that he plays in his films.
Shakti pleads not guilty
I have been framed. The tapes have been doctored. I am totally shattered by this incident and don’t know what to do. They haven’t shown my face, and in segments where they have shown it’s very hazy.
As far as my voice is concerned, har gali ke bachche mere awaaz ki nakal kar sakte hai. Yash Chopra and Rani Mukerji are such good friends of mine and Ash is like my sister, so I could never speak such rubbish about them.
Six months ago, this girl (Ruchi) had approached me for a break in films.
She told me to help her out since she and I were both were from Delhi. I told her I was not as big a star as Amitabh Bachchan or a director like Subhash Ghai to give her a break. She kept on insisting and even sent me sexually explicit SMSes at all times of the day. So I told her I will see what I can do.
They had everything planned out. Two and a half months ago, I went to meet her because she threatened that she would commit suicide if I didn’t meet her.
Finally, on my way back from a night shoot, I agreed to meet her at
The Tulip Star Hotel in Juhu. If a girl calls me to her hotel room at 11.30 pm, she won’t call me to sing bhajans and do puja surely? She must have had something planned in her mind. She had already booked a hotel room there.
She called up saying I had to come and meet her, help her and see her
photos. If I didn’t, she would commit suicide by jumping out of the window.
I never touched her. They have conveniently cut off what she has done. When I reached there with my briefcase in my hand, she took me inside the room. I told her she didn’t have a chance as she was fat and ugly.
She opened her shirt and kept on telling me, “Make love to me”, aur gandi gandi baatein which they have conveniently deleted. I told her, “Mein kahan se role doonga?” If a girl keeps throwing herself at you, aapko ungli karegi toh, you might also succumb.
Luckily, before anything could happen, I wisened up and realised something was wrong. I thrust her aside and was walking out when I saw the door in the adjoining room slightly ajar. I kicked it open and saw a camera shooting the entire proceedings. I caught them red-handed.
When I threatened to break their camera, they apologised and said they wouldn’t show it.
We hugged each other and I left thinking that it was over and done with. They were waiting
to see if I would take any legal action all these months. When they saw I didn’t, they have aired it.
I will be filing a case against them in a big way. My children have told me “Papa, don’t let them go. You have to clear your name.” I am talking to my lawyer and getting legal advice from them.
My family is shaken up. All over India, my brothers and sisters have been calling me and asking what’s happening. Shivangi (his wife) is in New York for my daughter’s admission.
She hasn’t called me so I don’t know if she has heard of it yet. My son (21) asked me and understood when I explained to him. My daughter (18) has taken the situation in a very bad way. She cried like a baby when she heard the news. I guess it’s my entire reputation that has caught up with me today...
