Priyanka Chopra Says Film Industry Was Monopolised By Few People, But OTT Is Changing That. Aren’t We Glad!
I don’t know about others, but in the last year, there have been only a handful of times when I could differentiate a Sunday from a Monday. With every day looking and feeling the same, there is nothing much left to do – especially when you cannot step out of the house. So just like everyone else, I gave in and succumbed to the leisure of Netflix and chill. And as relaxing as that sounds, I honestly believe that nothing will compare to the theatrical experience of watching a movie. But that’s a debate that is never going to end, isn’t it? Well, it may not have an end to it, but there is someone who has had an experience of both and does believe that OTT platforms are a future—Priyanka Chopra.
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Recently, in an interview, Priyanka Chopra Jonas came out in support of OTT platforms saying that the platforms have provided many artists with opportunities to showcase their talents, skills, and their abilities. She said that unlike the Bollywood film industry that has been “monopolized”, the platforms have given an opportunity to content creators to evolve their content and bring out new stories/ideas for the audiences.
PeeCee also believes that along with making space for a whole new world of content, the OTT platforms have also managed to democratize the film industry. The form and manner of storytelling is not the way it used to be.
While attending the virtual press conference of Zee5’s launch in the US, she said, “What we are seeing in Indian cinema now is the freedom of streaming services in allowing people to have larger thoughts than the formulas that existed before — there should be five songs, a fight sequence. That formula has gone away. Now, people want to tell great stories that are real and they identify with. It’s amazing because it gives new writers, actors, and filmmakers an opportunity to come into an industry that was monopolized for a very long time by a very specific number of people. It’s a really great time for growth, entertainment, and specifically for Indian cinema.”
Even though the global icon was all praises for OTT platforms, she did not shy away from talking about her true love, cinema. According to the actress, there is absolutely no threat to the grand experience that the theatres provide. In fact, she added, “There’s no world in which I’m not going back to the theatres as soon as it opens because that experience is very special and I don’t think theatrical is going anywhere but I think the freedom that streaming or OTT has provided to the audience around the world — being able to watch a movie from the comfort of your home with your family in your pajamas — is amazing because it’s spreading culture and educating people.”
Priyanka Chopra believes that these platforms have opened up a space for a large audience that can be exposed to all kinds of cinemas from around the world. She feels that OTT platforms are not the future but the present of cinema and that every industry should embrace it.
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Furthermore, the actor-turned-producer who has produced two Marathi films, stated that it’s an interesting learning time for regional content creators that have grown unimaginably over the years. She talks about her own experience of producing a regional movie and how it was when she first worked on the project.
“When I started making regional movies six years back it was still very nascent in becoming mainstream but now you can see regional cinema from India dominating charts in the US and China. I think there is a massive hunger from the South Asian communities to see their own localized content and themselves being represented. With streaming services being able to provide that platform, I think people everywhere will feel represented.”
Priyanka has been steadily making her mark in Hollywood is of the opinion that OTT platforms will provide more power and opportunities to South Asian artists to conquer the global stage and represent themselves better. She said, “I have been one of the very few people who have had the privilege of being able to be in the entertainment business in two of the largest entertainment industries in the world. My quest is to be able to create more recognition, representation and to be able to have South Asians feel seen and heard, especially within the international community outside of South Asia.”
While the jury still stands on whether OTT platforms will reduce the charms of the cinema houses, one thing is clear that these platforms have provided a lot of space for newer content and creators who want to express themselves.
One thing for sure is that there is no way that these platforms are going away any time soon – especially with the theatres being closed due to the pandemic. So if the film industry wants to reach their audience and want people to come to theatres, they really need to pull up their socks and create content that is interesting, fresh, and sensible.
