What happens when writers are given a creative platform sans the TRP chase, censorship scissor hands or the pressure of catering to the prime time audience
You have what most producers would call a creative utopia where a family matriarch or television’s beloved “baa” can jolly well snort white stripes of “rangoli” if she wants or the face of all things sanskari, Alok Nath, can indulge in sexual banter.
The lack of television and celluloid constraints or regulations is helping the Internet flourish as a haven for content creators who are rewriting the narrative of Indian fiction and non-fiction shows. Arre’s latest web series called I Don’t Watch TV is unabashed in its parody about the banality of desi television soaps.
Voot’s soon to be launched chat show — Sinskari — will feature Hindi entertainment’s father figure Alok Nath talking about pre-marital sex, role play and a lot more.
The popularity of the medium can be gauged from the fact that one of the older players, TVF’s Permanent Roommates, featuring the life of a live-in couple, is now in its third season with a subscriber base of over 15 lakh on YouTube. Girl In The City, All About Section 377, Bang Baaja Baaraat and Aisha are just a few among a flurry of web series creating a loyal viewer base for themselves.
A new wave of content is washing over the entertainment space and writers are making the most of it. Here’s why: No chop chop The fact that there’s no regulatory body telling you what’s “objectionable content” is a huge impetus for content creators. The face of Roadies and also producer of sci-fi web thriller A.I.SHA, Raghu Ram says, “My content has always been controversial, so I am just being myself. We do undergo scrutiny; the channels have their own legal team, but it’s an internal process. I haven’t spoken to YouTube about it.”
I will not put out something that is politically incorrect, something that is racist or sexist, or inciting violence or terror. But yes, you can push the boundaries with sex and language online.”
Samar Shaikh, director of Bindaas’ Girl In The City series believes that “no censorship” means self-censorship. “There is no pressure to come up with a specific type of content, but a story needs what it needs — sometimes, it needs open discussions between centric characters on delicate issues, sometimes, abrasive language to create mood, or sometimes, physical intimacy between characters. As long as we play the story sensibly, effectively and responsibly, censorship will stay a self-governing principle. In India, we have to deal with many creative restrictions but the web gives us a new avenue to really put forth certain stories that were otherwise difficult to tell. But let’s use this opportunity with respect.” Web’s cooler television For Nakuul Mehta, who became a prime time darling as the protagonist for Pyaar Ka Dard Hai Meetha Meetha Pyaar Pyaara, the web gave him a chance to portray “real” content. The actor, producer and creator of I Don’t Watch TV says, “As actors on television, you are mostly catering to mothers and grandparents. Your acting and dialogue delivery is expected to be a certain way — larger than life, exaggerated. But web allows you to be real. I am afraid that freedom might be curbed when people start monetising the platform and brands and channels start having a say — like in television.”
Nakuul’s show is a parody that takes a dig at the Indian television industry. It features an actor who is tired of getting calls for naagin-based shows and another one who is asked to pee on his own time when he asks for time off to take a loo break. “To be honest, many things on the show are real. We have of course merged the truth with the bizarre and it’s for the audience to figure out which one’s which,” he adds.
Alok Nath too, is looking to bring out the real, “non-babuji’ side of him through Sinskari. “My image that has been created is not the person I am always, I know the real me. I was initially very skeptical of doing it and took a long time to say yes to it,” says the actor who now wants to cater to a different audience.
“Television is still catering to the middle class audience, not regressive, but rooted to traditions. They still have babujis and dhoti-kurta wearing characters. But a web series is a good way to get out of the cocoon you have been in. I don’t know what the result is going to be, how people will take it — it’s bizarre and crazy. But times are changing and a mobile phone has become a body part, and youngsters are hooked onto it. One might forget a medicine to be carried everyday but not the cell phone. We should experiment and go with the trend.” Creativity comes for a price It is a matter of time before advertisers and brands tap into the reach of Internet content, but until then, its little moolah, says Ashish Patil, producer of Y Film’s Bang Baaja Baaraat. “Creatively it is very satisfying but being profitable is what gives you the luxury to be creative. Currently, there’s no real viable business model on the web for original content in India. So just the way most people are eating pizzas and riding cabs funded by VCs, the same is continuing here for most content creators as well, which is not sustainable beyond a point. In the long term, we hope it will be very profitable and lead to sizeable value creation. But we are still figuring it out.”
Imtiaz Ali, who has made a foray into the web space with his short films, is soon going to explore web series too. About the money making aspect, the Bollywood director says, “I think the revenue system is not in place as far as web series in India are concerned. It will take some time for people to figure out what the revenue generation is going to be like.” Edgy content is king “All you really need is a good idea, and a good smartphone, half decent edit software on your computer and you’re good to go! You talk directly to the end viewer. No middleman, broadcaster, exhibitor, distributor to approve your content or anything,” adds Ashish Patil, who doesn’t believe in creating content with shock value, but with strong matter. “Often a lot of people put out ‘risqué, edgy’ content just for the heck of it with puns, swearing and nudity for shock value. That’s just kind of dumb. The bullshit metre for our audience is so sharp, they’ll call you out! So when it’s organic to the narrative or character, we would use that. Not otherwise. And there’s no pressure for ‘explosive’ content; it’s to tell fresh stories in a fresh manner.”
Amit Khanna, director of All About Section 377, a series based on the LGBT community, says, “I think the audience needs a break from regressive television content, which I feel is made to cater to a rural audience. The urban viewer is educated and is looking for something more relatable and day-to-day; web series are providing that fresh air of relief. As long as the viewer can relate to the content, it’s going to click and is here to stay.”
