Internet has made the world smaller, and as a result, OTT platforms have gained prominence, especially in the past few months of the pandemic. For Pankaj Tripathi, too, the digital medium has been a boon, as it helped people from his village in Bihar to finally see his work on web.

“The cinema hall is 26 kms away from my village, and it wasn’t possible for people there to catch all my films. But thanks to OTT, they can watch my shows. OTT ka bahut yogdaan hai mere career mein,” says Tripathi.

The actor says his OTT characters have garnered much recognition because of this. “They are so popular that people call me by my character names wherever I go. At the airports, the CISF people also smile at me and call me by my screen names,” he shares.

Tripathi, 44, got into web shows when they were still gaining momentum in the country, but he says it wasn’t because of the lack of opportunities in films. “For me, the story is important, not the platform. Before films, I used to do TV. The best part about OTTs is that we have a lot of time, and you can go into the depth of the character. Not just us actors but also writers and makers. That scope in cinema is far less. OTT has changed things a lot,” points out the actor, who has been part of shows such as Mirzapur, Sacred Games and Criminal Justice.

And while cinemas resumed operations last month, Tripathi feels it will take a while for people to get to theatres in large numbers. “Until a concrete solution is there, it will be difficult for live stage shows and theatres to function. Community viewing is still going to be difficult,” he concludes.