Preeti Simoes, who helped shape Comedy Nights with Kapil & The Kapil Sharma Show, spoke about being repeatedly identified in the media through her past relationship with comedian Kapil Sharma. She criticised clickbait-driven labels, saying women often face greater pressure to protect both their careers and reputations. Preeti urged both media and women to contribute to changing this narrative.
Producer Preeti Simoes, who was once in a long-term relationship with comedian Kapil Sharma, was also the creative force behind Comedy Nights with Kapil and The Kapil Sharma Show. Following their much-publicised fallout, she stepped away from the show and, for years, found herself being identified in headlines by her past relationship rather than her work.
In an exclusive conversation with The Free Press Journal, Preeti reflected on how women are often reduced to labels attached to famous men, the pressure of constantly protecting their reputation, and why she believes sections of the media continue to rely on such narratives for clickbait.
Speaking about being identified by her former relationship instead of her work, Preeti said, “For the longest time, I was somebody’s girlfriend. Then, after we broke up and moved on with our separate lives, I became somebody’s ex-girlfriend in every headline. It had nothing to do with what I do. It was always ‘so-and-so’s ex-girlfriend’ or ‘so-and-so’s girlfriend.’ I don’t think the audience is really interested in that. I think it’s a section of the media that believes people will click only when you’re connected to a famous name.”
She further shared how such labels can be frustrating because they rarely reflect the reality between two people. “It’s very frustrating because nobody really knows what’s happening between two people. They could be very happy being friends, or they could simply be cordial with each other in a professional space. But the labels of ‘girlfriend’ and ‘ex-girlfriend’ continue forever. And if it’s a woman, the assumption is always, ‘She must have done something.’”
