At a recent appearance at Waves Submit 2025, Emmy Winning Indian Producer Ektaa R Kapoor offered compelling insight into the evolving landscape of global storytelling, especially with Indian drama and serial formats making inroads into international markets.
When asked how she views global storytelling given her success in building content enterprises across television and digital platforms, Kapoor responded with characteristic clarity and brevity:. “Storytelling has to have a strong connect.”
Kapoor emphasized that audiences around the world are embracing content from various cultures and in multiple languages, be it Korean, Turkish, American, Spanish, or European. “Global platforms and networks have proved that people do not take language as a barrier. They enjoy the content because of the dubs, because they enjoy the story,” she said, adding that the notion of language as a barrier is no longer relevant in today’s content ecosystem.
Drawing attention to India’s rich storytelling heritage, Kapoor asserted, “We have the highest or the longest legacy of stories. And it is a currency — it has been a currency.” She acknowledged the logistical challenges that have historically slowed the global expansion of Indian content but expressed optimism that the tide is turning.
“We’re now reaching there,” she said, referencing the Indian film industry’s successful global outreach. However, she underlined the need to move beyond ethnic narratives. “Now it has to be non-ethnic storytelling, I think. We are at a tipping point.”
Kapoor concluded by thanking the audience, leaving behind a clear message: Indian content must now speak to universal emotions, beyond borders and beyond subtitles. Meanwhile, she is currently is gearing up for her next production venture “VVAN – Force of the Forrest” starring Sidharth Malhotra.
