“Mother, I think we have won the National Award, ” Says Ekta Kapoor while sharing her first reaction on her film Kathal – A Jackfruit Mystery winning National Award for Best Feature Film!

Ekta Kapoor has established herself as one of the most influential personalities in Indian entertainment, boasting a stellar career that spans over three decades. A true powerhouse of creativity, she has been the visionary force behind numerous groundbreaking and culturally defining projects across television, films, and OTT platforms. Beyond being a producer, Ekta Kapoor has become a brand in her own right, synonymous with trendsetting, path-breaking content. Now, while her film Kathal – A Jackfruit Mystery has received the prestigious National Award for Best Feature Film at the 71st National Film Awards in 2025, Ekta shared her reaction about the same.

During her first interaction post winning her first National Award, with a leading media house, Ektaa shared, “Not in our wildest dreams did we think a dramedy which takes serious potshots at the establishment would actually – be not only nominated but would win from the jury – Best Film Award!”

Ekta also shared her and her mother’s first reaction to the news of winning the award. “I saw it on the Internet. I got a call from (co-producer) Guneet (Monga). I didn’t take the call because I was in a meeting with my mother. She sent me a message. I opened my phone, and I was like ‘Mother, I think we have won the National Award for ‘Kathal’,” she shared.

Ektaa continued, “She said, check again, it’s not possible. How are you winning? Isn’t it a direct-to-digital film? It’s gone to Netflix. I said, ‘That’s also a film’. Chances are that we have. We went and checked, and we had won the National Award! After that, it was euphoria for an hour.”

Moreover, Ekta is also honored with the 2023 International Emmy Directorate Award at the 51st International Emmy Awards. She also received the Padma Shri in 2020 for her work in the field of arts.

After a successful streak of hit content, Ekta Kapoor is gearing up for an exciting lineup. She’s collaborating with TVF for the first time on VvAN, starring Sidharth Malhotra and Tamannaah Bhatia, and reuniting with Akshay Kumar and Priyadarshan for the horror-comedy Bhooth Bangla. She’s also making her Malayalam debut with a film starring Mohanlal.