MUMBAI: Tanujaa V Mehra, a talent manager, who manages actors like Tabu, Tusshar Kapoor, Himansh Kohli and a few others, feels that the OTT platforms are a welcome change and a brilliant way to stay connected to the global content. However, she disagrees that it is giving a competition to the Indian film industry.
She said, "I feel it is complementing and not a competition to Bollywood as it is giving a wider playground for the actors to explore and experiment with their potential. The fact that OTT has varied content and explores short format, episodic series, or even feature films, (all at a click of a button) for personal as well as family viewing, makes it a medium that interests the target audience across various bands and this makes every penny worth its while."
"It has also helped people stay indoors and at the same time given work to people (technicians, artisans, actors, channels alike) keeping their stoves burning. However, feature films on the big screen have their charm, grandeur and are a different experience and will never die. Not all make it to the big screens, however, it is beautiful to see that OTT has a place for all kinds of content and actors," she added.
Tanujaa went on to say that though the lines between TV and OTT have faded, each of these mediums, including films, has its beauty. She said, "With almost all OTT platforms showcasing TV shows, the difference between these two has already blurred to a larger extent. OTT platform reaches into your drawing room, as well as gives you privacy to watch content at your fingertips on the phone, just like TV and even better."
"However, Bollywood by itself is bigger and its celeb status much larger than the other formats. Big screen cinema will be a preference for the ones who love the uninterrupted experience of a cinematic story without pauses and breaks to answer phone calls et al," she added.
She is hopeful that the OTT platforms will thrive in 2021 but confessed that there will be a need for better content to keep the audience engaged. Sharing her views on the new trends this year will see in the industry, she said, "Advertisement market has already shifted to social media and digital platforms, so the year will see more influencers, content makers working smart to keep the eyeballs rolling."
"Once the fear of the current pandemic is completely washed over globally, cinemas will need over the top, high power content to bring in the audience back into cinemas," Tanujaa concluded.
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