Kaafir Director Sonam Nair, Mukul Dev Talk About The Web Medium: It’s Exciting And Freeing

Thanks to the advent of OTT platforms and web content, entertainment is now just a click away! You can be sitting in an old cafe down the road or snuggled up in your blanket on a cold winter morning, video streaming services allow the best stories from various parts of the world to be played for your private screening. Besides the technology that allows you to access an array of shows, films and series with just a touch, the advancement has also contributed significantly to how stories are now told. The traditional style of storytelling is so yesterday as OTT platforms churn out at least two to three originals in a month. Whether you are an actor, or a director, or a writer, or a cinematographer, now is one of the best times to be a part of the industry because the quality across mediums has changed drastically, especially the web.

Why we underline the web as a medium so much is because it gives those a part of it to stay true to the story. “I think apart from the freedom of what kind of stories we can tell, the best part about OTT series is that we can delve really deep into these stories and the characters. We are not confined by a 2-hour time slot, and the length of the series is dependent on how much time the story actually deserves. So it’s not only freeing but also more exciting,” asserts Sonam Nair who directed ZEE5 Original Kaafir that came out last year. The story was written by Bhavani Iyer 13 years ago but only unfolded on the screen last year with Dia Mirza and Mohit Raina in the lead, thanks to producer Siddharth P Malhotra.

Watch the promo of Kaafir here:

Mukul Dev, who started out in the world of showbiz as early as in the 90s, maintains that even for an actor, the web has largely shaped and brought about a turning point in their career. “About two or three years back, I was talking to a friend, who is a producer. I was telling him that in the coming year, I will sign lesser projects. I am sick and tired of travelling, living out of a suitcase. He told me,’Get ready to become busier.’ He said something that I remember till date. If you are an actor who is fit enough to get up and go to work, you are not going to be sitting at home. Ever since the web has come, people want me for the actor that I am. They don’t care about star status or celebrity power. They know this guy can deliver the part we want in the given time, so bring him on. That is the best part about the web. If you see the latest web series, there are so many new actors. I haven’t seen so many of them on the big screen, but they are so popular. They are all competent actors who have done really good for themselves,” he shared with us.

Mukul, set to appear in State of Siege: 26/11, also touched upon how OTT platforms should not fall for the money game. “The writer and the director get a chance to say the story in more than three hours. The only thing is I feel the web should stick to its uniqueness. There is always a tendency, that the minute the money pushes in, it becomes all same. I really hope there is no monopoly in the web. The web is more liberating. After finishing a story, a writer always feels and thinks about all that he has added. With the OTT platforms, the format is such that even if you have missed out something, there are so many places where you can include those thoughts even if not mentioned in the story,” said the Yamla Pagla Deewana actor.

What are your views about the web medium and its content? Share with us in the comments box below.

Looking for stories to binge-watch on ZEE5? Here’s a list of 10 original series and movies you should check out.