OTT 2022 rewind: From Gehraiyaan to Gullak, the year when the web experimented with variety | Web Series

The year of 2022 turned out to be the first time when a sense of normalcy seeped in after standstill as a result of Covid-19 pandemic, with the entertainment industry finding its pace once again. And what has been the highlight of it all has been how the OTT space found its ground despite theatres turning back their lights on.

According to a report by Ormax Media, the audience of OTT platforms grew in double digits in 2022 versus last year. The viewers of streaming platforms have increased by 20 percent to 423.8 million this year from 353.2 million in 2021, with a large share coming from rural India, indicating that the metro cities have reached saturation levels.

“The web space is now a category which is more settled, pushing forward more experiments, from docu series to non fiction shows. 2022 was a clear indication that it has essentially evolved from being a startup category into a more stable category,” says Shailesh Kapoor, CEO at Ormax Media, a media consulting firm.

In the last two years, amid the pandemic and lockdowns, it was streaming platforms which kept the audience entertained and hooked — in literal sense. “2022 was a catalyst for the OTT industry as everything opened up, bringing us back to the rhythms. Experimentation and innovations in the industry witnessed a great success rate with refreshing content across languages wooing the audiences,” says Manish Kalra, Chief Business Officer, ZEE5 India.

He adds, “Our investment figures doubled up to cater to the evolved taste of the viewers through some fine collaborations across both the prominent content power houses and independent talent which helped us enhance our content bouquet”.

Filmy matter

As per Google, Gehraiyaan. Darlings, Minnal Murali, and Khuda Haafiz 2 were the films which created the buzz. Not to forget Kartik Aaryan’s Freddy.

According to Netflix, Alia Bhatt and Shefali Shah’s Darlings enjoyed the highest opening ever for any Netflix film in India as it was watched in 28 countries with total viewing hours of over 32 million, while Monica, O My Darling, trended in the number one spot in seven countries including India in the first two weeks of its release alone.

“Some of the films which have done well are Gehraiyaan, Darlings, Maja Ma, and Monica, O My Darling. All of them might not have got the right kind of reviews, they got the numbers and eyeballs, showing people to have trust in web films as well,” asserts Shailesh.

It was also a year which showed that theatres returning back to action will not stop makers opting for the direct to OTT route, which was proved by the release of Freddy, Govinda Naam Mera and upcoming Mission Majnu. In fact, the arena of web films is also rising, with the success of Monica, O My Darling and India Lockdown testimony to it.

“OTT will always hold its ground because it is not just relying on our films. There is a lot more they provide to us at our time and our homes…Once the world got back to normal then people could travel, dine out, go to cinemas, the binge watching that happened during the pandemic wouldn’t be the same today. But the whole habit has been set and everyone is used to watching content at their own convenience,” says Jay Shewakramani, Northern Light Films Producer of Freddy.

The series story

When it comes to series, according to Imdb, the top most popular web Series of the year are: Panchayat, Delhi Crime season 2, Rocket Boys, Human, Apaharan , Gullak season three, NCR Days, Abhay, Campus Diaries and College Romance. As per Google, Moon Knight, House of the Dragon, The Gray Man, Ms Marvel emerged as the top few from the web space. And the list itself reflects the diverse content the platforms delved in.

“The year saw some unique concepts hit the OTT platforms. Unconventional concepts like Rocketboys, Tabbar, Gullak, Panchayat amongst others clearly defined the differentiated space created by OTT. The response has been overwhelming and very very encouraging to try new concepts,” says Jinesh Shah, Head of Originals, Roy Kapur Films.

To this, Human director Mozez Singh adds, “OTT has given a voice to the creators who want to push the envelope in crazy twisted and enthralling ways in this genre. And the stand out point was the success and appreciation that the show Human got from far and wide. It was a new and risky subject”.

Pan-India touch

Throughout the year, there has been a spotlight on projects coming out of other regions be it Kantara KGF 2. That was witnessed in the streaming space as well.

Opening up about the same, a Prime Video spokesperson shares, “Today, almost half our customers on Prime Video stream content in 4 or more languages which is phenomenal. 50% viewership of our local language movies — Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada) comes from outside the home states”.

“What is incredible though, is that streaming has played a pivotal role in bringing India together. Today, it is no longer about singular, fragmented entertainment industries such as Bollywood, Kollywood, Tollywood, etc. Through streaming, the Indian content market is a now a unified industry – one large content market… On Prime Video itself, almost 20% viewership for our local originals and movies comes from outside the country.

2022 pushed the accelerator on these changes that had begun to happen since the onset of the pandemic… We forayed into creating long-format scripted originals in Tamil and Telugu, beginning with Suzhal – The Vortex (Tamil) that released day and date in 30+ Indian and international languages. We adapted the beloved global franchise Modern Love in India in two languages – Hindi and Telugu, with Tamil coming soon too. Our biggest series till date, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power had its Asia Pacific premiere in India. It also released in 5 Indian languages, in addition to English,” the spokesperson added.

Big debut, big buzz

The year saw several Bollywood actors find their way into the OTT world, from Ajay Devgn opting for a dark thriller Rudra: The Edge of Darkness to Madhuri Dixit Nene choosing a complicated family drama in The Fame Game to start her inning in the web world. Actor Suniel Shetty, who also made his OTT debut this year, says it has been a great year for actors waiting to explore something more, and

“There could be no better time. Right now, we need to go back to the drawing board, which the web space is doing. Now, cinema also has to go back to the drawing board. One has to spend on the content, not the actors to make sure the foundation is strong. When it comes to cinema, prices have gone haywire. and ticket prices have gone haywire. I mean, a ticket is more expensive than the amount of money spent on the content. So, we need to relook at it and redo everything. And that has been my biggest learning after working on the web,” he says.

What didn’t work?

“There have been few surprises for us as well. For instance, the biggest surprise that no one saw coming was when a rapidly growing global streaming platform faced the challenge with subscribers, with the stock pricing taking a hit. It made all the OTT companies take a step back and relook at our methods and give value choices to the audience,” says Amit Dhanuka, Executive Vice President, Lionsgate.

In fact, the industry has started to feel the ripple effects of the same, with many speculating quality of content and performance as being the reason behind the scrapping of follow up seasons of shows such as The Fame Game, She, Call My Agent, Bombay Begums, and Bombay Begums. However, an official confirmation is awaited on the same.