Web series in the Indian scenario has ensured a space where storytellers can truly explore novel characters, stories without the worry of length, commercial worries, casting woes. Creative freedom is what it has brought about and it’s definitely a reason why streaming content is becoming a threat to the television industry.
But, this medium is guilty of fostering a certain culture in the entertainment industry too – the absence of minimalism. Films have always been popular because of its ability to convey its intentions crisply without going overboard. Each character has its distinction, crisp screen-time. The big difference between cinema and web series is the impact that a character generates is felt within less time in the former, unlike the digital medium.
It’s time digital content directors and writers understand that not all content can make its way in the web series format without the depth in the characters. And even if the depth in the characters is existent, keeping a viewer entertained for over 5-6 hours is no easy task.
Directors are increasingly opting for long-winded episodes to tell their stories, where precision could have been more impactful. Something like a Queen would have been equally superb as a crisp 3-hour digital release, so did a series like the recently released Chargesheet and Rangbaaz Phirse.
But for a rare Chappad Phaad Ke or a Ghost Stories/Lust Stories where filmmakers exactly knew the length upto which they could extend their stories, this fact holds for most web series directors today. Time to introspect maybe?
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