The only USP in OTT content was it was not censored by any government body, as in the case of theatrical releases. But not for long. The Information and Broadcast Ministry of India has asked the streaming platforms to review their content for obscenity and violence.
According to a document from the government of India, the Ministry has asked platforms like Netflix and Disney+Hotstar to have every release distinctly reviewed for nudity or other ‘offensive’ elements.
There had been many issues when public sentiments were hurt by contents on the OTT platforms. There has been uproar by audiences many times for vulgarity and religious offenses. People have urged the government to have strict regulations on the content of the platforms.
There has been a meeting of the OTT giants with the government. The platforms previously protested the directive of the government of streaming a 50 second warning on tobacco before every film and show. The executives of the various platforms consider that the regulations of streaming in India are the strictest in the whole world.
Anurag Thakur, Information and Broadcasting Minister of India, said that streamers should not promote vulgarity and violence. Various platforms responded that they will take strict measures of parental control and caution regarding the international contents.
Though it can be a very bad decision to censor OTT projects. The creative rein over films and shows will be in much more danger. Radical experimentalists took refuge in the OTT industry after the strict measures of censorship in theatrical releases. But if the same follows with OTT, it can be a huge loss for the industry.
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