It seems as though films that don’t have some sort of celebrity attached to them are dismissed by platforms, but if that is the case, this is a mystifying decision for OTT services, which have seen many against-the-grain films find audiences. For example, Kaun Pravin Tambe?, starring Shreyas Talpade, made a lukewarm debut on Disney+ Hotstar with 1.8 million views in its first week, but remained on Ormax Media’s list of the most streamed piece of content for four weeks consecutively, with weekly numbers going up to 5.8 million views. This was despite minimal promotion by Disney+ Hotstar. Even if Talpade is relatively well-known, Kaun Pravin Tambe? is the kind of film that would be described as ‘risky’ by Bollywood pundits, but was a success for the streamer. The decision to focus on mainstream content — a lot of which is panned by critics — is one that non-mainstream filmmakers and producers question. “Everything seems to be tailored to find the 50 people [out of 100] who enjoy a spectacle,” said Ajitpal Singh. “What they [OTT services] don’t understand is some of the remaining 50, who don’t care about spectacles, will eventually unsubscribe to the platform,” he warned. Shwetaabh Singh pointed out that streamers should keep in mind that they’ve made an unspoken promise to deliver quality content to subscribers. “You’re not a free platform. You have people paying a monthly or annual subscription – it’s your job to give them content worth their money,” he said, arguing in favour of acquiring critically-acclaimed indie films.
Over the last two to three years, OTT platforms in India seem to be mirroring the actions of the entertainment industry that they could’ve overhauled. Just as Hindi films are judged on their opening weekend box office report alone, the verdict on streaming films and shows depends on their opening weekend views. Shows get cancelled depending on their opening week data, shutting out the possibility that it could be discovered at a later stage.
Ghosh contends that there’s an increasing need for an artist executive (like a former filmmaker, or someone deeply invested in the business of filmmaking) as against an algorithm executive. “I think we’ve entered the era of algorithm-linked storytelling – ‘In the eight minute, you should have this beat, the climax should be at a particular point’. How does one design an original story like this?” he said.