Sayani Gupta lauds the OTT platforms, says one doesn’t need a lot of money to tell good stories

The OTT platforms have changed the way how content is created and consumed, and Sayani Gupta, one of the leading names in the space, attests to that.

Lauding the whole digital boom that gained momentum in the last couple of years, the actor says that it’s “gratifying” to see how so many production houses choosing to tell stories that need to be told.

“They’re putting the money where the mouth is. I’m thankful for such people who’re giving different stories a platform,” says the actor who has done web shows such as Four More Shots Please!, Inside Edge, Criminal Justice:Behind Close Doors, among others.

Noting how storytelling is also changing, Gupta adds, “With OTT, you always see what the audience wants, and now, they only want good content. You don’t need a lot of money to tell good stories. And I think many production houses have made that timely decision and transition.”

The 35-year-old cites the example of her web film Axone (2020), which depicted the North-East community in the mainstream for the first time with mostly actors from the region.

“Now, it’s no longer about getting a star and making a project. You have a good story, you cast the right actors and make it well, and people will be there to lap it up. If you don’t make it well, people are going to sh*t all over it. OTT has broken hierarchy and challenged the status quo,” she opines.

While the going has been good for the web platforms, is there anything that they should be mindful of?

The actor, who has been a part of web projects such as Posham Pa, Inside Edge and Four More Shots Please!, says, “There should be no censorship. Other than that I think OTT is here to stay. The lines have blurred. Everything has seeped into each other. OTT makes so many things possible and the best thing is that it has given talent a platform it needed, be it in writing, acting or direction.”