When Ekta Kapoor couldn't resist

The whole world and its favourite television guide have been wondering why Ekta Kapoor allowed her favourite actress Prachi Desai to work opposite Farhan Akhtar in Rock On when she has been openly unresponsive and hostile to the idea of her other actors leaving her company to pursue the big screen. Now it can be told.

Rock On director Abhishek Kapoor better known as Gattu is Ekta's favourite cousin. And there's absolutely nothing she would refuse him. Ekta admits her fondness for Abhishek 'Gattu' Kapoor. "Yes, he's my favourite brother after Tusshar. Gattu is my dad's own sister's son. So we are very close. We don't meet that often any longer. We are both busy doing our own thing. When we were younger, we used to bond very regularly. We have been on holidays together, just Gattu and me. But he's my coolest Bhaiyya. And there's nothing I wouldn't do for him."

When Coolest Bhaiyya decided to cast Farhan Akhtar as the lead in Rock On he was on the look-out for a fresh face for the female lead. Gattu seemed to be running into stumbling blocks. "Gattu asked me about Prachi. And I immediately agreed," says Ekta. And never mind if it meant Balaji losing its blue-eyed girl. Says Ekta, "Honestly, Prachi is like part of our family. My father, mother, and I have adopted her. But as a producer I tortured the hell out of her. I made her work harder than any of my actors just because I was so close to her. Prachi feels that was unfair. But I didn't want to be accused of favouritism. Now, she's moved on. I want Prachi to give films a sincere try. I've told her to keep away from television for 6-8 months and focus on films. God Forbid, if, it doesn't work out, we're there for her."