How OTT Changed Bollywood by ushering in fresh narratives, bold experiments, and new-age Indian success stories.
Mumbai: A New Stage for Bollywood – Digital and Daring
In the past decade, Bollywood has witnessed a tectonic shift. Gone are the days when the fate of a film depended on opening weekend numbers at the box office. Today, content is king, and its throne is digital. The rise of OTT (Over-the-Top) platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar, SonyLIV, and Zee5 has disrupted the traditional studio system and democratized storytelling like never before.
While Bollywood once thrived on formulaic masala films with star power, the OTT era has paved the way for raw, real, and experimental narratives. This digital disruption has not only changed how Indians watch stories, but which stories get told — and by whom.
A Playground for Experimentation
Streaming platforms have broken the shackles of censorship, commercial pressure, and runtime constraints. The 90-minute structure and ‘safe content’ model have given way to long-format storytelling, character depth, and bold themes.
For instance, Paatal Lok (Amazon Prime Video), produced by Anushka Sharma’s Clean Slate Filmz, explored the dark underbelly of Indian society with layered storytelling. The show received critical acclaim and went on to win several awards including the Filmfare OTT Awards for Best Series. Actor Jaideep Ahlawat, who played the morally complex cop Hathiram Chaudhary, became a household name — a feat unimaginable in the cinema-dominated hierarchy of yesteryears.
Another game-changer was Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story on SonyLIV, directed by Hansal Mehta. A relatively unknown Gujarati theatre actor, Pratik Gandhi, was thrust into the national spotlight with his performance as Harshad Mehta. The series not only became one of the highest-rated Indian web series on IMDb (9.4/10) but also earned multiple awards including the Filmfare OTT Award for Best Actor and Best Director.
Breaking the Monopoly of the ‘Khans’
For years, the box office was ruled by the “Three Khans” — Shah Rukh, Salman, and Aamir. However, OTT platforms have shifted the focus from who is in the film to what the film is about.
Take the case of Delhi Crime (Netflix), inspired by the 2012 Delhi gang rape case. The series, led by Shefali Shah, won the International Emmy Award for Best Drama Series in 2020 — a first for an Indian series. Its success not only challenged the belief that international acclaim was reserved for high-budget films, but also proved that women-led narratives can dominate viewership.
In an interview with The Hindu, Shefali Shah said, “The OTT space has given actors like me roles I could only dream of in mainstream Bollywood. We’re finally being seen, and heard.”
A New Wave of Creators
OTT has opened doors for young storytellers, especially from small towns, who were previously sidelined by the Mumbai-centric studio ecosystem. Writers like Sudip Sharma (Paatal Lok), Varun Grover (Sacred Games), and directors like Rima Das (Village Rockstars) are crafting stories rooted in India’s socio-cultural fabric.
Rima Das, who single-handedly directed, wrote, and edited Village Rockstars, saw her Assamese-language film not just reach global platforms but also become India’s official entry for the Oscars in 2018. Her grassroots filmmaking approach, often with non-professional actors, became a case study of how regional cinema could find a wider audience in the OTT age.
As per a Scroll.in report, platforms like Netflix and Prime Video have started commissioning original content in regional languages — a significant move that allows authentic Indian stories to travel beyond borders.
Audiences Have Grown Smarter — And Hungrier
The Indian audience, especially in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, now consumes global content, from Money Heist to Breaking Bad. This exposure has raised expectations. Viewers now crave stories with substance, characters with flaws, and endings that provoke thought.
This hunger for layered narratives has been smartly tapped into by creators like Neeraj Ghaywan, whose Geeli Pucchi (part of Netflix’s Ajeeb Daastaans) dealt with caste and queer identity in a beautifully nuanced manner. It starred Konkona Sen Sharma and received widespread praise for its sensitivity.
Pandemic: The Turning Point
COVID-19 lockdowns were a major catalyst. With theaters shut, audiences turned to OTT as their primary source of entertainment. Big-budget films like Gulabo Sitabo, Shershaah, and Ludo skipped theatrical releases entirely.
Shershaah, the Sidharth Malhotra-starrer based on Kargil war hero Captain Vikram Batra, was released on Amazon Prime Video and garnered massive praise. It became one of the most-watched Indian films on the platform and won several accolades, including the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for Best Film on OTT in 2022.
Changing the Power Dynamic
With OTT, the audience has become the ultimate decision-maker. Algorithms now determine what works — not star salaries or legacy banners. This has led to more accountability and encouraged risk-taking.
Film critic Anupama Chopra notes in Film Companion, “The rise of streaming platforms is the most democratic thing to have happened to Indian cinema. It’s a space where content truly speaks louder than celebrity.”
Looking Ahead: Is Theatrical Dead?
Not quite. Theatres are making a comeback with spectacles like RRR and Pathaan, but the ecosystem has changed irreversibly. There’s now a clear bifurcation: big-screen blockbusters for theatrical, and nuanced, character-driven stories for OTT.
Bollywood is learning to live in this dual world — where stars now act in web series (Saif Ali Khan in Sacred Games, Ajay Devgn in Rudra) and indie creators headline mainstream festivals.
Final Reel
OTT hasn’t just disrupted Bollywood — it has redefined it. From empowering new voices to giving a second life to forgotten actors, the digital wave is scripting a new narrative. One where geography, language, and lineage matter less than passion, perspective, and performance.
As India becomes one of the fastest-growing video streaming markets in the world, with a projected user base of over 500 million by 2026 (as per a FICCI-EY 2023 report), one thing is clear: the revolution will not be televised — it will be streamed.
