OTT platforms have always had one trump card over basically every other medium of entertainment — it faces no censorship. The freedom to say what the maker wants, and the viewer getting to see it uncensored always offered a thrill. What’s happening now however has led to some apprehensions.

The Union government, this week, brought streaming video services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime and Hotstar under the ambit of the Information & Broadcasting ministry for regulation. When we reach out to industry people for a reaction, cluelessness figures high.

Producer Pritish Nandy, who was behind the popular web show Four More Shots Please!, says, “Right now, they have brought all online content under them. It is difficult for me to pass a judgement about what they plan to do. They haven’t said anything.” He agrees that it could lead to censorship. “It hasn’t led to it yet. Till now, Prakash Javadekar has not done anything which is a serious infliction or affliction on freedom of media,” he says.

Echoing the same sentiment is Vikramaditya Motwane, who helmed the critically acclaimed show Sacred Games, which was credited as bringing in the web revolution in India. “I can’t comment till we have more information. The only bit that came out is this, what that means is something nobody knows. Censorship could be a possibility, but until they tell us, what we can all do is speculate,” says the 43-year-old.

Actors, on their part, fear the snipping scissors. Sayani Gupta, who has been a part of Four More Shots Please! and the web film Axone, says, “Censorship should not have come. It is too early to say, I have not spoken to anybody about it. Having said that censorship is not a good thing.”

While OTT platforms such as Zee5 and Eros Now didn’t want to comment at the time of going to press, Karan Bedi, CEO - MX Player issued a statement saying they “look forward to working with the ministry to implement self-regulation efforts...”

Trade expert Taran Adarsh says this coming of OTT platforms under the government isn’t a reason to worry. “In any case, when you watch a film on the big screen, even that’s censored. In today’s time, you have so much content coming out, there are people who cross a line. There has to be some kind of censorship, you need to draw a line. I am not being moralistic, but even kids are watching it,” he confesses.