XXX ON YOUR COUCH
As Mastram garners 11 million streams in a day, during the lockdown, we take a look at how a number of ‘erotic’ shows have, of late, been heating up temperatures on OTT platforms
Adults-only content has existed forever but they were always few-and-far-between, and hardly ever meant for mainstream consumption, especially in India. But now, titillation seems to have become a tried-and-tested formula with the number of such shows on OTT platforms steadily increasing. And even audiences seem to be lapping them up.
BIG NUMBERS
According to a LetsOTT report, on July 3, adult comedy, Mastram recorded the highest single-day streams — 11 million. It has 362 million views till date in Hindi, Telugu and Tamil. Swara Bhasker was recently seen in a sensuous avatar in a new web series, Rasbhari that focuses on the hypocrisy surrounding female sexuality in a patriarchal society. Plus, a few weeks back, XXX Season 2 was in the news and found itself in legal turmoil for depicting scenes “insulting the Indian Army”.
“It’s very simple: there is a demand for adult content and that’s why makers are attempting them,” says filmmaker Ken Ghosh, who has been associated with shows such as XXX Season 1 and Dev DD. “If made responsibly and in a sane manner, such content can go on to do very well. Also, unlike theatres or TV, OTT isn’t about community or family viewing. It gives privacy, so one can consume such content without feeling awkward.”
DEMAND AND SUPPLY
Experts, though, contend that the idea behind such shows shouldn’t be to only “titillate or excite.” “In foreign shows, there’s a lot of nudity and skin show but it’s all a part of the narrative, and that’s how it should be,” says trade analyst Taran Adarsh. “In India, the genre is new, mainly because OTT is getting bigger now. Plus, the streaming space gives the freedom to push such content due to no censorship.”
Probably that’s why, by now, a number of shows — high on erotica — such as Gandii Baat, Panchali, Khul Ja Sim Sim, Kavita Bhabhi and Charmsukh among others have streamed on various OTT platforms. “Why are we becoming so painfully shy? After all, we are a land of Kamasutra. If there’s a need for erotica in the storyline, why not? Also, such shows are doing well because audiences are starved of such content from other platforms,” says ad guru Prahlad Kakkar.
LOCKDOWN EFFECT
In India, such shows — almost always — come with their set of controversies/talking points. Bhasker-starrer Rasbhari, for example, was also under fire. “Nobody bats an eyelid to adult sex comedies (with men) but when you have a show about a woman, who is celebrating her sexuality, then everyone talks about Indian values, culture and the future of children,” the actor said recently.
Experts feel the viewership for adult shows is most likely to have gone up during the lockdown. “With OTT having been the preferred platform for entertainment now, such shows may have seen a spike in viewership. But to keep people hooked these shows can’t just be about erotica,” says Adarsh.