New formula of OTT: New stories being made with old stars; Bet worth crores on 35+ viewers

A big change is being seen in the Indian entertainment industry these days. While the dominance of the new generation of stars and franchise films is increasing for theatres, the second innings of the stars of the 90s and early 2000s is becoming stronger on OTT platforms. Names like Sunny Deol, Bobby Deol, Madhuri Dixit, Juhi Chawla, Kajol, Raveena Tandon, Karisma Kapoor, Akshay Khanna and Rajiv Khandelwal are in discussion among the audience. Be it the pairing of Sunny and Akshay in the recently announced ‘Ikka’, the presence of Bobby in Aryan Khan’s project or the presence of KK in ‘The Railway Men’. Menon and R. There should be an artist like Madhavan. All projects are under discussion. Behind this, a clear strategy of OTT companies betting crores of rupees on old faces with new stories is visible. After all, why are big OTT platforms showing confidence in old stars? For a long time, the roles of actors in the Hindi film industry were decided on the basis of age and star image. There was a time when an actress playing the role of a mother was considered a risk to her career. OTT platforms have changed this thinking to a great extent. Now both story and character are given priority. Therefore, actors are able to play roles as per their actual age and experience. The audience has also accepted this change. Today’s audience is looking for strong characters, not just stardom – Parag Mehta According to casting director Parag, this trend may have started with nostalgia but its success is not based only on old memories. The emotional connect of the audience with these artists continues even today. Strong characters are necessary to remain relevant for a long time. Today’s stories are being written according to the age, experience and personality of the artists. This is the reason why the audience is now accepting Madhuri not only in glamorous or romantic roles but also in complex and emotional roles. Similarly, Bobby, Akshay and Raveena are also playing roles different from their old image. Today’s audience wants not just stardom but effective acting and credible characters. For this reason, experienced artists are getting opportunities. How these stars of 80-90s are changing the game in the second innings – Sunny Deol is moving towards the big digital/series space. – Bobby Deol has made a strong position with gray and intense characters. Madhuri Dixit is moving away from romantic image and choosing gray shade and negative roles. – Kajol is continuously becoming a part of OTT, she is also very active in South. – Karisma Kapoor Selective but premium content, leaning towards solo action best roles. Why is the star system changing? The picture of projections related to the streaming industry is also interesting. About 47% of the Indian OTT audience is above 35 years of age. This is the class that saw these stars at their peak in the 90s and 2000s. On the other hand, the 18-34 age group also holds about 53% share. In such a situation, the challenge before the platforms is not only to bring back the old audience but also to connect two generations with the same face. This is why today experienced stars are being seen not just for star power but also for lower marketing costs and higher recall value. OTT has changed the rules of casting. OTT has also changed the traditional rules of casting. Now the platforms are betting big on even those artists who were once seen as stars of yesteryear. The reason behind this is not just nostalgia, but also the changing audience and their new habits of watching content. For this reason, experienced artists are getting new and experimental characters. For example, Madhuri’s gray shade and motherly character in ‘Maa Behan’.



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