Since OTT platforms became prominent in India over a few years ago – International TV shows, Bollywood TV shows, Tamil, Telugu and Bengali Cinema have had increased viewership within the country, which helped in boosting the number of subscriptions for various OTT platforms. The 2020 Covid-19 pandemic was also one of the biggest blessings in disguise for Malayalam cinema as OTTs helped boost the South Indian Film Industry’s content across the nation.
Before Netflix, most Indians would not have even heard of brilliant shows like ‘Money Heist’, ‘Dark’ or ‘Kingdom’. Before OTTs like Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar and (again) Netflix, we wouldn’t have had brilliant original Bollywood content such as ‘Sacred Games’, ‘Mirzapur’, ‘Sacred Games’ or ‘The Family Man’. And without OTTs trusting regional platforms, we wouldn’t have had South-Indian gems such as ‘Soorarai Pottru’, ‘Drishyam 2’, ‘Sarpatta Parambarai’, ‘The Great Indian Kitchen’ or ‘Narappa’.
OTTs have made the rest of the country more aware of the films and stories which differ from the ones they know (and grew up around) – both outside the country and within. Some stories are as different as they come while many remain fundamentally the same as their stories become relatable and something we can all understand. Various Indian film industries have profited from OTTs, especially South India – which proves that even with language as a barrier, content is king.
Multiple actors, filmmakers and other artists have managed to find work due to various streaming platforms coming up around the country and their works have started to garner them the much-needed attention.