‘The time of only one actor ruling for decades is gone’
The biggest highlight in the entertainment industry in the last 10 months has been the growing popularity of OTT platforms. Acknowledging the same, actor Paresh Rawal feels that the web has broadened the playing field for actors. “Now Pratik Gandhi (who starred in Scam 1992) is an overnight star — this is a new type of stardom, which the OTT platforms have ushered. It’s not like we used to have in Hindi films that one actor becomes a star and rules for decades. That time has gone. OTT has shifted gears. We don’t know how, but it’s definitely changing. You can see the turbulence already,” notes Rawal.
The actor himself got to dabble in the OTT medium in 2020 with Tamil film Soorarai Pottru and the Hindi film Coolie No 1.
Talking about whether the equal chance factor for everyone was missing in the Hindi film industry before OTT came into the picture, the 65-year-old says, “Tanashahi thi ya nahi main uski baat nahi kar raha hoon. But everyone is now getting a chance. There’s a level playing field now.” Rawal adds talent is finally getting its due. “It’s like come and showcase your story, your acting, and if people enjoy it then you win,” he adds.
The actor shares that beyond the web, there’s a change in general in Bollywood and its seed was planted some years back. “Changes have been happening with films like The Lunchbox (2013), Masaan (2015). Good films are being made for some time now. OTT ke aane ke baad maidaan khula hai, jwalamukhi fata hai. For a creative mind, there isn’t a better space than this,” he concludes.