Bigtime TV and film producers, known actors and return seasons of popular shows are finding the web series a better option, Sarabhai vs Sarabhai being the latest in this slot. Rachita Malhotra tells you more
From the popular jodi of Bade Achche lagte Hain — Ram Kapoor and Sakshi Tanwar who will be seen together in Ekta Kapoor’s new web series Karrle Tu Bhi Mohabbat, to the comeback of popular cult sitcom Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai, viewers are in for good content. The only catch is that all this and much more is not on television. It is on the digital platform as web-series.
You also have actors like R Madhavan and Amit Sadh making their debut on web series with Breathe and Juhi Chawla playing Defence Minister in Ekta Kapoor’s yet untitled web-series directed by Nagesh Kukunoor. And Kalki Koechlin’s Smoke where she will be seen as a Portugese-Goan DJ dealing with the drug mafia in Goa will be one among many exciting prospects in entertainment’s newest medium.
Karrle Tu Bhi Mohabbat, which will stream on Alt Balaji (a digital platform), is a love story of how these two people can fall in love anytime and anywhere. Sarabhai vs Sarabhai, which will go on the floors in April will stream on Hotstar, is expected to release in May. Grapevine has it that the sitcom will now take a seven-year leap and some new characters will be introduced. Writer Aatish Kapadia has spent three months on the script and will be co-directing the series with Deven Bhojani.
With so many actors venturing into web series since it offers finite and good content, the digital platform has become the new TV. The platform is growing bigger and better as its fan base is increasing.
It all started with the popularity of The Viral Fever’s (TVF) web-series TVF Pitchers which broke the record of the most viewed English TV show Friends (1994-2004). Directed by Amit Golani, the series is youth-centric — four friends quitting their job for a start-up venture. Considering the newbie culture of start-ups in India, the series has brilliantly portrayed the dilemma and struggle that every young and new entrepreneur goes through.
After Pitchers, TVF hogged the limelight once again with Permanent Roommates which is currently in its second season. Again a youth-centric show, it highlights the struggles of a long-distance relationship between a couple. Its first episode had more than 4.5 million views!
Its other shows Barely Speaking with Arnab (2014-present), Humorously Yours (2016-present) and Tripling are charting the top on YouTube and other digital platforms.
Would you ever consider doing a road trip with your siblings, is what Tripling keeps questioning throughout the seriesIJ Amol Prashar, who plays DJ Chitwan in series, talks about his character and tells you that he is a person for whom a road trip is the solution to all problems.
“I think there is a Chitwan in all of us but we are not able to express ourselves because of the social mores. But Chitwan speaks whatever comes in his mind and that is why people like him so much,” Prashar says.
It is not just the viewers for whom there is an alternative. Web series give an opportunity to fresh faces unlike the film industry, thus it becomes easy to get fame and showcase your talent on this platform.
Web is not just being accepted by the audience but by actors too. “Shows on TV run for years, and require actor commitment for longer period, which is why a lot of actors today prefer the finite digital platform,” Prashar tells you.
Since, the entertainment industry is full of people struggling to find fame, the web provides an entry point to them. All you need is a passion for acting and the digital medium is there to help you take your talent forward.
One such person is Mithila Palkar whose web-series The Girl In The City is in its second season in collaboration with Bindaas channel. Produced by Filter Copy, Palkar started her journey with her first series Confusing Things Girlfriends Say.
The series, which take you through the struggles of Meera who moves to a new city to fulfill her dreams, continues with her being left with a choice between staying back in the city of her dream to head home.
Rajat Barmecha, who started his career with the Bollywood film Udaan, tells you that the web series is not only creatively satisfying but gives them the liberty to act too. “TV shows require melodramatic and unrealistic acting whereas the web portrays direct and relatable content,” Barmecha says.
Not only is content more relatable, but it also gives the audiences the freedom to watch shows at their own comfort. They no longer have to wait for clock to strike 7 pm to watch a particular show. With smartphones, it has become easy to watch the series on the go.
Also, the web provides a two-way interaction. One can give feedback about any show as soon as it is watched, something which is again not possible with television.