Streaming platforms offer a diverse range of storytelling options to directors in the South, newfound stardom to lesser-known actors and spoil the audience for choice as they consume content in different languages
Mohanlal's Drishyam 2 was a hit on OTT platforms
The pandemic has changed the concept of filmmaking and the way a movie is sold in South India. OTTs have become a way of life for producers of Tamil and Malayalam films, while Telugu and Kannada movies are still rooted in the theatrical business. When theatres were shut for a long period in Tamil Nadu and Kerala (still shut) during the pandemic, mainstream cinema moved over to OTT platforms. Superstars like Suriya in Tamil and Mohanlal in Malayalam cinema tasted huge success when they premiered their respective films Soorarai Pottru (2020) and Drishyam 2 (2021) on OTTs. And Fahadh Faasil became an OTT superstar with films like CU Soon (2021), Joji (2021), Malik (2021) and a few others.Suddenly, in commercial cinema, stories were budgeted and written keeping in mind the new wave of OTT audiences.(This story appears in the 22 October, 2021 issue of Forbes India. To visit our Archives, click here.)