by TAAPSEE PANNU
Taapsee Pannu reveals that OTT platforms only want to pick up films that are box office success
Actor Taapsee Pannu believes women-led and unconventional films are on the verge of becoming “extinct” as there is a lack of support from audiences for such stories.
Pannu, who has seamlessly balanced both mainstream and offbeat cinema, has built a reputation as a dependable performer and featured in a series of hard-hitting dramas such as “Thappad”, “Mulk” and “Pink”.
According to the actor, the battle to bring unconventional stories to the big screen has become harder.
“We are on the verge of becoming an extinct species, we mean films like ‘Assi’. There is a certain template that our so-called commercial cinema abides by and we don’t conventionally fall in that template of sorts,” Pannu told PTI in an interview.
“Assi” is Pannu’s new movie with acclaimed filmmaker Anubhav Sinha and marks their third collaboration after 2018’s “Mulk” and “Thappad” in 2020.
The actor debunked the notion that such films will always find a home on digital platforms, saying that the streamers have shifted their focus to luring “massy” audiences.
“The reality is people think that these kinds of films will keep coming on OTT and we will keep watching it. But no, OTT’s don’t want these kinds of films either. They have clear mandates, that only the films that are working in theatres are the films that they want to pick.
“They want to take that theatre audience to their platform. They are like, ‘We already have this kind of audience, we want those massy pot boilers audiences of our country to subscribe to the platform’, That’s why I say we are on the verge of becoming extinct unless people realise that we need to watch it. Sometimes it’s good to watch reality as well,” Pannu added.
Comparing cinema to a range of cuisines, the 38-year-old actor said that while “Mughlai”, which is the commercial cinema, has its appeal, the industry also needs its “dal chawal”: stories rooted in everyday reality.
She also believes that the habit of waiting for a digital release of a film is “suicidal” for the future of meaningful cinema.
“We should subscribe to all kinds of cinema. Only the audience can help us by going to theatres and watching (all kinds of) films. I hope they realise this before we lose this. Then we won’t have the right to crib that our cinema cannot compete with world cinema, we only make a particular kind of film.
“We have a lot of people saying we don’t make good and rooted stories. But when did you support rooted stories? By sitting at home and watching it on OTT is not how you support good cinema. If you like the film, spread the word, let more people come into theatres.” Reflecting on her journey, Pannu said leading a film to release today feels like a “daily pain” and a constant “battle”.
She believes the scenario changed post COVID-19 pandemic.
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