OTT was not only a new mode of watching cinema but also a rebel against the traditional form of formulaic cinema. The new mode of films came out to be something as fresh as Lust Stories (2018) that can never be imagined getting released in theatres.
Also, we can’t forget the brilliant and horrifying films like Welcome Home (SonyLIV), Bulbbul (Netflix) and more that could become possible only because of OTT. And let’s not even talk about the series that forever changed our content consumption pattern through unseen storylines and newness.
But do you find the same level of experiments now?
Obviously no.
Well, Bollywood veteran Shabana Azmi has called out this problem that needs to be taken seriously by the platforms. It is important to know that she has been part of some big Indian series like The Empire and also the international sensation Halo.
In an interview, she said, “As far as changing sensibility is concerned, in films, if something works, the producers just want to repeat it. Koi cheez successful hui hai toh usko chodhdo. I was hopeful that OTT will bring in a change, but it has fallen into a pattern, too. Most OTT content allows explicit scenes, gaaliyan, overdose of violence. I feel the director can make a choice. Look at Zoya’s (Akhtar) film. Given its setting, Gully Boy could have resorted to gaalis too, but as a director-writer she decided to create a world where things are conveyed without spelling them out. It can be effective and not graphic. Violence for me is much more threatening if it gives you the impression that it’s from the corner. If you are not actually seeing it, it can be more tense and thrilling. Martin Scorsese does this so well. Why do we overdo it?”
We can’t disagree with her as we are seeing more and more explicit content instead of something fresh storyline. And it is indeed causing severe damage to our OTT experience.
What do you think about it?
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