Opinion | How OTT Has Become Our Go-To Platform For Entertainment

Dreaming big is easy, but making them come true is not. For Sheru (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) and Tiku (Avneet Kaur), a married couple, life is a roller coaster in director and co-writer Sai Kabir’s romantic comedy-drama Tiku Weds Sheru. Sheru is struggling in Mumbai as a junior artist and pimp. Tiku flees the claustrophobic environment of her hometown by marrying Sheru and joining him in Mumbai. Streaming on Amazon Prime, the idea of the film could have led to a decent comedy.

TKS starts promisingly, but the screenplay falters soon. The attempt to show the dark side of the film industry makes zero impact, resulting in a film that could have been a watchable affair had it focused on the relationship of two visibly incompatible individuals trapped in an uneasy marriage. TKS is an OTT film that tries too hard and fails. Thankfully, OTT platforms are giving other reasons (read, good films) to celebrate their content.

REDEFINITION OF ENTERTAINMENT

Ever since the Covid-19 pandemic redefined our lifestyles and resulted in the dramatic growth of OTT-based personal entertainment, direct-to-digital films of different genres have become a permanent fixture of our lives. Many OTT films target the urban seeker of thematic diversity. An instance is Lust Stories 2 on Netflix, an anthology of films helmed by R Balki, Konkona Sen Sharma, Amit Ravindernath Sharma and Sujoy Ghosh. The second installment of Lust Stories, Lust Stories 2 offers a variety of stories woven around lust, its central theme, and it does so mostly satisfactorily. Sen Sharma’s segment ‘The Mirror’ is a brilliant exception. The anthology, in short, is a flawed but brave creative experiment aided by excellent performances by seasoned actors like Kajol, Kumud Mishra, Tillotama Shome and Amruta Subhash. It is the sort of OTT offering that does not let the viewer down.

There is that rare occasion when an online release of a film with potentially mass-friendly content and first-rate production values makes us wonder why it is not a theatrical release, the case with Ali Abbas Zafar’s neo-noir action thriller Bloody Daddy on JioCinema starring Shahid Kapoor as a Narcotics Control Bureau cop who seizes a bag of cocaine. What happens after his son gets abducted by drug dealers, who want the bag back, takes the actioner forward speedily.

Bloody Daddy’s release on an OTT platform indicates that we can expect to see other big stars in direct-to-digital films with time. Kapoor had already made an impact with Raj & DK’s eight-episode thriller web series Farzi on Amazon Prime. The actor’s return in the central role in Bloody Daddy also suggests that we must expect more new such films on OTT platforms as the competition for attracting viewership increases.

IDEA IS THE KING

Much has changed in the world of entertainment in the last few years, mainly due to the emphatic emergence of OTT platforms. The modern-day viewer has become far more knowledgeable and opinionated, and a film like Kookie Gulati’s biographical drama The Big Bull on Disney + Hotstar (2021) cannot escape criticism. Based on the life of stockbroker Harshad Mehta, the film suffered in comparison with Hansal Mehta’s web series Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story on SonyLIV, a much better presentation in every sense.

Offbeat ideas are the soul of many films. Amit V Masurkar’s Sherni (2021), a thriller starring Vidya Balan as an Indian Forest Service officer streaming on Amazon Prime, deals with socially relevant subjects like human-wildlife conflict, the politician’s desire for power and the need for wildlife conservation. Streaming on Netflix and JioCinema is Laxman Utekar’s comedy-drama Mimi (2021), whose plot hinges on its eponymous protagonist (Kriti Sanon), who agrees to become a surrogate mother. Mimi is a well-intentioned film in which Sanon has delivered her career-best performance.

The dark comedy Darlings (2022), helmed by Jasmeet K Reen and streaming on Netflix, deals with the much-neglected issue of domestic violence. Darlings makes for an engaging watch, both because of its intelligently crafted plot that highlights, among other things, themes of abuse and revenge and how effortlessly its protagonists Alia Bhatt, Shefali Shah and Vijay Varma have played their respective characters.

Vasan Bala’s neo-noir crime drama Monica, O My Darling (2022) on Netflix, is another memorable affair. The film’s intriguing story unveils the complex lives of its deeply flawed characters played with relish by Rajkummar Rao, Huma Qureshi, Radhika Apte and Sikander Kher. Pop culture references sprinkled liberally in the film make it all the more watchable.

There is that rare occasion when a film has its roots in a commonplace idea and yet, is hugely impressive. Rahul V Chittella’s family drama Gulmohar on Disney+ Hotstar explores the lives of individuals belonging to three generations of a family. Much is revealed as the well-knit plot progresses, resulting in a film that makes us reflect on our own lives and their problems, secrets and conflicts.

The choice of subjects for biographical dramas often reveals the maker’s desire for focusing on people who must be discussed more often. Vishnuvardhan’s gripping biographical film Shershaah (2021), on Amazon Prime, is based on the life of Vikram Batra, the hero of the Kargil war. Siddharth Malhotra, who played Batra and his twin brother Vishal, surprised many viewers with his first-rate performance.

The widely acclaimed Sardar Udham (2021), a biographical drama on Amazon Prime starring Vicky Kaushal and helmed by Shoojit Sircar, tells the story of freedom fighter Udham Singh, who avenged the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre by assassinating General Michael O’ Dwyer in London two decades later. Kaun Pravin Tambe? (2022) directed by Jayprad Desai on Disney+ Hotstar focuses on its eponymous protagonist (Shreyas Talpade), who conquers heavy odds to become an inspirational cricketing success story.

While many theatrical releases have received much criticism because they offer nothing new, or since they are remakes, many OTT films have given us great content in recent times. The modern-day viewer must be thankful for this alternative, while looking forward to more such films.

The author, a journalist for three decades, writes on literature and pop culture. Among his books are ‘MSD: The Man, The Leader’, the bestselling biography of former Indian captain MS Dhoni, and the ‘Hall of Fame’ series of film star biographies. Views expressed are personal.