For any aspiring actor, there can’t be a bigger dream than to be see themselves make a mark on the big screen. However, that notion has been massively challenged in the recent years with many actors opting for OTT platforms as the chosen medium for their big acting debut now.
Actors Harleen Sethi (Broken But Beautiful), Nidhi Singh (Permanent Roommates), Prajakta Koli (Mismatched), Dhruv Sehgal (Little Things), Ritwik Bhowmik (Bandish Bandits) and Tanya Maniktala (Flame and A Suitable Boy) — all of them chose the digital medium as their launch vehicle over big screen, and have become established names now. And following the cue are many others who have realigned their aspirations to embrace the changing realities of the entertainment space.
“I mean sapna toh wahi tha ki films karenge. When you see newcomers coming, and you think that one day I’ll also debut like that. But you also have to understand that the industry is such that it’s changing now,”shares Sonia Rathee, who made her acting debut with the recently released season 3 of Broken But Beautiful.
She adds, “We have OTT platforms and we have incredible content happening there. I wasn’t in search of a huge debut… I just wanted to work. I saw this opportunity coming my way, and I instantly loved it. I didn’t want to say no to it just because of the platform it was releasing on.”
Shloka Pandit’s film debut Hello Charlie was supposed to have a theatrical release, but owing to the pandemic, it made its way online, and the actor isn’t complaining at all.
“I think web is a great medium and has a much wider reach compared to a film that releases in cinemas. What happened with my film was a blessing in disguise. Everyone around the globe could watch it and I was very excited about that,” she reasons.
Even OTT platforms are happy about working with first-time actors and they feel that web space allows these young stars to portray their roles wit utmost honesty.
Gautam Talwar, Chief Content Officer at MX Player, says, “They don’t have the burden of box-office success which is the real difference between an actor and a star; that takes a very large pressure off the back of an actor. So, for an actor today, since both films and OTT shows have the same cinematic benchmarks, the medium no longer matters as long, as it’s a piece of art that they are proud of.”
Lauding the OTT as a great medium to start one’s acting career, Naveen Kasturia says one doesn’t have to worry about being a popular face anymore to get a break.
“Initially, for people like me, I felt that you’ve to be a star son to be an actor. Now, OTT has opened a lot of doors for a lot of people, and I’m very happy. I wanted to be part of stories, even when the series Pitchers (acting debut) came to me, I wasn’t thinking about the medium. I didn’t have a lot of work and films, so when the show came my way, I latched on to it. The medium has given me recognition and respect,” says the actor, who is garnering praise for recent show Aspirants.
Many actors also believe that the insider-outsider divide that’s often associated with the film industry, doesn’t exist on OTT platforms and everyone gets a fair chance to showcase their talent.
Actor Asheema Vardaan, who has been part of OTT series such as Dev DD and Abhay 2, says, “It’s very discouraging for newcomers in Bollywood, especially outsiders like me. I wanted to be a film actor but I don’t think I’ll have enough opportunities. I don’t want to do films anymore. I’m happy doing good work on OTT,” she tells us.
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