Filmmakers need to work on great content, there will always be an audience: Raj B Shetty | Bengaluru
According to actor-director Raj B Shetty, there shouldn’t be so much talk about competition between digital platforms and cinemas. “OTT is a business just like any other medium,” notes Shetty, whose recent venture, Garuda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana (2021), was released on an OTT platform and found wide success. He adds, “It’s all about the right film reaching the right audience.”
The actor-director further elaborates that the Kannada film industry is also evolving, courtesy the presence of such a medium. “We haven’t put enough effort into marketing Kannada films outside of Karnataka all these years. Our actors, technicians, etc. are not so popular in other industries,” he says, explaining, “but with films such as K.G.F: Chapter 1 (2018)and K.G.F: Chapter 2, Vikrant Rona, Charlie 777, etc. making a pan-India impact”, the industry is benefitting too since these movies are available to a wide audience because they are streaming on different web platforms.
He also believes that theatres have a shelf life as compared to OTT platforms, which help any film, be it a big budget one or small. “The problem with theatres is that you need to offer exactly what the market is looking for. But with OTT, you can work on great content and there will always be an audience for it,” he shares.
Emphasising on the importance of good content, the 35-year-old says,“Getting an OTT platform to buy our pitches is a task. But it’s not just about that, it’s also about whether we’re able to fulfil the demands of those platforms. As an industry, are we able to provide great content? If we become capable of doing so, we will have equal opportunities as other industries.”
When it comes to choosing either of the mediums to release a film, the Ondu Motteya Kathe (2017) actor says that it relies entirely on the viewers. “Audience has always been a mystery to us filmmakers. We never know what’s running in their heads. Film watching has become a lifestyle now where people have two options — to drive to the nearest theatre, beat traffic, spend thousands of rupees and then decide whether the film was worthwhile, or sit at home and choose a film from a variety of options,” he says and continues, “People now choose the experience over the actual film. A slice-of-life film will be watched at home, but a film that promises a theatre experience will have people running to theatres. There’s a trend arising where people are watching fewer films, but watching those for the greater experiences.”
