When OTT platforms first came into our lives, they were celebrated for giving underdogs a chance. Actors like Pankaj Tripathi, and Abhishek Banerjee could never lift a big project on their shoulders and give a blockbuster.
OTT gave an alternative where talent and only talent mattered.
Small producers with fresh, innovative ideas found a space where they could shine without the clout of big studios. But lately, this promise seems to be fading.
Take Kannada content, for instance. Despite a fairly important film industry and a treasure trove of stories, major OTT platforms have yet to feature a significant Kannada series.
It is even rare for Kannada films to be licensed by major OTT platforms.
Now, it seems only production houses like Hombale Films can bridge that gap.
We do get it. It’s exciting that Hombale is in talks with Netflix for a Kannada web series.
But it raises an important question: what about the smaller players?
Platforms now lean heavily toward star power and big names to ensure returns on their investments. This leaves small producers, no matter how great their stories, struggling to even get a foot in the door.
But isn’t the charm of OTT about discovering hidden gems? Or, if it isn’t the philosophy now then it certainly used to be this freshness of OTT that attracted people towards it.
If OTT platforms close themselves off to smaller, unrecognized creators, they risk becoming just another commercial industry, losing what made them special in the first place. But, we are common audiences and we can just raise our voices. It is them who has to make decisions.