The conversations in Bollywood have seen a paradigm shift, some attribute it to the advent of digital platforms and some to the taste of the audience. But Ali Fazal welcomes it all with open arms. Acknowledging the change in the functioning of the Hindi film industry, the actor says it levels you up.

“It keeps you naturally humble. Now everybody has an equal chance. Everybody gets to showcase their talent. In the rat race, we had become great subjects of marketing. If you are marketed well and presented well, tum star ban sakte ho on a flop film, probably a shi**y film,” says Fazal, adding that “now content is going hand in hand with those marketing plans.”

The entertainment ecosystem in the country has taken a 360 degree turn with the arrival of the OTT platforms, and Fazal himself has dabbled with it with a popular web series, and has amassed a huge fan following.

“The focus for theatrical films will change. We will have to relook at our financial systems, the way we respect our actors, writers, directors, technicians. There’s not going to be monopoly. We’re entering a very unpredictable world of entertainment,” he explains.

But for the actor, who has starred in films such as Fukrey (2013), Bobby Jasoos (2014), as well as international projects like Victoria & Abdul (2017) and the upcoming Death on the Nile, opting for an OTT project was not easy.

“It was my own fear that, ‘Oh my God, will I get typecast as an OTT actor’. You’ve to understand that the world got bigger and so has the canvas, and suddenly we’re competing at the same level as any other international project. You’re a pause button away from rejection. The validation is far more quick and honest now. That gave me confidence,” he concludes.