Actor Saif Ali Khan states that unlike films, digital streaming platforms deliver artists with an “egalitarian” atmosphere where people are treated equally. The actor is one of the early mainstream Bollywood celebrities to join the digital medium with Netflix’s Sacred Games in 2018.
Saif said that since OTT platforms do not deliver viewership numbers, it allows people in evaluating a film or a series purely on its value.“It’s wonderfully liberating not to be disturbed by the box office, which intrinsically influences creativity a lot. The audience determines what they desire to see and who becomes a celebrity.
“A star commands a certain opening day number. Your price tag is based on market value. But to have an egalitarian environment is always good,” Khan told. The actor received huge praise for the show, which also featured Nawazuddin Siddiqui. Khan said the pair were “equals” on location and were contesting with each other for the improvement of the project, with no industry-set ranking.
“When Nawazuddin and I do a ‘Sacred Games’, we must act like equals and on the same kind of status as everybody else. It’s a more egalitarian atmosphere there. Whereas, a film’s set overlooks to be a bit more hierarchical based on who you are. Which is there because it’s a capitalist world,” he added. He was talking on the main matters of a discussion contained by Royal Stag Barrel Select Large Short Films.
The platform, which hosts and supports short films, got together with others from the fraternity, including Siddiqui, Manoj Bajpayee, and Samantha Akkineni, to examine the development and evolution of the short film format and cinema at an immense level. He said that the industry is presently experiencing big transitions, where every idea, from the length of a film to its release, is being questioned. The “Tanhaji” actor said one can compare a film to a novel and a short film to a poem but “that doesn’t mean that a poem is any easy to write.”
“Today, the world is changing and I don’t know where people would look for their entertainment. Cinema halls are no more the only place where people are watching films. It’s exciting that notions are being challenged and is always a good thing to be a part of.” Khan said as an actor, he has never limited himself to any medium as he does not believe in the theory that a Hindi film actor “is only meant for the big screen.”The actor said if people feel that he is forcing himself out of his comfort zone, it’s also because of the changing terrain of Hindi films today.
“There’s a movement going on, things are flaring in Bollywood. Filmmakers are forcing, trying, and boosting the standard. If you’re an actor right now, you’re going to be a part of the evolution as well. It’s not really me who’s trying to go out of my comfort zone. The makers themselves are doing it. All you’ve to do is agree to be a part of their vision and have the imagination to go along with it,” he said.
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