Tracking Rise Of OTT Platforms And Web Series In India
In this article, we will be talking about the rise of OTT platforms in India, and how the digital boom is here to stay.
If two things are truly loved in India, then they have to be cricket and movies! The country whose population is currently more than 1.4 billion, has immense love for cinema and superstars! Many people flock to the theatres to watch their favourite stars in action, and it is no surprise that the movies of superstars such as Rajinikanth, Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, and others are celebrated like a festival in the country. For many years, people thought that their only entertainment source could be going to theatres and watching a movie on a big screen.
However, the trend started to change in the 80s with the onset of TV sets. The emergence of Doordarshan, and other TV channels gave a platform to another source of entertainment through TV serials, game shows, and fantasy fiction shows. Then in the late 90s, other TV channels emerged, and there were plenty of TV serials and reality TV shows to watch. Hence, it provided plenty of viewing options to the audience, apart from just going to theatres to watch the latest release on the big screen.
However, it is fair to say that the biggest game-changer for content worldwide in terms of viewing experience, came with the onset of streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. However, streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar, and SonyLiv started to make their presence felt in India only by 2015-16.
When these platforms first made their entry, discussions started happening about whether these streaming companies would end up eating into the theatre business. However, time has been a clear indicator that there is plenty of room for OTT platforms and theatres to co-exist. Talking about India's experience with OTT platforms, it was Netflix that explored the market first, and they released their first India Netflix original series titled 'Sacred Games' in 2018. The show starred Saif Ali Khan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Radhika Apte, and Kubbra Sait in leading roles.
'Sacred Games' success paved the way for other OTT platforms to come up with their original shows, and talking about India's thrust with OTT content now, it is fair to say that there is plenty of engaging content in the country, and viewers are spoilt for choice. OTT platforms also received a massive push during the Covid-19 pandemic. Theatres were closed during the nationwide lockdown, and there were no releases in theatres. Viewers had nothing to watch for a long time, and it was then that the OTT platforms came to the rescue, and new shows and films helped reduce the boredom for the audience.
In this article, we will be talking about the rise of OTT platforms in India, and how the digital boom is here to stay.
The roots of OTT platforms in India can be traced back to the early 2000s when the internet started to spread its wings in the country. However, it wasn't until the mid-2010s that OTT platforms gained significant traction, and it was fueled by the widespread availability of high-speed internet. Netflix, one of the pioneers of OTT streaming globally, entered the Indian market in 2016, followed by Amazon Prime Video and other platforms like Hotstar (now Disney+ Hotstar), SonyLIV, Zee5, and Voot.
These platforms offered a diverse range of content including movies, TV shows, documentaries, and most notably, web series. With these platforms, Indian audiences started watching more and more web series, and now we have reached a stage where there is one web series released every week on an OTT platform.
However, if you are wondering what is a web series? Let us tell you about that. Web series is a format characterised by shorter episodes and season-long story arcs. This mode of storytelling helps filmmakers to explore a wide range of themes and genres without the constraints of time and censorship. TVF shows such as 'Permanent Roommates' and 'Pitchers' were the path-breakers for Indian content, and these shows on YouTube paved the way for larger investments in original content by OTT platforms.
It can be said that TVF's efforts eventually led to the creation of critically acclaimed series like 'Sacred Games', 'Mirzapur', 'Farzi', and 'Made in Heaven'.
It is no secret and a simple Google search will show you that India has one of the biggest percentages of the young population globally, and hence it is no surprise that the rise of OTT platforms has been so remarkable. The availability of affordable data plans also makes streaming content more accessible to a larger audience. OTT platforms offer a diverse range of content and this has also enabled the discovery of talent and storytelling from different parts of the country.
In our opinion, content on OTT platforms has somehow played a role in highlighting diverse voices that were not being explored in mainstream theatrical movies. Stories exploring themes such as sexuality, gender identity, caste discrimination, and mental health have also sparked important conversations.
OTT platforms such as Netflix, Prime Video, SonyLiv, and Disney+ Hotstar have also led to a shift in consumption habits, with an increasing number of viewers opting for binge-watching entire seasons of web series in a single sitting. Indian web series have also garnered international acclaim, putting Indian content creators on the global map. Series like 'Delhi Crime' (Netflix) and Rocket Boys (SonyLiv) have been praised for their storytelling, performances, and production values, attracting audiences from diverse cultural backgrounds. These two shows also earned nominations at the International Emmy Awards.
The growth of OTT platforms has also created new opportunities for employment and revenue generation across the media and entertainment industry. From actors and directors to writers and technicians, the demand for talent has increased.
In the end, it can be said that the rise of OTT platforms and web series in India represents a cultural and technological revolution that has democratised content creation and consumption.
Now, that we have written so much about OTT platforms, we want to conclude this article by recommending to you some of our favourite web series from the last year.
Kaala Paani (Netflix)
This Netflix series has been created by Sameer Saxena and written by Biswapati Sarkar, Nimisha Misra, Sandeep Saket, and Amit Golani. The show features Mona Singh, Ashutosh Gowariker, Amey Wagh, Vikas Kumar, Chinmay Mandlekar, Sukant Goel, Arushi Sharma, Radhika Mehrotra, Poornima Indrajith in leading roles. The show tells the story of how a mysterious disease comes down upon the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and there is a desperate effort for survival among the people stranded on the island.
School of Lies (Hotstar)
This Disney+ Hotstar series is made by Avinash Arun and the plot if set in a private boarding school in the hills. The show deals with the troubles faced by children in a boarding school. Aamir Bashmir as the headmaster will blow your mind.
Apart from Aamir Bashir, the series also stars Nimrit Kaur, Varin Roopani, Divyansh Dwivedi, Aryan Singh Ahlawat, Vir Pachisia, Sonali Kulkarni, Hemant Kher, Parthiv Shetty, Adrija Sinha, Aalekh Kapoor and others. The plot is set in motion after a 12-year-old student Shakti Salgaonkar goes missing from a boarding school.
Farzi (Amazon Prime Video)
This Amazon Prime Video series is created, produced, and directed by Raj & DK, and the duo also co-wrote the series with Sita Menon and Suman Kumar. The show stars Shahid Kapoor, Vijay Sethupathi, Kay Kay Menon, Raashii Khanna, and Bhuvan Arora in leading roles. The plot revolves around a disillusioned artist, played by Shahid Kapoor, and how he decides to make counterfeit money.
Shahid Kapoor's performance is one for the ages, and his complex portrayal will definitely make you feel a wide range of emotions. The show received positive reviews, and it also emerged as the most-watched Indian streaming series ever. Shahid Kapoor has already confirmed that the series will be returning for a second season.
Mirzapur (Amazon Prime Video)
'Mirzapur' is created by Karan Anshuman while it is produced by Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar of Excel Entertainment. The story follows Akhandanand Tripathi (Pankaj Tripathi), also known as Kaleen Bhaiya, the mafia don and proverbial ruler of Mirzapur in the Purvanchal region of Uttar Pradesh. The first season of the series stars Pankaj Tripathi, Shweta Tripathi, Divyendu Sharma, Ali Fazal, Vikrant Massey, Shriya Pilgaonkar, Rasika Dugal, Harshita Gaur and Kulbhushan Kharbanda.
The second season retains the principal cast from the first season, excluding Massey and Pilgaonkar. The new cast includes Vijay Varma, Isha Talwar, Lilliput, Anjum Sharma, Priyanshu Painyuli, Anangsha Biswas and Neha Sargam.
Dahaad (Amazon Prime Video)
This Amazon Prime Video show surely qualifies as one of the best pieces of content to come out of India in the last couple of years. 'Dahaad' has been created by Reema Kagti and Zoya Akhtar and it has been produced by Excel Media & Entertainment and Tiger Baby Films. The star cast of the series includes Sonakshi Sinha, Vijay Varma, Gulshan Devaiah, and Sohum Shah in lead roles.
The series is an 8-part crime drama that follows sub-inspector Anjali Bhaati (Sonakshi Sinha) and her colleagues in a small-town police station. It all starts when a series of women start being mysteriously found dead in public bathrooms, and sub-inspector Anjali Bhaati is then tasked with the investigation.
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