For a long time, television viewing has been more than the big screen audience. One reason for this could be that theatres were not everywhere at one time, but the whole family could sit in front of a television and watch a show. Now that the time has come for fast internet connections and mobile phones, OTT platforms have also come into the market. Before COVID-19, OTT did not have such a reach, but the lockdown has not only increased its reach but also increased its demand.
Zee TV Hits 'Jamai Raja' & 'Qubool Hai' Thrill Fans on ZEE5
Zee TV's popular television show 'Jamai Raja' made its OTT debut with Zee 5 in 2019. Ravi Dubey and Nia Sharma were in the lead roles in this series. The show's shift to OTT did not make much difference to the story but the scenes became bold. Similarly, the first episode of Zee TV's show 'Qubool Hai' was telecast in 2012 and the show ran till 2016. Surbhi Jyoti and Karan Singh Grover are in the lead roles in this show. On the demand of the audience, this show was also released on OTT in 2021 on ZEE5. Keeping in mind the format of OTT, the story of the show was kept short and it ended in just 10 episodes.
Similarly, another show entered OTT which made people feel nostalgic. The name of this show is 'Sarabhai vs Sarabhai'. The first episode of the show was aired on television in 2004 which ran till 2006. After the advent of the internet, and seeing the popularity of the show on YouTube, the actor and producer of the show Jamnadas Majethia decided to make it again and the show streamed on Disney Plus Hotstar from May to July 2017. The OTT release of the show not only connected its old audience to it but also created a new audience.
Many shows have moved from television to OTT, currently, one name is also of Kapil Sharma's show 'The Great Indian Kapil Show'. After making a name for himself in the world of television, Kapil also turned to OTT.
What could be the reason that some makers turn to OTT? Could one reason be that OTT has a reach not only in the country but also abroad? Or could this also be a reason that OTT platforms give creative freedom to makers? Shows like 'The Family Man' and 'Mirzapur' are not for television audiences, so could this be a reason for some makers to turn to OTT platforms?
Read also: