Pratik Gandhi opines, “OTT doesn’t pressurise a title to p erform in the first three days, unlike theatre releases”!

At #ForbesIndiaTycoonsOfTomorrow2022, “#Scam” fame #PratikGandhi said, “OTT proved that good actors will come to light, don’t remain in shadows for long”. “Through OTT, we are not telling the stories of heroes and heroines, but of people”, opined Mithila Palkar at the same event, while Rasika Dugal expressed, “OTT proved how the audience has always been versatile”.

Over-the-top (OTT) platforms lifted billions across the world from pandemic fatigue and have now become a strong level-playing field for quality content. And who better than the poster boys and girls of OTT — Rasika Dugal, Pratik Gandhi and Mithila Palkar — to weigh in on the meteoric success they enjoy, thanks to the platforms! The three actors poured their hearts out as they attended the panel discussion titled ‘How OTT is redefining entertainment, talent, and creativity’ at Forbes India Tycoons of Tomorrow 2022, held on 30th September at Four Seasons in Worli, Mumbai.

A theatre actor working in Gujarati film industry for the past 15 years, Scam 1992 catapulted Pratik Gandhi to feature on the national map of entertainment. “Whatever I was doing in theatre or cinema, had limited reach. My first Hindi film Bhavai couldn’t release for two years. It was on the sets of Bhavai that I got the chance to audition for Scam 1992. After the show succeeded, everything changed,” Pratik said at the Forbes India Tycoons of Tomorrow 2022, adding that OTT broke the mould of stereotypical storytelling.

When asked about the success with the role of Beena Tripathi on Mirzapur, ace actor Rasika Dugal said that there has always been versatile content created by production houses, who couldn’t reach out to their target audience and thus, remained niche. “The popularity from Mirzapur never ceases to surprise me. But I’ve done many independent films I’m proud of such as Kissa, which only released in 2 theaters in 2013 in Mumbai. I used to carry a DVD of the film to every interview until Mirzapur happened,” she said, adding that OTT has democratised entertainment both for the industry and its audience as it’s a place where a new star is born every next month,” said at the Forbes India Tycoons of Tomorrow 2022

Little Things’ Mithila Palkar is an actor always on the lookout for interesting projects that break her image. Talking about her journey, she said, “My recognition was born on the internet mainly because of the cup song. I was happy to be known as a singer-youtuber. We wrapped up Little Things last year, but it continues to reach across the globe, thanks to internet. So, I’m thankful to OTT, wherein we are not telling stories of heroes and heroines anymore, but the stories of people. That gives opportunities to actors like us.”

Comparing the success formulae between big-screen projects and the ever-accessible OTT platforms, the actors explained how the latter has provided an escape from the situational leadership that the audience demands from every megastar. “Also, OTT doesn’t pressurise a title to perform in the first three days, unlike theatre releases,” said Pratik.

Commenting on a question, whether that meant OTT will outshine big-screen glamour and footfall? The three actors disagreed. “There is an audience for everything. We all want to go to the theatres to watch a movie. So, there are projects meant for both screens. It is an ecosystem and will balance itself out now that the world has opened up,” said Mithila at the Forbes India Tycoons of Tomorrow 2022.

The actors graced the prestigious platform of Forbes India Tycoons of Tomorrow 2022, a ceremony felicitating prodigious changemakers across industries. Recognising the entrepreneurial vision and talent of the luminaries present, Forbes India felicitated 28 personalities across a spectrum of industries such as actor Alia Bhatt, Gaurav Kumar from CredAvenue, Ghazal Alagh from mamaearth, Anchit Nayar from Nykaa, and Amandeep Bhan from Moglix, who have been unstoppable in their stints to achieve new milestones in their respective fields.