Yearender 2022 | How offbeat films by emerging directors stood out on OTT platforms this year

As 2022 begins to wrap up, Hindi cinema concludes one of its worst years. Star studded films and high budget productions fell flat at the box office. Instead an appetite for grand sized regional cinema emerged. For OTT platforms though, releasing films made by relatively new directors, writers and driven by unexplored subjects paid off.

Qala on Netflix serves as an example of this. Set in an unspecified time between Forties, Fifites and sixties, this period drama is about the unravelling of a popular film singer because of undiagnosed, repressed trauma. Anvita Dutt’s film has sparked debate on social media, driving extreme reactions. It is flawed and self-indulgent in parts. But in addressing the age-old gender bias against women in Indian film music as well as showbiz, and the impact of parental judgement, it bridges complexities that haven’t made it to Hindi cinema often. It is unlikely that she would have found typical financing for this film that features good actors  (Tripti Dimri, Babil Khan and Swastika Mukherjee) and doesn’t ride on star value.  Her first directorial venture, Bulbbul (2020), had earned positive reviews on the same OTT platform.  She explains,  “Both the producer (Clean Slate Filmz) and the platform are focused on the storytelling. Just as I am a new storyteller I had a cast that is relatively new. In both cases, what was more important to them was that we were the right people for the job…they (Netflix) were willing to green light my stories. And they allow me to make them the way these stories needed to be told. Of course, the fact that their reach is across 190 countries just helps the story travel and find its own audience.”

What began as survival strategy for films of smaller scale during the Covid-19 lockdown has bloomed into full-fledged release strategy for new directors. These films  have unusual subjects and feature uncommon filmmaking styles. Amazon Prime Video has had significant success by releasing films. While big-scale Hindi films like Jalsa (featuring Vidya Balan and Shefali Shah), or Gehraiyaan (starring Deepika Padukone, Siddhanth Chaturvedi and Ananya Pandey) worked well, they saw consistent success with smaller, content driven regional films.  Tamil film Saani Kaayidham,  featuring Keerthy Suresh and Selveraghavan is director Arun Matheswaran’s second feature. His first, Rocky (2020), also in Tamil had gotten praise from critics. With his second, he deals with revenge against caste based exploitation and gender based violence. The use of chilling violence to reflect the protagonist’s damaged and angry state of mind bear his definitive stamp.  The platform also released Ammu by new director Charukesh Sekar that tackles domestic violence  and a survivor’s struggle. Sekar took inspiration from the massive spike in domestic violence during the lockdowns across India to make a story that focuses on this uncomfortable and widespread social reality. Malayankunju (2022), a Malayalam film starring Fahadh Faasil and directed by newbie Sajimon Prabhakar and written by Mahesh Narayanan, is another example. A survival drama, it was made on a small budget and stayed on as a top 10 film for a long period of time on Prime Video.

Working with new filmmakers brings in fresh creative narrative styles for OTT platforms, a plus to get international viewership. For instance, Vasan Bala’s Monica O My Darling (starring Rajkummar Rao, Huma Qureshi and Radhika Apte),  primarily rides on characters and utilises references to retro Hindi cinema and Hollywood classics to tell a entertaining story. Without the rush to get into theatres and survive for weeks, this film has become a huge hit on OTT. Similarly, Love Hostel (starring Sanya Malhotra, Bobby Deol and Vikrant Massey) by cinematographer turned director Shanker Raman and the debut feature film Mudhal Nee Mudivum Nee by Darbuka Siva have clicked for Zee5. Both are the work of new directors that focus on young love in different contexts. Both strike a chord as these subjects and their treatment are easy to relate to.

For OTT platforms the cost of producing and releasing a film with new directors and also writers proves lesser and ths success rate, higher. Netflix India has had more success with it’s films than Indian original OTT series. Monica Shergill, VP, Content, Netflix India, explains this as, “We are thrilled to be a launchpad to a new generation of talent to find the most entertaining, locally authentic and diverse stories from India and are invested in backing up those who have found unconditional love from audiences with our stories. What’s important is that an actor should be best suited to play a role in a film, and the filmmaker has the vision, desire and capability to bring together the film… In 2021 alone, 22 talent and 20 directors made their streaming debut with Netflix, and this trend continues in 2022…We have great creator partnerships like Raj & DK, Excel Entertainment, as well as newer collaborations with Alia Bhatt’s Eternal Sunshine Productions, Viniyard Films, and Clean Slate Films, among others.”

The struggle to find a suitable release window in crowded movie theatres had effectively reduced the scope for human stories rooted in contemporary Indian experiences. With OTT releases becoming successful emerging directors, writers and producers now have a way to make money and find a solid audience. In future, hopefully, there will be a lot more such films that we get to see. They nurture new talent and offer decent entertainment.

Archita Kashyap is an experienced journalist and writer on film, music, and pop culture. She has handled entertainment content for broadcast news and digital platforms over 15 years. 

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