'Ekta Kapoor is the rightful heir of her father Jeetendra', says Kangana Ranaut after joining Ekta Kapoor’s show Lock Upp

Kangana Ranaut who is known for her bold and fearless personality, has spoken openly about the industry's nepotism. During the death of Sushant Singh Rajput, Ranaut took to Twitter to blame nepotism and some Bollywood insiders for the actor's death. She said that he, like her, was an "outsider" in the industry with no "godfathers," and that influential Bollywood families and directors had "systematically ruined" his career. She criticized people like Hrithik Roshan, Alia Bhatt, Karan Johar, and many more for the late actor’s death.

However, when it comes to Ekta Kapoor, The Tanu Weds Manu (2011) actress has a completely different take. She claimed that Ekta is her father, Jeetendra's, legitimate successor. As a reaction to the criticism coming her way for collaborating with Ekta Kapoor for the show Lock Upp, Kangana Ranaut spoke in defense of Ekta.

Mentioning a few situations in which she had to deal with Nepotism, Kangana told IANS, "I was told that please leave the film industry. They said, 'It is not for you' and you know, all that. So, there have been public showdowns where people have told me that I don't belong here. I was mocked for my English; I was mocked for coming from mountains. My journey through my journey, I've seen that."

"But I've never seen Ekta being part of any bully gang. She worked with me in my initial years. She's the first one to give me my first A-lister project. So for me, I have huge respect for her. And, of course, she has come up on her own and she's very, very successful as a woman and as a producer. She inspires me and I hold back. I always tell her that you are the prototype of how one should be if you grew up in privileged families," the actress shared on her bond with Ekta Kapoor.