In praise of OTT and the young generation of filmmakers

The world of entertainment has gone through transformation of epical proportion. It is not so much in content but in its digital make-up to make the make-believe world not only realistic but also much too overwhelming for the viewers at times. Today, life-size images have been replaced by oversize hulks, background with compatible high decibel acoustic and breathtaking actions. In short, the trend is in favour of blockbusters.
No wonder the traditional cinema halls are unfit for showing big budget films full of actions, revenge and romance of unfamiliar and exceptional order. The craze is for cineplex or multiplex and wave cinemas where everything from pre-show advertisement to the actual film projection is on a high pitch. Undoubtedly, the older generation accustomed to enjoying a film in a homely atmosphere with the proceeding running at a slow and quiet pace feels out of sort in such a digitally heightened system of overtone.
The film industry in Bangladesh witnessed a decline for decades not because the movies churned out here were suffering on account of technical and technological support but because of the storylines and their unconvincing projection. Even the world of fantasy and phantasmagoria as presented in a well-knit movie of the advanced country was not the filmmakers' cup of tea here. All that was presented as romance or real life was an affront to emotion and intellect. What matters is convincing projection. Cheap, hollow and often sordid they could draw only a class of uncouth and uninitiated viewers. The middle class which forms the majority of film lovers shied away from the big screens.
Thus the dearth of viewers killed cinema halls one after another. At one point, the demise of movie houses prompted some people involved with the business to even advance the proposal of showing popular Hindi films in such facilities. Then appeared the Covid-19 when some people had the ingenuity to come up with the idea of over-the-top (OTT) media service or OTT service or in short just OTT. This has changed the mode of entertainment lock-stock-and-barrel. It is a streaming media service that distributes content via the internet. It moves beyond You Tube and social media as it can bypass traditional media routes such as telecommunications network, cable TV providers and set-top box provision to reach the audience anywhere in the world. What is needed is a stable internet connection. Consumers have to sign up for subscription or for one-time view in services like Netflix or Spotify to access thousands of contents from anywhere at any time.
Now this streaming service has not only given consumers far wider choices than they could think of but also saved careers of actors and actresses who did not have a break for the tinsel towns or after one or two uninspiring roles were sidelined for an uncertain times. Many of such little known stars have found opportunities, courtesy of OTT, not only to revive their film careers but also prove their class as performers on the silver screen. This is what makes OTT special in the world of entertainment.
Then, a new generation of filmmakers in Bangladesh is taking full advantage of producing low-budget but quality films depending on OTT service. Their classy genre of films would hardly stand a chance of recouping the investments made if those had to rely on traditional cinema halls which have dwindled on the verge of disappearance and the cineplexes mostly based in big cities and showing blockbusters. The good thing is that the talent of these young film directors is getting recognised by global audience. The proof of this is not far to seek. Their films are garnering awards from international film festivals.
It is, however, unfortunate that not the majority of the viewers can see their films on the big screens. OTT can be connected to devices to which not everyone has access. The producers and directors of the fine specimens of Bangladesh cinema cannot reach the wider viewers. Also the viewers miss the opportunity of keeping them abreast with the cinema on the roll at the hands of a highly talented band of filmmakers. Actually, dramas here have always excelled in qualities which could not be translated into filmmaking. These young guys have made it possible and shown their mettle to make the country proud by bringing international recognitions of their works.