Bollywood actress Chitrangada Singh, who is seen playing the role of a politician in the recently released Khakee: The Bengal Chapter, spoke about the rise of OTT and its impact on the entertainment industry.
In an exclusive conversation with Moneycontrol, Chitrangada spoke about the pros and cons of the OTT boom and her experience working with acclaimed writer-director Neeraj Pandey.
Over the course of her more than 2-decade-long career, Chitrangada Singh has made a name for herself in Bollywood as a gifted and adaptable actor. Chitrangada Singh, who was born in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, on August 30, 1976, started out as a model before making a memorable debut in Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi in 2005.
When asked about the impact of OTT platforms on the entertainment industry in today's day and age, Chitrangada admitted that although OTT has made entertainment more accessible and given rise to fresh talent, it has also had an impact on the conventional theater-going experience.
"Well, I mean, there's good and bad to both. I mean, not bad exactly, but I suppose it's like a collateral damage situation that happens. Yes, it has affected theatre releases and has affected the number of films that are getting made because there's a lot of entertainment on a phone,. There are films that anyways are going to reach that. I suppose tickets, prices, everything, it's just that one thing sort of affects the other," she said.
Positive aspects of OTT
However, Chitrangada Singh also spoke about the positive aspects of OTT platforms, especially in terms of providing opportunities for new talent and creative storytelling.
"But having said that, I feel the big, big plus that's come out of this is the amount of talent that's come out of OTT, the number of people who've gotten work, technicians, everybody, directors, the number of stories, the kind of storytelling. So it's definitely done a whole lot of good for talent, creative talent," she told us.
Chitrangada Singh's recent work, Khakee: The Bengal Chapter, has gotten rave reviews and is the second installment of the Khakee series on Netflix, with the first being Khakee: The Bihar Chapter.
Her role in Khakee The Bengal Chapter
Chitrangada Singh plays a powerful and nuanced character as a female politician in a world dominated by men in the Neeraj Pandey-written series.
"Just the idea of a character like this is interesting to start with. It's a male-dominated world. Plus, Calcutta is a very politically charged place. So if that whole setting, I think the premise is very interesting," she said.
Chitrangada Singh said she had always wanted to work with Neeraj Pandey, and that was a highlight of the project. "I've been wanting to work with Neeraj for a long time. I've messaged him in the past. His writing is, is, is the king always, you know. It's all in the writing for him. So to have some, to play a character, and to be part of such an amazing cast and amazing series again after the Bihar chapter, the Bengal, which is still the most watched on Netflix."
While acknowledging the challenges posed by OTT, Chitrangada Singh said she believes that the benefits of this new era of entertainment far outweigh the drawbacks.
Besides Chitrangada Singh, Khakee: The Bengal Chapter also stars Bengali stalwarts Prosenjit, Jeet, Saswata Chatterjee, Ritwik Bhowmick, and Aadil Khan.
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