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SUCCESS, FAILURE DETERMINED CAN’T BE BY NEPOTISM
Kirti Kulhari is a big fan of web content and the reach that OTT platforms offer. And maybe that’s why when asked her take on the current OTT versus theatre release debate, the actor doesn’t see any problem if a maker wants to choose either of them during this ongoing pandemic.
Kulhari tells us, “Everyone is looking out for themselves, which is understandable. The whole theatre thing is a big question mark right now… (There’s no harm in releasing) a film which is ready technically, theatrically.
Right now, distributors are at the receiving end. Rather than letting everyone suffer, somebody can get their money back if they have a deal.”
Citing the global viewership of web content, the actor, 35, explains, “OTT platforms are there in 140 countries. The kind of reach is humongous, so why not? It’s not (the time) to get sentimental about things. Producers take their chance to secure themselves first and (also) have a reach, which is what every filmmaker looks for. If you have finished the film, do you want to wait for whatever time or ultimately get it out?”
However, she doesn’t deny that cinema has its own charm and maintains that nothing else can replace that experience. “Cinema is very experiential. It’s about experiencing something on a 70mm screen. That’s irreplaceable. But practically speaking, I also feel that OTT has worked out very well in terms of my work reaching a lot of people,” shares Kulhari.
Joining the bandwagon of celebs, who are voicing their opinion on nepotism and favouritism in showbiz, is Tamannaah Bhatia, who calls herself an outsider and says, “Coming from Mumbai, when I started doing Tamil and Telugu films, I neither knew the languages nor did I know anyone in the industry.”
And though the actor, 30, feels that nepotism is there in every field, she says it “cannot determine your success or failure”. “My family has a lot of doctors, and if I had taken up the profession, they would have guided me. Tomorrow, if my child wants to become an actor, I would do the same. That’s how it works… (But) there are so many actors who made it big without a film background. Look at Shah Rukh Khan. He’s a legend… In the present generation, actors like Ayushmann Khurrana and Kartik Aaryan have also made it on their own.” Sharing how struggle shaped her as an individual and a performer, she says, “When my Hindi films didn’t work, I got a film like Baahubali: The Beginning (2015) that changed things for me. Along with talent and hard work, one needs to have the temperament. So, I did take a few chances in my career, whether they worked or not, wasn’t in my hands. But I’m happy.” With some Tamil and Telugu films and web projects in her kitty, Bhatia is raring to get back to work. But she feels film shoots will only begin by the year end as “films need more people in the background, unlike TV or web.”