New Delhi, July 18 (IANS)| While Bollywood is at a standstill, video streaming portals are importing new talent, crisp content and bold ideas into India’s entertainment industry, which once relied on star power to roar at the box office. Actors say over-the-top (OTT) services are highlighting the emerging preferences of new-age viewers in their streaming content.
Actor Pankaj Tripathi, who has shone on web crime thrillers like “Mizarpur” and “Sacred Games”, says, “Change keeps happening.” “It seems that the time has come for a change in cinema with the advent of OTT. There is no other option than OTT,” he told IANS. “Stories are important on OTT. It’s not who or what is in it. What matters is his talent and performance. Storytelling matters more,” he said. The 44-year-old actor also said that the OTT platform is a nursery where new talents are easily blossoming.
“I am happy with it. I can see talent coming one after the other with the advent of OTT. Especially for those who take the time to get recognized through films and there is a potential here on OTT,” the actor said. Pankaj Tripathi earned the spotlight in 2012 with a small role in the two-part film saga ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’. He says content is king on streaming services, a reality that’s probably absent during the celluloid era.
The January release of “The White Tiger” on Netflix highlighted actor-singer Adarsh Gaurav as he was nominated in the Lead Actor category at the 74th British Academy of Films and Television Arts (BAFTA) Awards three months later. Adarsh believes that people are working harder than ever to win over India’s growing online audience. “I am glad it happened because knowing that things are not permanent, people work hard and don’t take anything lightly,” Adarsh told IANS.
“Everyone’s focus is on innovating and creating better stories,” said Adarsh. Adding to this change has also been ‘more opportunities for actors, creators, technicians’. Actress Vamika Gabbi’s foray with web stardom came after her performance as a tenacious cop in the Disney Plus Hotstar-streamed ‘Grahan’, which dealt with the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. The actress said that she felt the air of creativity in India’s film industry that lingered in a straitjacket for a long time.
“Everyone who didn’t want anyone’s approval to make a film or series on a topic that isn’t really commercial, now they can,” said Vamika, and the focus of OTT is more on the content. “OTT has given us the door I think we are all running (and) I am glad that now more opportunities have opened up for filmmakers, writers, actors, producers,” Vamika told IANS.
This is how it all should have been, added the actress and added that OTT has given filmmakers less hiccups to deal with. Vamika said “I believe OTT platforms have certainly helped neutralize the budget debate in the industry. Instead of just having A-listers in the lead, producers are now more receptive and have come up with their big, multi-million Willing to try new actors for projects.”
Vikrant Massey, a frequent face in the digital space, said that a new generation of audience has come to stay. Vikrant, who has starred in “Mizarpur”, “Broken But Beautiful” and legal drama “Criminal Justice”, said, “They don’t worship idols like people probably did 20 years ago.” “My nieces are eight and nine years old. They don’t watch Indian content. They sit and watch Korean content,” she told IANS. Actress Tamannaah Bhatia, who featured in the crime thriller “November Story”, feels the romance of dark theaters and popcorn has faded. Tamannaah told IANS, “I think the fan following of 10 years ago will be difficult for today’s generation, because the situation we are in due to the pandemic, the sentiments around films are different.”
“The whole idea of a star is changing very fast, and people are watching the content and liking the content, not just an actor or individual talent,” the actress said. Tamanna concluded, “The way we look at cinema is going to be different.”
(Disclaimer: This news has been published directly from news agency’s Syndicate feed. It has not been edited by AnyTV News team.)