While several film actors are thrilled about exploring the web space, Nawazuddin Siddiqui seems to be done with it. Reason: the way the medium has changed. Without mincing his words, the actor explains why he wants to distance himself from the medium: “OTT ko stars chahiye, superhit stars. But who did OTT start with? Actors! It (the medium and its success) was because of them. But today, no one feels the need for actors at all on the medium.”

Siddiqui adds that content-driven projects are being rejected by these platforms to make room for star-driven, masala vehicles — something that cinema has been known for. “There are so many films that even OTT platforms are not ready to take. Film festivals mein unn filmon ke baare mein baat ki jaa rahi hai,” adds the 48-year-old, who has been a part of web projects such as Sacred Games and Serious Men.

He feels that good content was being made on the web space until the star system started encroaching the space: “Achha content shuru ho raha tha, par saare stars dance-drama wali filmein karte hain. That’s good; even I like such films, but [unfortunately] that same format has come to OTT now.”