Binaiferr Kohli: Television cannot go totally in an OTT way

MUMBAI: Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain producer Binaiferr Kohli feels that television cannot go totally in an OTT way, and there will be some difference.

"Television cannot go totally in an OTT way; even international OTT is different from television on an international platform. But yes, there can be an evolution in television because of the OTT content, at the risk of losing the current audience," she said.

"Television is something the entire family sits together and watches, whereas OTT is more of a personal choice. So, it is important for any show maker to keep that fact in mind while making content for television," she added.

She feels that evolvement is needed, but not at the cost of losing the current audience. "To bring the audience from OTT to TV, the only thing that can be done is to serve them fresh stories with what they can relate to," she said.

According to her, shows have already started evolving on Indian television. "If you see the show Anupamaa, it is a very simple, close to heart show focusing on the basic values of life. In the show, the hero's wife, Anupamaa, is now in love with somebody else. And now somebody else’s sister will come and fall in love with her ex-husband. So, I believe it has the element of bold and beautiful," she said.

"If I talk about our show Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain, that show evolved a long time back. And that is the reason it has worked so well. It talks about the concept of thought ‘the grass is greener on the other side’," she explained.

She is sure that in the coming year, there will be new concepts with different angles and new content. "But the dynamic will be the same. This is something which is loved by our audiences, and they feel that connection which is extremely important to make any show work," she said.

"With so many platforms and content creation coming in, I do expect 2022 will see a bit of evolvement on television as well. However, the love for the drama will be forever. The equation between a saas and bahu will not change and dynamics of relations will always be the focus in any storytelling," she added.

She also thinks shows around action-based dramas or on sports have already been experimented on TV before. "In fact, I feel television is one such medium which has provided us with the never-seen-before content touching all the aspects of life," she said.