There was a time when Nawazuddin Siddiqui saw a bright future for the OTT space in India, but not anymore. The actor feels the platform has lost its edge in the race to churn out content, with quality taking a back seat.

“I don’t think I’ve done enough projects on digital platforms. But ab jo halat hai OTT ki India mein, with projects being made in abundance like anything, TV jaisa haal ho gaya hai,” Siddiqui says with a tinge of disappointment in his voice. He continues, “Har tarah ke OTT series ban rahe hain, aur itne saare ban rahe hain. I am not saying they are good or bad here, but it is just like TV series now.”

What makes him say that? “The approach nowadays is chalo yeh bana lo, aur ab yeh bana lo… I think that is a TV series type [of attitude] ki ek din mein ek episode ka content nikalna hai. That is what is practised on television, and I feel it’s happening in the web space, too,” he elaborates.

According to the 48-year-old, the reason behind the rush to create content is the increase in money flow. “Bahar se funding hai, with big production houses backing these projects, aur woh bahut hi casually bana rahein hain. Jo baat pehle thi woh ab nahin hai...Aap dekho na dekho, yeh shows aapke saamne aate rahenge. And that’s why one can’t ascertain which show is being liked and which one isn’t working,” says the actor, who has played diverse characters in the web space, from a gangster in Sacred Games to a father in Serious Men (2020). There is also Raat Akeli Hai, Ghoomketu (both 2020) and the upcoming Tiku Weds Sheru, which will also release on a streaming platform.

Quantity over quality is just one of the reasons he feels the web space will lose its sheen — another is that theatres have bounced back from the pandemic lull. The back-to-back success of films, such as Gangubai Kathiawadi and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, is a positive sign of revival of cinema.

“Things will be difficult for the web space now, because the big screen has made a comeback. And theatrical releases are working as well. This means few people will opt to watch a web series at home and only if it is something extraordinary. Because hum logon ko cinema ki aadat hai,” Siddiqui says, while expressing his happiness that the big screen found a way to bounce back after the pandemic. “Now, things are normal, and people want to watch movies on the big screen. One can’t overlook the fact that the main source of entertainment remains the big screen,” he wraps up, hoping that the OTT world finds a way to survive.