JOIN OUR WHATSAPP CHANNEL
OPINION: Suhana Khan, Khushi Kapoor to Junaid Khan, why is everyone opting for an OTT debut?
Suhana Khan, Khushi Kapoor to Agastya Nanda, Ibrahim Ali Khan and Junaid Khan, everyone is making their debut in the film industry with OTT platforms. What could be the reason? Let's discuss
For years theaters and TV have been the only medium of entertainment for cinema lovers. The films were first released in cinemas and then months later, they used to premiere on television. Actors who wanted to show their magic on the big screen would dream of playing the nation's favorite romantic and action star.
While it continues to happen, OTT has disrupted the market significantly. With OTT coming forth as a big medium of entertainment and letting modern actors and filmmakers reach their target audience, a window for fresh storytelling style has opened. Perhaps, this is the reason why most of the star kids today are opting for web platforms to make their debut. Let's discuss more on this.
Star kids who made their debut with OTT
It all started when Suhana Khan (Shah Rukh Khan's daughter), Khushi Kapoor (Sridevi-Boney Kapoor's daughter), and Agastya Nanda (Amitabh Bachchan-Jaya Bachchan's grandson) made their debut with The Archies. The Zoya Akhtar directorial was released exclusively on Netflix considering the target audience.
Aamir Khan's son Junaid Khan didn't plan to take the conventional route for his debut. Instead of playing a regular romantic and action hero, he decided to play a real-life hero who went against all the odds to bring changes in society with his noble causes.
Reportedly, due to its risky subject and the film getting into controversy just after the poster's release, the makers didn't even release the trailer. Even the film had to face a hold for a week before its release. I can't imagine what the makers and actors may have gone through if it had a big theatrical release after proper marketing. The decision to opt for OTT proved to be right.
Now, there are high possibilities that Saif Ali Khan and Amrita Singh's son Ibrahim Ali Khan will also make his acting debut with OTT. The newcomer is currently gearing up for two films i.e. Naadaniyaan and Sarzameen. While Naadaniyaan features him alongside Khushi Kapoor and is an OTT release, Sarzameen which will also have Kajol and Prithviraj Sukumaran will release in cinemas. The release dates of both films haven't been announced yet, but if Naadaniyaan comes first it will mean another star kid's debut through OTT.
What could be the reason behind so many star kids opting for OTT to make their debut?
India is a big country and the taste of the audience varies in every state. It has always been a challenge to make a film that receives a warm response nationwide. However, in the past couple of decades, the audience in metro cities has evolved very rapidly compared to people in tier 2 and tier 3 areas. The sensibilities of this section of the audience are completely different if compared to the masses.
In this situation, if a young actor who has also grown up in a metro city like Mumbai relates more to a story or concept that suits the taste of an urban audience, it doesn't come across as a surprise to me. Since OTT platforms help you cater to that section of the audience, it's a win-win situation for the team of the movie as well as the audience.
Moreover, with an OTT release, one doesn't have to feel the pressure of the box office because tech-savvy urban audiences directly share their feedback with makers on social media. As of now, OTT content is considered a success depending on social media perception because not all platforms share viewership numbers.
Latest Articles
