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Last year in July, Amazon Prime Video launched its first India-exclusive original web series, Inside Edge. The show, whose second season has just been announced, stars Bollywood actors Vivek Oberoi and Richa Chadha.
“I think mainstream actors are attracted to the possibility of getting to do something new that will reach an entirely different audience,” Richa Chadha tells Guardian 20. “In this case, a lot of viewers from the south and the Northeast, and even from countries like Oman and Kenya, reached out to me and it was surprising. Apart from this, it also provides exposure and not just the creative satisfaction.”
When did mainstream players from Bollywood begin transitioning to the online entertainment space? Chadha says, “Excel Entertainment, by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani, a big film studio, was the first to go headlong into this. Then Phantom Entertainment is also making web series with other platforms. A few big directors are being roped in by these companies to make quality content without the restrictions of the box office or opening day or item songs.”
The director of Inside Edge, Karan Anshuman, was among the early believers in the potential of digital media. “I got a chance to collaborate with Amazon Prime Video and made the first Indian original series on Amazon,” he says. “The show was well-received in the country as well as overseas, which was very encouraging.”
For Anshuman, the age of online stream platforms heralds a new beginning for the entertainment industry. “It’s not about these portals as much as it is about the quality of writing and content that attracts mainstream directors,” he says. “Web content is not restricted, the writers have a lot more freedom to express themselves, and they don’t have to think about the box office. This freedom of writing translates into good scripts for actors who appreciate good content. They have more freedom to explore their characters and delve into them. It is a lot of fun for actors as well as for the writers, as they can express themselves in a more creative manner.” That’s why prominent filmmakers like Karan Johar, Anurag Kashyap, Zoya Akhtar and Dibakar Banerjee have all stepped into the arena recently, with their new Netflix original short film, Lust Stories. Ayushman says, “Big production houses are moving quickly towards digital platforms. As we can see, Balaji has their own platform. Ondemand content is the future. Films and shows have become quite predictable, and this is what makes online content stand out. Online content opens a whole new world for viewers.”
Earlier this year, acclaimed filmmaker Vikram Bhatt also started his own OTT app called VB: Theatre on the Web. “A few directors and actors are seeing the huge potential of the OTT space,” Bhatt tells Guardian 20. “But a lot of the others do not yet see the impact of what is to come. I think they will wake up soon and unfortunately, for some it might be too late by then.”