The plus point is that now the stars also want to experiment and they are not hesitating to look beyond the commercial trappings. For example, Zero, was a great experiment that Shah Rukh Khan tried. The script did bounce around but it was something completely unheard of. For a ’90s superstar doing mushy romantic stuff, to take this big step of playing a height-challenged person is appreciable.
A little lesson learnt in 2018 is that being experimental is not good enough — a great script along is also required and you will have the hold. There will always be a challenge for filmmakers like Amit Sharma. If he signs a star, he knows that much percent of fans will come but after that the real challenge begins — script, story, director, narration, performance and the cast because that will get the public but after that what will get collected? Even if you have a superstar, content ultimately is king.
Today, even actors, especially the younger generation, say if you have a good script come to me. We are also forgetting that the number one reason for everyone getting the courage to experiment is the audience. In today’s day and age, the audience is much more aware and world cinema has seeped in. They are watching different things, they are watching intelligent cinema. The lines have fused and now non commercial selling stars can also do really well because thankfully, the audience is accepting and recognising the performances.
Speaking about OTT, not everybody can do it. Flights have also become easier now because we can download the episodes. Now it’s not about when are we landing but why are we landing! There are no inhibitions and you can show what you want to show.
