The India Web Fest Season 6 witnessed an array of topics being discussed with some of the biggest and most prolific dignatories coming in and talking about the same.

One such topic was an important conversation about how storytellers are weaving magic on OTT. The session was moderated by Priyanka Sinha Jha, Co-founder of Talkietive Content Creators, with speakers that included Tej Karan Singh Bajaj, Head, Originals, Jio Studios; Prahlad Kakar, Creative Producer, Kaans; Namit Sharma, CEO, Arre Studios, Gurmmeet Singh, Film & Series Director and Producer; Suparna Varma, Writer & Director; Swati Patnaik, Creative Director, Applause Entertainment; Mohan Gopinath, Head, Bollywood Business, Shemaroo Entertainment Ltd.

Here are some excerpts from the conversation-

Priyanka Sinha Jha: Without further ado, I am going to start with my question which is, how do you create the OTT magic? And I’ll address it to specific people in the beginning, and then of course, panellists can jump in. I’d like to start with Gurmeet Singh on this. Gurmeet, you’ve had immense success with shows like “Mirzapur.” How do you balance the data with the creative process?

Gurmmeet: You know, I believe that magic is often created through ignorance. It was easier when there was less data to dictate what should or shouldn’t be made. When OTT platforms first started gaining traction, there weren’t strict mandates about content. That period was more creatively fruitful for everyone involved. However, as more data became available, the challenge has increased.

Over the past 7-8 years, we’ve accumulated data on which shows perform better, which have higher completion rates, and other metrics. But this has also led to many shows that do okay but don’t really break through. This happens because we often try to fit new ideas into existing formats or replicate past successes, rather than pushing boundaries or exploring new concepts.

The truth is, the higher the risk, the higher the reward. While data is necessary because it’s a business, the platforms’ leadership must also trust their judgment to identify and support unique stories. It’s about finding that balance between following the data and taking creative risks that might just lead to the next big hit.

Priyanka Sinha Jha: That’s a great point, Gurmeet. It reminds me of two iconic shows—”Breaking Bad” and “House of Cards.” “House of Cards” was reportedly driven by data, while “Breaking Bad” came from the minds of creators who were just experimenting with an idea. Both shows became hugely successful, but they came from very different approaches.

This brings me to my next question, Prahlad. Given your vast experience in advertising, where you’ve created some of the most memorable campaigns like “Dil Maange More” and “Nothing Official About It,” how do you view the role of data and formulas in creativity? Do formulas actually work, or do they stifle creativity?

Prahlad: I’ve always believed that any system or formula imposed on creativity is essentially just a way to cover your ass. When management doesn’t want to take responsibility for greenlighting a project, they hide behind data and formulas. If the project fails, they blame the formula or the data. Back in the day, we used to blame research for poor outcomes.

The reality, though, is that in advertising, nine times out of ten, research gets it wrong. So, what really makes something go viral or resonate with people? It’s originality. Formulas, on the other hand, lead to mediocrity. Look at the Hindi film industry, where 20 films are made, one is a hit, five break even, and the rest disappear without a trace. Is this the formula we want to follow in OTT?

Television and OTT content should be intimate, authentic, and relatable. It’s not about loud, exaggerated theatrics like in films. On television, less is more. The performances need to be real and compelling, and the stories should be genuine. Unfortunately, there’s too much interference in the creative process today, and that’s why a lot of Indian content is subpar. There’s no accountability, no one willing to back a project 100%, and that’s the problem.

Priyanka Sinha Jha: You’ve made some very important points, Prahlad. This leads me to ask Tejkaran and Swati about the role of stars in OTT content. Prahlad mentioned that resorting to stars is often an easy trick to cover up weak content. But does star power still hold value in the OTT space, or is it more about strong content? Tejkaran, what are your thoughts?

Tejkaran: So, we are a studio. And we like taking big risks. We are not dependent on any platform to commission shows, unlike what Applause does. Over the last five years, we have invested in 20-25 shows, and these are not cheap shows. Our next show is with Gurmeet. Gurmeet is directing, Namit is co-producing, and Suparn has also written it.

What we believe as a studio is to back big ideas and then back them fully. That’s our conviction. But the reality is, only 2-3 companies are investing their own money. Otherwise, they take money from the platform and invest it. When you speak about who’s walking the talk, we are doing that because we are investing our own money, which is a risk.

If you look at the kind of movies we do—Stree, Article 370, Laapata Ladies—these are movies that no other studio would have touched. Even Shaitaan. As for the shows, I believe there is no formula. As a studio, we believe in creating worlds.

We are doing a show called Union, which is set in 1947 and talks about how India came together. Sir has seen parts of it; when he visited our office last time, I showed him some parts. We are also working on a show with Prakash Jha where Nana Patekar is making his debut; it’s a political thriller. Additionally, we have a show with Raftaar where he plays a music star. We are doing another show based in the opium industry in Bhopal, with a very different world.

We take risks and invest in content where we believe it will do well. But in India, we need many more companies like this. If someone wants to create content, I would urge them to spend some 15-20 crores, maybe even 25 crores, in making that show. Once you make that show, it will be exactly what you want it to be. If you’re going to a platform and asking for money, then you have to align with who is putting the money behind it.

I’m not going to invest 50 crores and then say, “Okay, you can do whatever you like.” That’s not how it works. If you want to produce and showcase your creativity, put your own money into it. If you do, then it’s your product. If not, then it’s a secondary story altogether.

Priyanka Sinha Jha: Swati, I want to ask you, Applause had Scam 92 with Pratik Gandhi, which was one of the most universal successes in recent times. It was local content, not an adaptation, so to speak. What does that tell us, and is that something you are going to keep as a model for the future, or are you going to diverge and take a slightly risk-averse route?

Prahlad jumps in: Let me add something to this. Applause has had more successes than failures, which is quite amazing in this business. The average in the Hindi movie industry is that one out of ten returns is profitable. But Applause stands out because they are not risk-averse.

Priyanka: So, being less risk-averse is better for creativity? Risk-taking. You’re in an inherently risky business. How can you be risk-averse? You need to have a risk appetite. Yes Swati, please go on

Swati: So, I’m glad you brought up Scam 92. The fact that some universally successful shows locally don’t have big stars is significant. Pratik Gandhi was a star, perhaps in Gujarat, but wouldn’t have had the same access to Pan India. The story was the hero. He fit well into the character.

Coming back to the point about being risk-averse, it’s really about the demand of the story. Whether you need to cast someone who’s a star or someone who fits the role depends on the story. There’s no formula for this. I produced a show called Undekhi, which is now in its third season. We cast Surya Sharma out of Hostages, and today he’s a big star. These are the risks you take. But honestly, it goes back to the story. The story is the hero.

It’s the cultural zeitgeist you incorporate into the story and the world you create that will influence the casting. It’s the creator’s vision that matters. Thank you, Prahlad, for acknowledging Applause’s success. We have a track record of multiple seasons of a single show. We’re currently working on the fourth season of Criminal Justice, which includes original stories. Criminal Justice internationally had only two seasons, but our seasons three and four are original stories. We take pride in that.

So, to address your point, I don’t think there’s a formulaic answer. The story is the hero. If the story demands a certain kind of cast, you cast accordingly. Sometimes the story requires a specific look, especially if it’s a biopic. That would be my perspective on this.

Priyanka: Namit, I want to ask you about being a production house and your two very successful shows, not just in terms of numbers but also in quality content, like Masoom and Sultan of Delhi. How does your production house nurture the storytelling process when there are so many considerations from different stakeholders? You need to keep the creative voice at the forefront, but at the same time, as Tejkaran was saying, someone putting in their money will have their expectations. How do you balance these aspects and ensure that talent and good storytelling don’t suffer in this process?

Namit: It’s a delicate dance. And before I go into how, because there isn’t a real answer, I want to underline that in the last ten years of doing this, I’m on my fourth blood pressure pill. Jokes aside, I think this situation, as Prahlad mentioned, is something we’ve all experienced. The interplay between creative forces, market forces, research forces, and results is a constant.

Whether it’s ad filmmaking, feature films in studios, TV producers versus broadcasters, or now digital content, it’s all about balancing these elements. It’s primarily about people management—nurturing relationships where you build trust and deliver on that trust.

Forming a cohesive team that includes clients, writers, directors, and actors is crucial. The goal is to avoid situations where you have to compromise the product. I’m pleased to say that 99% of the time, we’ve managed to avoid such situations. We’ve been fortunate to maintain the trust of all stakeholders.

As Tej mentioned, those providing the funding will have a voice, but it’s important to navigate these conversations effectively. Experienced directors and creators, like Prahlad, Guru, and Supan, know how to handle these dynamics. The focus should be on presenting your point of view in the best way possible and ultimately delivering a great product without compromising quality.

The key for me is to surround myself with a trustworthy team. Building a team that you can rely on and that trusts you is essential. If a project feels like it’s going to force you into compromising your standards, it’s better to walk away early rather than at the last minute. As a producer, this is my checklist: build a team, build trust, and ensure we can work together effectively.

Priyanka: Suparn, I am coming to you now. Diverging a little bit to cover more ground, as a creative person, do you find that there is a particular genre that works better on OTT platforms based on your experience? You’ve done The Family Man, which was a huge success, and among many other projects, but I mention The Family Man because it’s been such a widely viewed show.

Has this success led to a trend where people suggest creating another show similar to The Family Man? You must be receiving many such requests, but do others experience the same? How healthy is this trend? As a creative professional, how do you navigate this situation?

Suparn: So, the best thing about OTT, unlike films, where an Animal works, everybody will, then we try to make ten Animals, or you know, any film that works, we try to kind of follow the herd. With OTT, you are creating worlds that are unique by themselves. The minute we make a Family Man, we make a Rana Naidu or a Sultan of Delhi, or a trial, every other platform tries not to make anything in that zone, because a couple of things happen, right? On OTT, the audiences follow worlds, they follow characters, and the minute people start repeating that, that won’t work. Rather, the whole focus on OTT is creating original stories and original characters, and in that sense, I think OTT has really empowered storytellers to dig deep and go down to literature because now you are adapting books, you are adapting literature, you are adapting folklore, you are going down to real-life stories, stuff that films did not.

It’s interesting that for a long time, Hindi films especially, unlike films in Kannada, Malayalam, or Tamil, which were steeped in their local culture, Hindi films for a long time, I think Anurag Kashyap said that these are all trial show films, because we work in a certain spectrum of society where everything is city-based, or your reference point for any story in films was the previous film, which is, Satya Mein Underworld Waisa Dikhta Hai, so the underworld looks like this, not realizing there is much more to it. A sharpshooter is Aptak Chappan. That became a reference point. Films became a reference point. On OTT, you have researchers, you have articles, you have novels, which you dig deep in, and you follow real-life characters, and that creates a unique space.

When we produced Sirf Ek Banda Kaafi Hai, we kind of got the rights of P.C. Solanki, right? A small town lawyer in Rajasthan, and it’s a unique space. Our reference was not Damini, where Tariq Pe Tariq, was not the film. So those are the various ways where OTT has completely changed the landscape of storytelling, and that has impacted films. So now, Hindi films, a whole lot of it, which were created during the COVID period, which was a different vacuum, have now been released. The next wave and I’m talking about Hindi cinema in particular, because I think films in the South caught on to that wave earlier, they adapted and changed. We are now in the process of changing, where we realize the audiences have advanced in those 2-3 years, where they’ve been exposed to the best of shows.

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