No More Hiding Behind Numbers on OTT: Manoj Bajpayee Gives his Critical Analysis
Lately, we have been hearing a lot from the actor Manoj Bajpayee about OTT and other things linked with him. We have seen him playing a lawyer in his latest film, a spy in a web series, and a sensitive son in a recent OTT film, who enjoys that OTT platforms are giving actors like him their fair share of appreciation and space in the entertainment industry. While his shows and films on OTT consistently rank high on various lists, Bajpayee says he does not believe in ratings. In a recent conversation, he shared his thoughts on why he believes the “top 10” categorization is a false benchmark for judging OTT content, and how streaming platforms are only getting better.
Manoj Bajpayee believes that the number of views on OTT platforms is misleading because it does not take into account the number of people watching the content together. He cites the example of his recent release, Gulmohar, which he says was watched by many families together. If we consider the number of people who actually watched the film, Bajpayee believes that Gulmohar is the most watched film on OTT.
He explains that if three people go to the cinema to watch a film, they will buy three tickets. However, if four or five people watch the same film on OTT, it only counts as one view. This is because OTT platforms do not track the number of people watching the content simultaneously. Bajpayee believes that this is a false way to measure the popularity of content on OTT platforms. He argues that films that are watched by families together should be counted as more than one view. This is because these films are reaching a wider audience and having a greater impact. Bajpayee concludes by saying that it is important to consider the different parameters of success for OTT and theatrical projects. He believes that OTT projects should be judged on the basis of how many people genuinely like and praise them, rather than on the number of views they receive.
