At the click of a button, content across genres and languages can be accessed as per the craving of the day. The OTT revolution, which has brought stories from every corner of the planet, continues to be hailed for offering a platform for artists to experiment. However, the content has been declining at an overwhelming frequency, with audiences complaining of viewer fatigue and loss of quality in recent times. Earlier, actors Sikandar Kher and Sharib HashmiThey have said that it is necessary to maintain control over the quality of the content. Actor Manav Kaul He certainly believes so, as he says, “Everything is a reflection of society.” The actor has starred in shows like Ghoul (2018), The verdict: State vs. Nanavati (2019), The fame game (2023) and Tribhuvan Mishra CA Ornament.
Everything can change
The 47-year-old writer says: “Suddenly, we gave this medium to writers as a playground. They got freedom and did their duty, but to maintain that, we have not given them any value, because we do not value them in society. The day we start celebrating writers, everything will change.”
The public dictates
He attributed this loss of quality to a lack of demand from the public, stating: “It is the public that dictates what we do. If you watch something without depth and are entertained by it, then more of it will be made. If you don’t seek a higher form of entertainment for yourself, you will get what you deserve: quality entertainment.”
The solution to this, according to Manav, is to “ask for more”. “Audiences should be greedy. When you look for better programmes to watch, you are implying that you won’t be entertained by something of poor quality, that you need something more,” he adds.
A different level of pressure
Manav has appeared in several direct-to-OTT films including Nail polish, Strange Dastaanos, Dybbuk (all 2021), Jalsa (2022) and Probation (2023). Asked if OTT has become a safer space for producers during these uncertain box office times, he is quick to respond: “Not at all.” He calls the level of pressure “different,” saying, “The lens through which OTT is viewed is very different from theatrical releases. Producers have to negotiate with channels and the product has to work and deliver numbers for the platform.”
But he finds this pressure “quite exciting”: “You are not competing with just Indian content. People all over the world watch our shows in their own languages. What can be more exciting than that?”
Manav says that OTT brings all artists together in one community, regardless of where they come from. “If Javier Bardem (the Spanish actor) does something in the West, we do it here too. Just as I talk about Javier today, I hope that one day he will talk about me too,” he concludes.
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