Theatre, OTT will coexist, no medium will be taken over, says Gulshan

The OTT vs theatre debate refuses to die down. While web, no doubt, provides a space for creative minds to produce good content, the charm of larger-than-life theatre experience is irreplaceable. Actor Gulshan Devaiah for one feels both theatres and web would coexist. “In the 90s, when the TV industry saw a boom, there was scepticism that it would take over films. Even when VHS came, many thought, ‘Oh, people will stop going to cinemas. But it didn’t happen. [Similarly], the pandemic situation gave the streaming network an opportunity to flourish, but cinema too will exist... I don’t think one medium would be taken over by the other,” says Devaiah. A self-confessed cinema lover, he adds, “Nothing can replace the joy of experiencing a collective emotion or that larger-than-life experience.” Talking about web, Devaiah feels long-format shows keep up the interest. “In longer formats, focus can be on many characters, parallel story lines. Cinema that way is quite restricted. In those 2.5-3, hours you can focus on maximum three protagonists. Web doesn’t have such limitations,” says the actor, who wants to do diverse roles on the big screen. “If at all I can leave a legacy behind, then I want to be able to say that I’ve done these many films and all of them are diverse…,” he concludes.

PHOTO: SINBAD PHGURA