With projects such as Bala (2019), Gangubai Kathiawadi and Mai: A Mother’s Rage (both 2022) under her belt, actor Seema Pahwa isn’t the biggest fan of OTT platforms. The actor believes that the experience of watching a film as a community has taken a backseat as people have become too comfortable with watching movies online, at home.

“Films ka maza jo hall (theaters) mein dekhne ka aata tha, woh abh nahin aata. It was almost like a picnic; the whole family would get ready, purchase coffee or cold drinks and popcorn, and watch a film. They would then have dinner together. Film ek bahana ban jaata tha. That is largely missing today. Everyone has a TV in their rooms and OTT platforms on their mobiles. OTT has put an end to the family-watching experience,” says the 61-year-old, who directed Koi Baat Chale, a series of teleplays that featured her husband, actor Manoj Pahwa.

The Badhaai Do (2022) actor believes, “OTT ki wajah se faayda bhi hai, nuksaan bhi”. She adds, “Koi abhi [movies and series] dekhta hain, koi chaar din ke baad dekhta hai. Earlier, people would sit and talk, laugh or cry together. But now, it (families) is divided into parts. Today, when a parent tells their child, ‘I watched a film. It’s good’, there is a possibility that their kids will watch it six months later.”

Ask what she thinks are the positive aspects of online platforms and Pahwa says viewers have a lot of options at their disposal. “When someone gets back from office and is tired, they can choose what they want to [watch]. As directors, we know that our film is always available [for viewers’ consumption]. Earlier, we would wait for our film to air once on Doordarshan after its theatrical run. On OTT, it’s there for years and we get a lot of viewership,” she says.