Shabana Azmi: OTT has also fallen into a pattern now

One cannot deny that the advent of streaming platforms has revolutionized the entertainment business. How films are viewed and made today, the process has undergone a massive change. While there have been some positives, including democratization in casting in the initial phase, star system and stereotyping is slowly seeping in on the web platforms too.
Actress Shabana Azmi holds a similar opinion and fears the OTT has fallen into a pattern too.During an interview with Bombay Times, she voiced her concern. She observed, “As far as changing sensibility is concerned, in films, if something works, the producers just want to repeat it. Koi cheez successful hui hai toh usko chodhdo. I was hopeful that OTT will bring in a change, but it has fallen into a pattern, too.”
She elaborated, “Most OTT content allows explicit scenes, gaaliyan, overdose of violence. I feel the director can make a choice. Look at Zoya’s (Akhtar) film. Given its setting, Gully Boy could have resorted to gaalis too, but as a director-writer she decided to create a world where things are conveyed without spelling them out. It can be effective and not graphic. Violence for me is much more threatening if it gives you the impression that it’s from the corner. If you are not actually seeing it, it can be more tense and thrilling. Martin Scorsese does this so well. Why do we overdo it?”