Tamannaah Bhatia: OTT space is blurring out the old idea of stardom

For actor Tamannaah Bhatia, OTT boom comes as a blessing for actors as it works its way to shatter preconceived notions about the image of hero and heroes, and redefine the idea of stardom.

“As a performer, it’s a great opportunity for me to showcase myself in different formats in different characters. Also, we all know that web spaces primarily are writers and an actor’s medium where you really get to explore a lot more in detail, and realistic portrayal of things,” Bhatia tells us.

Fresh from the success of Tamil web series, November Story, she is raving about how the digital space is shifting the narrative in the industry, and giving a chance to regional film industries to embrace its originality.

“When I got the stardom, which was seven to eight years ago, things were very different. In the south, there’s a lot of fanfare, and many are loyal to you for years. With OTT, this idea of stardom and actors will blur out,” asserts the Baahubali actor.

Weighing in on the stars vs actors debate, she asserts only actors will survive. “It’ll become very important for the performers to always be at the top of their game because there’s so much content out there. They’ve to be constantly relevant. We, as actors, will have to evolve a lot faster to catch up with that,”she explains.

According to Bhatia, 31, the digital platforms are also helping her escape the stereotypes as people are now more concerned about the character.

“Back in the day, there was a little bit of a convention that was followed, jaise hero aisa ho, yeh karega, aur heroine should look like this and behave in a certain way. A lot of conventional ideas are just present in our brain,” she says, pointing out that the web is a different ball game altogether.

“But now, you’re being cast for it on the basis if you suit the part, not if you are relevant at the moment,” she notes.

Her web show, November Story, was released in original language, with other subtitles, and she calls it a great move. “They’re trying to break the whole language barrier by taking on more content driven stuff. It’s a great attempt to embrace of Indian cinema,” she signs off.