Why Shoojit Sircar ‘welcomes’ the OTT boom in India
The OTT boom was waiting to happen, says Shoojit Sircar. The filmmaker states that it has been doing well worldwide for quite some time, just took a little longer to happen in India. “Every boom is welcome as it means we are progressing towards something new and interesting... I think it’s wonderful that consumption is increasing. Also, there’s variety and consuming content on OTT is cheaper,” he adds. However, the Piku (2015) director says that one shouldn’t compare theatre and web; both have their own charm.
Asked if he feels OTT offers a level playing ground and more opportunities as compared to films, Sircar answers in the negative. “If as a storyteller, you want to explore, you can do that anywhere. I’ve been doing it for the longest time amid good and bad situations. There’s no alternative to hard work and patience,” says the filmmaker, who plans to do more work on OTT. In fact, he is working on two ideas, one for the big screen and one for web.
A conversation with Sircar is incomplete without a mention of his late friend, actor Irrfan, whose last film The Song Of Scorpions is expected to release in the theatres this year. “I still can’t believe he is gone… Losing him was the biggest loss for the industry... He was a creative genius,” he says. Sircar also praises Irrfan’s elder son, Babil’s talent. Given that the latter is interested in films, we ask about the possibility of working with him. “You never know… We keep talking about filmmaking, stories...,” he says.