'When I can't bear to watch them, how can I be in them?'
Nawazuddin Siddiqui has quit the digital platform.
He is not happy with what he sees there.
"The platform has become a dumping ground for redundant shows," he tells Subhash K Jha.
"We either have shows which don't deserve to be seen in the first place or sequels to shows that have nothing more to say."
"When I did Sacred Games for Netflix, there was an excitement and challenge around the digital medium. New talent was being given a chance. Now that freshness is gone. It has become a dhanda for big production houses and actors, who are the so-called stars of the OTT platform," says Nawaz.
"Major film producers in Bollywood have cut lucrative deals with all the big players in the OTT field. Producers get whopping amounts to create unlimited content. Quantity has killed quality," adds Nawaz.
He finds OTT shows unbearable now.
"When I can't bear to watch them, how can I be in them?" he asks.
The actor fears the growth of a parallel star system on the OTT.
"Yeh star system bade parde ko kha gaya (this star system killed the big screen). Now, we have so-called stars on OTT claiming big money and throwing tantrums like Bollywood A-listers," he says.
"They forget that content is king. Woh zamana chala gala when stars ruled. Before this lockdown and the digital domination, A-listers would release their films in 3,000 theatre across the country. People had no choice but to see them. Now, they have unlimited choices."
