Tag: ott

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Bollywood Films Lite Blogs

Wait For Exciting OTT Releases

The reality show follows the dangerous work of logger and sawmill owner Kevin Wenstob as he and his crew go to extremes to keep the family sawmill and their way of life alive…reports Asian Lite News.

OTT is the only relief for film lovers in the pandemic era. Here’s a look at highlight films, shows, and series that are scheduled to drop in the digital space this week.

PUNCCH BEAT, Season 2 (series on ALT Balaji, June 27)
Cast: Priyank Sharma, Siddharth Sharma, Harshita Gaur
Created by: Vikas Gupta

The all-new season of this high school drama is about new relationships, friendships, rivalries and more. The story revolves around Rosewood High. The school has only one rule that is to obey all rules. But as the new semester starts it unfolds a lot of dark secrets and eventually all rules are broken.

COLD CASE (film on Amazon Prime, June 30)

Cast: Prithviraj Sukumaran, Aditi Balan
Direction: Tanu Balak

The Malayalam horror thriller tells the story of a complex murder case, parallelly investigated by a police officer and an investigative journalist in their own way, who eventually cross paths to unravel secrets they never imagined.

HASEEN DILLRUBA (film on Netflix, July 2)

Cast: Taapsee Pannu, Vikrant Massey, Harshvardhan Rane
Direction: Vinil Mathew

Under investigation as a suspect in her husband’s murder, a wife reveals details of their thorny marriage that seem to only further blur the truth.

THE TOMORROW WAR (film on Amazon Prime, July 2)

Cast: Chris Pratt, Yvonne Strahovski, JK Simmons, Betty Gilpin
Direction: Chris McKay

An American military science fiction action film, it focuses on humanity’s war against an alien invasion in the future, as humans use a new ability to draft soldiers from the past to help fight the aliens.

SAMANTAR season 2 (series on MX Player, July 2)

Cast: Tejaswini Pandit, Sai Tamhankar, Swwapnil Joshi
Direction: Satish Rajwade

The second season of the Marathi mystery thriller series resumes the story of Kumar Mahajan played by Joshi who searches for a man who has already lived Kumar’s life and could tell him about the events of the future.

FEAR STREET PART ONE: 1994 (film on Netflix, July 2)

Cast: Kiana Madeira, Olivia Scott Welch, Benjamin Flores Jr.
Direction: Leigh Jania

The horror film trilogy is based on the book series of the same name by novelist RL Stine. The events in the movies take place decades apart from each other but are connected with a curse. After a series of brutal slayings, a teen and her friends take on an evil force that is plagued their notorious town Shadyside, Ohio for centuries.

BIG TIMBER season 1 (reality show on Netflix, July 2)
Cast: Kevin Wenstob, Eric Wenstob, Sarah Fleming

The reality show follows the dangerous work of logger and sawmill owner Kevin Wenstob as he and his crew go to extremes to keep the family sawmill and their way of life alive.

GREY’S ANATOMY season 17 (series on Netflix, July 3)
Cast: Ellen Pompeo, Chandra Wilson, James Pickens Jr.
Showrunner: Krista Vernoff

In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, the doctors at Grey Sloan find themselves in uncharted territory as they work to save lives without any end in sight. The latest season also features Meredith on the beach among other storylines.

CHUTZPAH (series on Sony Liv, July 3)
Cast: Varun Sharma, Manjot Singh, Elnaaz Norouzi
Created by: Mrighdeep Lamba

The thriller dark comedy series is based on cybercrime. It looks at issues of digital frauds, honey traps, and more. “Fukrey” stars Varun Sharma and Manjot Singh are back together again in the show.

ALSO READ-OTT tells a number of tales

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OTT tells a number of tales

Over the past few year, we have had anthologies such “Ludo”, “Unpaused”, “Ajeeb Dastaans” and “Ray” in Hindi. Thanks to the fact that OTT provides unrestricted viewing to all audiences across the nation and the globe…writes Yashika Mathur.

Anthologies are not a new trend, but the number of such kind of story telling has increased in the digital space. Storytellers on OTT have struck gold with anthology films and shows. While the genre is not altogether new, it seems to increasingly find favour for more than one reason. For one, it lets makers of OTT shows and films pack in more, in terms of actors. More importantly, the audience gets more than one flavour of storytelling thanks to the multitude of stories that are mostly directed by different directors, hence bringing in varied styles.

Over the past few year, we have had anthologies such “Ludo”, “Unpaused”, “Ajeeb Dastaans” and “Ray” in Hindi. Thanks to the fact that OTT provides unrestricted viewing to all audiences across the nation and the globe, regional anthology films such as “Putham Pudu Kaalai” and “Paava Kadhaigal” (both Tamil) have also managed to draw attention beyond the home state.

“Everyone makes a normal routine film but anthology is difficult and challenging. The taste of the audience has evolved and they are exposed to international shows. Earlier it was tried with ‘Dus Kahaniyaan’ but audience back then didn’t understand the concept. Now, cinema-making and cinema consumption has changed. Every generation has its taste. Earlier social, action and romantic films worked. This is a new format the audience is enjoying,” trade analyst Atul Mohan tells IANS.

From the perspective of a film maker, while one may feel that bringing multiple creative storytellers can be challenging, Srijit Mukherji has his take. Mukherji, who has directed two of the four stories in “Ray”, talks of whether individual treatment of a filmmaker gets affected, knowing there are two more stories clubbed with his film, directed by two others.

“It would have (been affected) if I would have known what others are treating their films like. Fortunately, here, Sayantan Mukherjee, who is the show runner of ‘Ray’, didn’t let anyone know what the other director is making. He had the overall picture on how four films were shaping up. There was no one way that one guy’s film would affect the other’s,” says Mukherji.

Actor Chandan Roy Sanyal, who was impressive in Vasan Bala’s segment “Spotlight” in the anthology “Ray”, explains what about the format of anthology attracts him as an actor.

“What attracts me in an anthology is that you can tell four different stories on one topic and every actor and director has a different interpretation. You are watching the same thing on love, lust or horror and everyone has their own take on it. It’s lovely to see everyone have their own version. The soul is the same but storytelling and treatment are different,” says Chandan.

With the ready acceptance recent anthologies have seen, ne sure there will be many lined up over the next months. A new one, “Feels Like Ishq” helmed by six directors, was been announced a few days back. The film will star Radhika Madan, Amol Parashar, Neeraj Madhav, Tanya Maniktala, Kajol Chug, Mihir Ahuja, Simran Jehani, Rohit Saraf, Saba Azad, Sanjeeta Bhattacharya, Zayn Khan and Skand Thakur.

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Taapsee reveals how ‘Haseen Dillruba’ reached her

It’s not just a beautifully written mystery, it has such wonderful characters, which is candy in an actor’s hands,” Taapsee said…reports Asian Lite News.

Taapsee is one of the actresses who choose characters wisely. She has revealed that she was not the first choice of the upcoming mystery thriller “Haseen Dillruba”. The actress claims the film came to her after all options were exhausted.

“‘Haseen Dillruba’ was a film I had a very gut feeling about the day I heard the basic idea from (writer) Kanika (Dhillon). Unfortunately, I wasn’t the first choice for the film and it came to me after all their options were exhausted,” Taapsee said.

She calls the film a candy in an actor’s hand. “The good old saying that, if it’s meant for you it will come to you stands true for this case. It’s not just a beautifully written mystery, it has such wonderful characters, which is candy in an actor’s hands,” Taapsee said.

She added: “I am glad I got to experiment with my look and performance with this one because I am definitely not the go-to person for this kind of character conventionally, and we all love to take risks.”

The film, which also stars Vikrant Massey and Harshvardhan Rane, is about a woman whose heart longs to live like the words captured in a novel, but who finds herself entangled in the murder of her husband.

Vikrant calls the film a perfect blend of humour, quirk, revenge and romance. “I hope it surprises the audience as much as it surprised me when I heard it first. It was an enthralling experience shooting for,” he said.

Harshvardhan feels honoured to be in the same frame with some of our “country’s finest talent”.

“Taapsee and Vikrant, have one thing in common I could never make out if they were joking or if they were serious. I always had to look for tiny nuances to understand the pretext,” he added.

“Haseen Dilruba”, directed by “Hasee Toh Phasee”, helmer Vinil Mathew, will be released on Netflix.

ALSO READ-Kangana hits back Taapsee over ‘propaganda’ tweet

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Shraddha feels blessed to work with amazing people


The storyteller adds: “I met some wonderful people in the course of this show. I was blessed to have worked with amazing people. A few of them will remain with me forever.”…reports Asian Lite News.

Film making is a wonderful art that all people can’t succeed in. Filmmaker Shraddha Pasi Jairath’s recently-released web show “Chattis Aur Maina” revolves around ambitious Maina, lead of a dance troupe, and her neighbourhood good boy Chattis, and how their lives change when they start vibing on a dating app. The show stars Sandeepa Dhar and Vikram Singh Chauhan.

“They say you don’t take a shot (in films), you make a shot. It’s been a learning experience so far, from graduating at FTII Pune to working with stalwart directors. Each and every project teaches you what to do and what not to do. Personally, ‘Chattis Aur Maina’ has been close to me. I got an opportunity to do a lot of stuff from dance to romance to drama to holding scenes with a large number of actors in one frame,” she says.

The storyteller adds: “I met some wonderful people in the course of this show. I was blessed to have worked with amazing people. A few of them will remain with me forever.”

Shraddha has worked with directors like Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Pradeep Sarkar, Vikas Bahl, Maneesh Sharma, Ram Madhvani and Yash Raj Films in the past. She was the assistant director in films and television shows like “Mahi Way”, “Khotey Sikke” and films like “Mujhse Fraandship Karoge”, “Shudh Desi Romance”, “Mardaani” and “Shaandaar”.

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‘Choosing role in a thriller is advantage’

“11th Hour” streams on Aha while “November Story” is on Disney+ Hotstar VIP…reports Asian Lite News.

South star had recently debuted in OTT. Tamannaah Bhatia feels choosing a role in a thriller can always be an advantage for an actor because the genre has a high binge quotient.

This year, Tamannaah made her digital debut in April with the Telugu web series “11th Hour”, a crime thriller that also features Adith Arun and Vamsi Krishna.

In May, she returned to OTT space again with the Tamil whodunit drama “November Story” alongside Pasupathy, GM Kumar, Aruldass and Vivek Prasanna.

“A thriller, if done well, has the ability to let you binge-watch. Now that is essentially what everybody who makes a show wants you to do. So, when you choose a genre like the thriller, if it is done well, it has a high potential of reaching that goal of being a binge-watchable show,” she says.

“11th Hour” streams on Aha while “November Story” is on Disney+ Hotstar VIP.

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Mrunal not bothered about medium

The actress adds that the medium has never really mattered to her…reports Asian Lite News.

Digital platforms got wide acceptance amid this pandemic era. Actress Mrunal Thakur, who has the films “Toofan”, “Jersey” and “Aankh Micholi” lined up, says that she has always taken projects which will help her survive longer in the industry.

The actress says that she has always focused on giving her best performance in every role.

“I am glad that cinema is reaching a wider audience. There were people and filmmakers who asked me to do a couple of films in order for me to be famous. But I never choose my films thinking that I will be a star. I want to survive longer here. One thing that lasts longer is talent and performances,” she told.

The actress adds that the medium has never really mattered to her.

“No matter where my films come, they need to be good. If you ask me personally my job is just to be a part of the movie. That’s what my dream is. Thanks to OTT, in the midst of a pandemic, as an artist if I can entertain then that is only through OTT,” she says.

However, she does feel insecure due to the current situation.

“There is a bit of insecurity also because of the time that we are living in. I am not apprehensive, I am just worried that a film should get the recognition it deserves. Things have slowed down and this has affected the entertainment industry,” the actress added.

ALSO READ-Mrunal Admits Some Filmmakers give equality to women

READ MORE-Mrunal Likes To Pick Roles Based On Story

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Lockdown fuels growth of E-commerce, OTT, gaming

E-commerce, OTT, gaming saw over 100% growth in 2020. The OTT segment witnessed an incredible 144 per cent increase in the number of transactions and a 139 per cent increase in expenditure between 2019 and 2020

Advantage OTT, Gaming and e-commerce. Covid spread has fuelled the growth of tech sector. Amid the pandemic, online payments, indoor entertainment and gaming witnessed over 100 per cent growth in India last year, a new report said.

 As theatres and offline entertainment avenues remained shut consumers turned to indoor entertainment, the OTT segment witnessed an incredible 144 per cent increase in the number of transactions and a 139 per cent increase in expenditure between 2019 and 2020, according to online payments solution provider PayU.

 The pandemic gave a huge boost to online payments, seen in the 24 per cent increase in the number of transactions and 23 per cent increase in expenditure across the PayU platform, year on year.

 “PayU is committed to partnering with merchants to facilitate adoption of digital infrastructure,” said Hemang Dattani, Head- Data Intelligence, PayU.

 Interestingly, during the festive season (October-December 2020) there was a 45 per cent spike in the number of online transactions vis-a-vis the same period in the previous year.

 The number of UPI transactions grew by 288 per cent and expenditure through UPI grew a phenomenal 331 per cent between 2019 and 2020.

 The gaming segment saw a phenomenal 100 per cent increase in expenditure and a 154 per cent increase in average ticket size between the two years.

 “For gaming and entertainment, the number of transactions made at night increased by 34 per cent while the number of transactions made during the day decreased by 11 per cent in 2020 vs. 2019, an indication of the increased dependence on indoor entertainment while working from home,” the findings showed.

  Travel and hospitality were some of the most impacted sectors with an 86 per cent drop in the number of transactions and expenditure between pre and post-COVID quarters (January-March vs April-June 2020).

 Compared to 2019, there was a 46 per cent drop in the number of transactions and a 52 per cent in drop in expenditure in ’20.

 “Edtech emerged as a winner, with a 78 per cent increase in the number of transactions and a 44 per cent increase in expenditure,” the report mentioned.

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Nawazuddin takes a jibe on super stars

The actor adds that stars are now moving to OTT because films are not being released in theatres…reports Anjuri Nayar Singh

Nawazuddin Siddiqui is not reluctant to make his comments. Actor Siddiqui says that aspiring actors need to make sure they have their unique style while entering showbiz, adding that if they intend to copy the superstars, they will not be liked by the audience.

ALSO READ: Nawazuddin, Ila Arun on their best scene in ‘Ghoomketu’

“I would just like to say from my experience that you should not lose your originality. These superstars do fake acting, so don’t get carried away with it. I want to see your original acting. If you are acting like a superstar, why would I watch you. If you show something good, something that is interesting and original, I would want to see that,” he told.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui

The actor adds that stars are now moving to OTT because films are not being released in theatres.

Nawazuddin: Timing is very important in comedy

“In the beginning, it was because of cause and passion. Now, because of the lockdown and films not releasing in theatres, these big stars are coming to OTT. That is not a good thing. Now there are big OTT platforms that are taking these big stars. Why didn’t these stars come before?” he says.

Nawazuddin makes his music video debut in B. Praak’s new song “Baarish ki jaaye”, which released recently.

Talking about the video, he says: “My experience was very different. I have never done it (music video) before and I never even paid attention. But they got two to three options, and we talked. I like the work of B. Praak and this one I liked in the first go. (Video director) Arvindr Khaira shot in Hyderabad. We shot it in two days. I have never danced and have this mental blockage about it. I was scared, too. But I rehearsed and it went off well,” he recalls.

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Tamannah makes her OTT debut

She has a note of caution for fans, too: “Guys, as much as possible, please be safe. It’s really bad right now. We should just all follow the guidelines…reports Asian Lite News.

Pandemic period gave opportunities to several stars to get into new medium of movie release. Southern star Tamannaah Bhatia, who makes her OTT debut with the Telugu corporate thriller series “11th Hour”, feels despite language restriction the show has a universal appeal.

“It’s a boardroom drama, and it’s my first show on OTT. The show is in Telugu language but I think it’s extremely universal. I hope, even the audiences who don’t understand Telugu but like good shows will watch it,” says Tamannaah.

The show is her first offering after she recovered from Covid-19 infection. Talking about her experience of returning after being down with the coronavirus, she says: “It was a super experience. For me it was a bit exhausting because it was right after I got Covid, but I think I used it as fuel and I hope that will be seen in the show.”

Bollywood celebrities including Akshay Kumar, Aamir Khan, Alia Bhatt, Ranbir Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, Vicky Kaushal, Govinda, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Bhumi Pednekar, Ajaz Khan, Shubhangi Atre and Ritwik Bhowmik have been afflicted by the virus so far, and Tamannaah wishes everyone a speedy recovery.

“It is pretty bad right now. I just want everyone to recover well and I hope whoever is going through it, gets out of it and feels healthy and good,” she says.

She has a note of caution for fans, too: “Guys, as much as possible, please be safe. It’s really bad right now. We should just all follow the guidelines. It will be a lot better for us and the city as well because Mumbai is really crowded. We need to help each other to not get infected. This all depends on us.”

Her debut series “11th Hour” is directed by Praveen Sattaru. The eight-episode web series is inspired by Upendra Namburi’s 2017 book “8 Hours”, in which the protagonist Aratrika Reddy (played by Tamannaah), faces a multi-layered high stakes boardroom challenge that unfolds over one night. It streams on Aha, April 9 onwards.

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Spotlighting ‘Lesbian love’ in B’wood

The upcoming anthology is all about love and longing. However, one story featuring actresses Konkona Sen Sharma and Aditi Rao Hydari explores a relationship between two women…reports Asian Lite News.

OTT gave wide range of opportunities to real creative contents. Same-sex love stories with male protagonists, although rare, have still been explored on the Hindi screen, but lesbianism is relatively rarer. The rise of OTT culture has created a platform to explore a variety of subjects. Lesbianism, a taboo word in India, is finding space, too, over the recent past.

Moving away from formula-driven content, the digital space has been intrepid in narrating stories where a woman would express love to another woman uninhibitedly.

Nushrratt Bharuccha

There are quite a few projects that have come up spotlighting lesbian love.

Ajeeb Dastaans

The upcoming anthology is all about love and longing. However, one story featuring actresses Konkona Sen Sharma and Aditi Rao Hydari explores a relationship between two women. Titled “Geeli Pucchi” and directed by “Masaan” maker Neeraj Ghaywan, the story revolves around two women who long for an emotional connect and end up finding it in one another.

Bombay Begums

The show, starring Pooja Bhatt, Shahana Goswami, Amruta Subhash, Plabita Borthakur and Aadhya Anand, touches upon themes of ambition, desire, struggle for power and vulnerability through the stories of five modern Indian women in Mumbai. When it dropped, a sensual kissing scene between Plabita and co-actress Sanghmitra Hitaishi created quite a stir.

The Married Woman

The web series is about a relationship two women develop, and the circumstances that lead to it. The show stars Monica Dogra and Ridhi Dogra, and is based on author Manju Kapur’s bestseller novel of the same name.

Four More Shots Please!

The show isn’t just about lesbian relationships but one of the lead characters, played by Bani J, is bisexual. Soon, the story shifts to Bani’s character falling in love with Lisa Ray’s character and the story revolves around their relationship.

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