Most people you meet these days probably watch little to no television, and will step into a movie hall only if they are really impressed by the film’s review. However, most will readily admit to getting more than their fair share of entertainment on the many OTT platforms. Viewed at one’s convenience with no restrictions on length or content, web series are the new goldmine of entertainment across the world. It’s harvest time for the industry players, makers, and actors too who are gleefully riding the wave of the digital platforms.
Though it is still in its nascent stage, the impact is enormous. Anil Nagrath, IMPPA functionary, producer, director-actor, believes the reason for its popularity is largely because of the content. “I think the popularity of the web series is due to the bold content that is being offloaded on these OTT platforms whereas cinema is still being regulated by the Censors. If you see some of the web series being produced today no Censor will dare to allow it for public consumption. I hope that some regulatory body is announced for web series too.”
His censorship view is definitely not shared by actor Gaurav Sharma, who will be making his debut with the web series Poison. The actor believes the digital platform has a bright future, going by its current run. “The web is the future because the content is good and you don’t have to wait every day at a particular time to watch the shows, which is great,” he says. In fact, the content is also better on the web, feels the actor. “It will become more realistic and bold,” he predicts. “There are going to be stories which could never have been shown on TV or in films due to censorship and other limitations but with the web, it’s possible now,” he emphasises.
Ask him if he feels that TV viewership will decrease because of the web, and he says, “I don’t think so. TV has its own audience, especially women and people who love daily dramas. They will continue watching it.” Content on the web can be considerably bold. However, if such sequences are not backed by strong content, he, as an actor, will not do it. “Being an actor, I can do anything but it depends on story mein sex hain ya sex mein story. If the story demands bold scenes then I will do what I am comfortable with but if it’s only sex which is being shown, I will probably not do it at all!” he says.
ZEE5’s Poison, starring Arbaaz Khan, Tanuj Virwani, Freddy Daruwala and Riya Sen in lead roles, is a dark mystery thriller with multi-layered characters, each with their own hidden agendas. Director Jatin Wagle declares, “The web medium has given wings to content that cannot be shown in a two or three-hour format and needs a longer duration format for bringing alive the story. I am glad that I had the backing of a platform like ZEE5 and the cast who had the confidence to present the show the way I had envisioned it.”
It’s not all about thrills and chills. Hutatma, for instance, is the only show on the Samyukta Maharashtra Movement, which was a widespread movement for the demand of a Marathi speaking state in independent India. It is an important story to bring alive as a significant number of youth is unaware of the struggle and the sacrifices made behind it.
Commenting on the launch, Aparna Achrekar, Programming Head, ZEE5 India points out that the platform is constantly working towards putting together content which engages the audiences at large. “We are focused on tapping varied genres and bringing to the forefront stories which have that extra edge. Poison, an edge-of-the-seat thriller with an interesting plot and eclectic cast, is sure to keep viewers hooked, while Hutatma brings unexplored stories to our audiences. Meena Deshpande’s novel about the 101 martyrs for a separate city of Mumbai has lent itself beautifully to the screenplay of the show and Jayprad Desai has done justice to the narrative. We have the finest industry talent and an interesting mix who are a part of the show. The trailer has already created a lot of interest and we are sure it will be received well by the viewers.”
The first Marathi web series, its director Jayprad Desai shares, “Hutatma is telling a compulsive story that makes an exciting, thrilling ride which has never been told before. Extensive research has been done on the topic, the cast has been hand-picked, their looks have been planned carefully and we have also re-created the Bombay of the ’50s.” He believes the platform has a strong grip in regional content and a laudable subscription base just right to present such a topic. The sheer variety of gripping content proves bold is not the only flavour of the web series season.
