The COVID-19 pandemic has changed our lives in many ways and one of them is the way we watch movies. OTT platforms are the new cinema halls for moviegoers… We meant moviegoers – now you don’t have to go anywhere in your homes to watch movies from room to room.
As your viewing experience has evolved, so has the content. Bollywood’s Manoj Bajpayee, Ayushmann Khurrana and Pankaj Tripathi have replaced Khan – Salman, Shah Rukh and Aamir. There are more movies with actresses, but A-listers have stayed away so far.
Movies have become shorter, and some are just a collection of short films – an anthology. Web series are trending, and hot favourites. Potboilers and mass entertainers have made way for subtler, more meaningful cinema. Not to worry, there are earlier movies too.
In this series, OTT Trends, News18 looks at how streaming platforms have redefined Indian cinema, blurred lines between mainstream and indie, cut language barriers, made actors into stars, and above all, Brought entertainment at your fingertips.
For the longest time, men have dominated the film business without competition, both in front of and behind the camera. However, over the years, the streaming platform has shown that it’s worth working hard and giving a diverse array of women-led stories the opportunity to green-light many daring projects with women at the center. From Delhi Crime and Aarya to Paglight and Geely Pachchi, OTT platforms are clearly leading the charge on the representation of women and busting the age-old myth that all Indian audiences want to see on screen, except the heroine. A bunch of favorite macho star goons.
“The nature of the format encourages very well written female characters,” Rasika said in an interview. The producers have long “underestimated” the tastes of the audience. He added that the audience is hungry for variety and all kinds of genres. Rasika has always been bold as an actress. But his most interesting role to date may be his turn as a brave, spotless police officer on the Netflix series Delhi Crime, which is based on the 2012 Delhi gang rape case. Delhi Crime also won Best Drama Series at the 2020 International Emmy Awards. Rasika has also featured in critically acclaimed web series such as Mirzapur and Out of Love.
Actress Raveena Tandon, who is all set to make her debut with Netflix’s Aaranya, said that not only have OTT platforms give female actors a chance to showcase their versatility, but also remove stereotypes about their traditional portrayals in cinema. also helped to do so. “We have seen women take charge in the industry, but with the advent of a global platform like Netflix, our audience has also become aware. They know about different cinemas, watch international content that gives us untold stories, an opportunity to experiment with different formats and cinema. Even his way of looking at an Indian woman has changed. Female protagonists have been more prominent than males,” said Raveena on the sidelines of a special Netflix program titled ‘See What’s Next India’.
Recognizing Intersect Female Characters
The other interesting and most important thing that this medium has done is that it has taught Bollywood that the stories of women of all classes and castes can translate well to the audience at large. Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare, Geely Pacchi and Maharani bring to life the stories of complex, diverse women who are strong in myriad ways through exceptional writing. Neeraj Ghaywan, who directed the ‘Geli Pachchi’ segment in Netflix’s anthology Stranger Dastan, told news agency PTI, “The way we look at films and things in India, we always see different things differently. ” Praises for handling caste, sexuality, privilege with utmost maturity and sensitivity. The short, starring Konkona Sensharma and Aditi Rao Hydari, revolves around two women, one upper caste, newly married and hired to do a desk job, and the other a factory worker denied the same job because she comes from a lower caste. done.
In ‘Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare’, director Alankrita Srivastava’s voice is passionate and moves smoothly between personal and political. In her world, women are everyday people as flawed and vulnerable as any other human being, navigating treacherous territory, and often taking risks without a safety net. On the other hand, Maharani stars actress Huma Qureshi as Rani, a simple village woman who has spent her life doing household chores, becoming the Chief Minister of Bihar to the displeasure of the powerful men around her.
age no bar
Streaming services have a lot of shows where we find some intense and powerful leading ladies over 40. One can even say that thanks to OTT platforms, more of these roles are available for female actors today. Last year, 45-year-old Sushmita Sen played the lead role of Arya in the Disney+ Hotstar series. The actress took the online world by storm with her powerful central twist, as a doting mother and housewife forced into the drug trade, a role she never got a chance to play on the big screen. Shefali Shah, who has given a variety of roles in her long career spanning 25 years, gained recognition for a long time when she played the role of investigating cop Chaturvedi in Netflix’s Delhi Crime.
“OTT platforms have opened doors for all the creative actors where they have stepped out of the box of hero and heroine. It’s all about the characters and good stories. He feels that women above 45 have some place apart from playing the role of grandmother. Would you have thought of playing Shefali Shah in the lead role before? Maybe you will, but you never cast him. So here she is in the lead role and she has proved herself,” Shefali said about how OTT helped the audience rediscover her talent. Shefali is currently working as a police thriller based on the 2012 Delhi gang rape and murder. Ready for the second season.
Actresses like Madhuri Dixit and Raveena Tandon will also soon be seen in lead roles in Netflix’s upcoming web shows Finding Anamika and Aranyak respectively.
never seen before avatar
Streaming services are also doing a better job at portraying female actors in never-before-seen avatars by allowing them to take more risks. Sanya Malhotra as a young widow trying to find her identity in Pagelight, Jennifer Winget’s Major Monica Mehra in Code M, Kirti Kulhari’s middle aged single mother in Four More Shots Please Season 2 are some examples That’s how streamers are giving different opportunities for women to experiment with their on-screen image.
While streaming services have certainly helped champion female-led stories, progress is still needed regarding the inclusion of women in top decision-making roles in the entertainment industry. Actress Shweta Tripathi, who has featured in acclaimed web series like Lakho Mein Ek and Mirzapur, says adding more female inputs from pre-production to finishing touches in post-production will deepen the female characters and provide more distinctive voices. .
“I want to see not only female protagonists but also women in every department, be it cinematography, direction or writing. I want the stories not to be driven by women only, I want them to be in front of the screen and behind the scenes,” said Shweta.
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