Now it’s a ‘level’ playing field
With movie entertainment moving to the OTT platform and shows with unknown, newbie actors and filmmakers raking in great response, good content is finally finding its place under the sun. No longer will Karan Johar, Yash Raj Films, T-series or any one pro
The pandemic has been a great leveller, seen in Bollywood. For one, it has managed to reduce the chasm between the A-listers and struggling talents in Bollywood, thanks the OTT platforms, which have created opportunities for both fresh and established actors in the industry.
Ironically, there was a time when the big Bollywood stars would turn up their noses at the prospect of acting in a TV or web series. But now, the mighty have had to eat humble pie. Today, every big star is on the verge of negotiating lucrative deals either to produce content or act in shows.
Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies produced Bard of Blood on Netflix; Abhishek Bachchan, who had virtually no offers in Bollywood, appears to be back in the reckoning with Breathe into the Shadows on Amazon; and now Shahid Kapoor has signed a big budget action thriller with Netflix. The canvas has only widened. Actors such as Arjun Rampal and Bobby Deol are playing lead characters with meaty roles.
Even out-of-work artistes such as Karishma Kapoor and Sushmita Sen are now showcasing their talent with plum roles.
Sarita Tanwar, producer of Broken but Beautiful on Alt Balaji, says, “There are roles for fresh faces as well as stars because the budget for a web
show can range from `15–20 lakh to `15–20 crores per episode.”
GOOD CONTENT IS ALL THAT MATTERS
The OTT is a generous medium that offers space for all. A newbie like Sobita Dhulipala became an overnight sensation after Made in Heaven. Nobody had heard of Jitendra Kumar till he made people sit up and take notice with Panchayat. Vikrant Massey showcased his acting chops with Mirzapur and Broken but Beautiful. Ronit Roy’s gritty performance in Hostages on Hotstar is still being talked about with awe.
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