Director Sanjay Gupta, who made many gangster flicks, recently expressed frustration on social media, highlighting a growing issue in the Indian film industry.
He pointed out that after being in the business for decades, he never expected the industry to be so heavily influenced by two major OTT platforms like Netflix and Prime Video.
What Sanjay Gupta is trying to say is that these OTT platforms now hold significant power over content creation, as directors must pitch their ideas to them and get approval before proceeding with their films, especially if the film’s digital rights are involved.
This situation is causing concern among many filmmakers and producers. Historically, the power to create and control content was in the hands of the producers, but now OTT platforms are dictating what kind of content should be made.
They push producers to create films that will appeal to their audience, often forcing filmmakers to alter their creative vision to meet the platform’s demands.
This is seen as a problem because it undermines the traditional process where creative decisions were made by the filmmakers themselves.
An insider shared that OTT platforms are also influencing the casting of films, with actors being chosen based on their digital appeal rather than their fit for the role.
Recently, some film releases have been planned around the OTT platforms’ schedules, leading to clashes in release dates and concerns about how this will affect box office performance.
The key issue is that producers seem to be prioritizing the needs of OTT platforms over the desires of their audiences.
It’s time for producers to take creative risks and make content that they believe in, rather than curating films just to meet OTT demands.
Actors should support this shift by reducing their upfront fees and cutting down on unnecessary costs to make room for more authentic and impactful cinema. M9News