The most thrilling part of OTT, according to actor Aahana S Kumra, is that one never knows what will be “presented next” to them. “For us, the internet is a fascinating place. You have the ability to reinvent yourself, she says.
She believes that female performers rarely do something like this. “For a female actor, (the diversity of roles being created) is incredibly invigorating. Women are typecast because there are so many diverse roles and parts written for men. You are so heavily stereotyped by everyone that you begin to think you yourself fit into certain positions. But occasionally you’re pleasantly surprised and they (the producers) give you a position you never would have imagined giving yourself,” explains Kumra.
The actor, who has been in numerous online series including Betaal, Official CEOgiri, Marzi, and Sandwiched Forever, most recently played a grey character in Avrodh 2. She expresses surprise at the excellent feedback she has received for the role and says she never envisioned herself being cast in a bad character. “I really enjoy the notion of portraying a bad guy, like a Darr-style Shah Rukh Khan,” the actor (1993). My producer, Samar Khan, envisioned it for me. It’s incredible. It has given me access to a new area, she claims.
According to Kumra, relevant stories and personalities on the medium are what make OTT such a hit with viewers. “I often find myself thinking, “Oh, this happened [with me],” as I watch a show. Panchayat and Gullak are two of my favourite programmes. The sincerity of the characters, acting, and writing in Panchayat felt immensely relatable. Additionally, I could relate to the characters in Gullak because I come from an upper middle class [family] in Uttar Pradesh. I think character relatability is really important,” she says, adding that epic tales only work on the big screen.
Does that imply that she prefers not to work on a large screen, but rather only on digital platforms? “I am extremely pleased to work in a large film if it is offered to me because it opens channels for you as it provides employment, and you’re noticed a lot more,” she says. But I also believe that on OTT, word-of-mouth helps even the smallest shows be picked up.
As numerous A-list celebrities enter the OTT arena, including Ajay Devgn and Madhuri Dixit Nene, Kumra theorises that this is because “they are being provided the kind of job they want to perform.” She continues, “In movies, people are constrained to play a particular kind of role. They also seek roles with relatable characteristics. For instance, Manoj Bajpayee’s character in the movie Family Man became so recognisable because he had the same issues as other middle-class men, such as being the father of disobedient children and finding it difficult to combine his profession and his wife’s expectations. People recognised the story’s relatability.
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