How OTT is enabling viewers to discover the hidden gems of Indian regional cinema

Formely-niche Indian regional content has got new audiences who have discovered these hidden gems, thanks to boom in online streaming amid the pandemic
Till earlier this year, Delhi-based management trainee Ayush Srivastav viewed Indian regional cinema with skepticism. To him, south Indian films meant only high-budget action or period dramas, something he had never been fond of.The rom-com enthusiast saw his perception change while scrolling through an OTT platform though. He tells us, “I always believed that south cinema was all action and masala films. But after I came across the Naga Chaitanya and Samantha-starrer Majili on a streaming platform randomly, my perception changed. It was a romantic film that was so well made. There is so much depth and variety of content and genres in Indian regional cinema that I had earlier been unaware of.” Ayush isn’t alone. The proliferation of OTT content in India, particularly during the pandemic, has meant that more viewers today have access to regional language content and they are making good use of it.


‘Didn’t know about hidden gems of regional content till OTT boom during lockdown’
For many, this journey began during the lockdown last year, when the consumption of OTT content increased significantly in the country. Lalita Sharma, an art teacher, tells us, “I started watching regional movies during lockdown. I came across them randomly while scrolling for something new to watch and the titles and description seemed interesting enough to pique my curiosity.” Viewers who had watched regional content earlier but only sparingly say that they have only recently discovered the diversity of genres on offer. Natasha Narwal, an architect from Gurgaon lists the Tamil anthology series Navarasa as her favourite show of the year. “For me, regional cinema was Satyajit Ray and Rajinikanth. I had hardly ever watched anything beyond the mainstream. But that was because most hidden gems wouldn’t release in Delhi theatres. Now, that barrier is gone. On these streaming platforms, everything is available,” she says.


‘Haven’t watched a Hindi film in months’
Many say that they have actually completely shifted their content consumption from mainstream Hindi to only regional content. “I haven’t watched a Hindi film in months,” says Ritika Singh, a marketing executive from Noida, adding, “I know a few good ones have released but I have been watching either English or regional Indian films almost exclusively. There is just so much and such diverse things to watch. For instance, Jai Bhim is a strong social film while Aamis is a good thriller. Both are in two different languages with nothing common in them.”

Some viewers even say that they were introduced to content in their mother tongues through OTT. Delhi-based communications professional Shivashish Chanda elaborates, “I began watching Malayali shows and films last year but then progressed to other regional languages too. Recently, I watched Aamis, a film in my mother tongue Assamese. And while I have watched content in Assamese before, I would have had to search for it. Now, it’s right there. So, I can watch more of it.”

‘Prefer original audio over dubbed version’
Viewers say that they are not only watching more regional films but almost always prefer original audio with subtitles instead of dubbed versions. “Most of the times, I prefer watching the original audio with subtitles. I love to listen to the language. But at times, when it’s difficult to understand in some language, I go for the dubbed version,” says Lalita. Other viewers of regional content say that even if dubbed versions are available, they prefer original audio since it captures the feel of the production better. Gurgaon-based filmmaker Kanika Tiku says, “The dubbing is there but not always of the best quality. The metre of some of the languages from south is different as compared to Hindi. They speak much faster with more words per minute. So, a dubbed audio sounds very unusual because the dubbing artistes have to speak faster than the Hindi we are used to. It doesn’t sound natural and spoils the experience.”