The advent of OTT, or over-the-top platforms, has transformed the world of cinema. With hits like Mirzapur, Extraction and Shehar Lakhot in his kitty, Priyanshu Painyulli has carved a niche for himself in the rising world of OTT.&nbsp;

Talking to WION, he gave a sneak peek into the relationship between OTT and big-screen cinema.&nbsp;Devendra Singh Tomar in Shehar Lakhot and Ram Mehta in Pippa were his two bucket list characters last year, Priyanshu said.

Acting in Shehar Lakhot was about building an emotional graph of such a layered character, he added.

OTT: A PLATFORM FOR EXPERIMENT

Today, shows on taboo topics that challenge the norm, like the rights of the LGBTQ community, the lives of sex workers, unconventional marriages, and dysfunctional families, among others, are finding space on OTT platforms.

On the democratising role of OTT, Priyanshu said that OTT has provided a platform for people to experiment because of the universality factor.

"Our vision and stories have widened, and it is because of OTT that a character like Robin in Mirzapur 2 could be explored and written," he pointed out.

ARE WE WITNESSING THE HOMOGENISATION OF CONTENT ON OTT?&nbsp;

The Mirzapur actor said that sometimes, to make profits, people start replicating ideas in case a particular model works out, like shows featuring gangsters and lawyers that are proliferating on OTT.&nbsp;

"However, the real benefit of OTT lies in creating new characters, telling new stories, or even telling a common pitch with a different approach."

But at a time when characters like Robin become cults and crime and action shows are likely to do better, Priyanshu said, being typecast becomes a challenge.&nbsp;

He often finds his answer lies in the question of why he chose acting in the first place: curiosity.&nbsp;

Curiosity to play different characters, explore different stories, understand different versions of himself, and learn about different visions in the world.&nbsp;

‘THE EXPANSIVE REACH OF OTT’

OTT extends far beyond the constraints of space and time. Being part of a Netflix original Extraction and being recognised for playing Amir Asif by a Spanish guard in Malaga, or by an immigration official in Doha has made him realise the power of a good performance on OTT.

Priyanshu said OTT and cinema are now going hand-in-hand.

"Successes like 12th Fail, Pathan, and Jawan, among others, have proved the mettle and magic of the big screen once again. The challenge is on OTT players to remain relevant and to hook people to its content."

He pointed out that shows like Kalapani, Farzi, and Kohra proved that good work, despite the medium, will get its due.

Priyanshu described watching cinema as a shared experience while OTT is a personal one.&nbsp;

Summing up the evolving relationship between cinema and OTT, the Mirzapur star said, "If cinema is the mother, then OTT is the mother’s sister, walking alongside, if not forward or behind."

Priyanshu is currently working on Jio Studio's upcoming show Paan Parda Zarda and is planning to step into the shoes of a writer and director for his own show based in the mountains of Uttarakhand soon.

The advent of OTT, or over-the-top platforms, has transformed the world of cinema. With hits like Mirzapur, Extraction and Shehar Lakhot in his kitty, Priyanshu Painyulli has carved a niche for himself in the rising world of OTT.

The advent of OTT, or over-the-top platforms, has transformed the world of cinema. With hits like Mirzapur, Extraction and Shehar Lakhot in his kitty, Priyanshu Painyulli has carved a niche for himself in the rising world of OTT. Talking to WION, he gave a sneak peek into the relationship between OTT and big-screen cinema. Devendra Singh Tomar in Shehar Lakhot and Ram Mehta in Pippa were his two bucket list characters last year, Priyanshu said. Acting in Shehar Lakhot was about building an emotional graph of such a layered character, he added. OTT: A PLATFORM FOR EXPERIMENT Today, shows on taboo topics that challenge the norm, like the rights of the LGBTQ community, the lives of sex workers, unconventional marriages, and dysfunctional families, among others, are finding space on OTT platforms. On the democratising role of OTT, Priyanshu said that OTT has provided a platform for people to experiment because of the universality factor. "Our vision and stories have widened, and it is because of OTT that a character like Robin in Mirzapur 2 could be explored and written," he pointed out. ARE WE WITNESSING THE HOMOGENISATION OF CONTENT ON OTT? The Mirzapur actor said that sometimes, to make profits, people start replicating ideas in case a particular model works out, like shows featuring gangsters and lawyers that are proliferating on OTT. "However, the real benefit of OTT lies in creating new characters, telling new stories, or even telling a common pitch with a different approach." But at a time when characters like Robin become cults and crime and action shows are likely to do better, Priyanshu said, being typecast becomes a challenge. He often finds his answer lies in the question of why he chose acting in the first place: curiosity. Curiosity to play different characters, explore different stories, understand different versions of himself, and learn about different visions in the world. ‘THE EXPANSIVE REACH OF OTT’ OTT extends far beyond the constraints of space and time. Being part of a Netflix original Extraction and being recognised for playing Amir Asif by a Spanish guard in Malaga, or by an immigration official in Doha has made him realise the power of a good performance on OTT. Priyanshu said OTT and cinema are now going hand-in-hand. "Successes like 12th Fail, Pathan, and Jawan, among others, have proved the mettle and magic of the big screen once again. The challenge is on OTT players to remain relevant and to hook people to its content." He pointed out that shows like Kalapani, Farzi, and Kohra proved that good work, despite the medium, will get its due. Priyanshu described watching cinema as a shared experience while OTT is a personal one. Summing up the evolving relationship between cinema and OTT, the Mirzapur star said, "If cinema is the mother, then OTT is the mother’s sister, walking alongside, if not forward or behind." Priyanshu is currently working on Jio Studio's upcoming show Paan Parda Zarda and is planning to step into the shoes of a writer and director for his own show based in the mountains of Uttarakhand soon.

Mirzapur actor Priyanshu Painyulli feels cinema and OTT can co-exist

What does 'normal' mean during the war? It has been more than 670 days since the Russia-Ukraine war started. On a wintry day, Russia invaded its neighbour on February 24, 2022.

What does 'normal' mean during the war? It has been more than 670 days since the Russia-Ukraine war started. On a wintry day, Russia invaded its neighbour on February 24, 2022. Since then, what transpired has been covered by media across the globe. It is not a new story anymore. A powerful country tries to correct the course of a smaller nation. The banality of evil is not lost on me when I write this. As a journalist, I report almost daily on the developments happening on the battlefield or the war of words between the respective leaders. It makes one wonder about the thousands of lives that have changed due to the ongoing war, which is now proving to be the bloodiest since the Vietnam War. Nataly says it has become a matter of choice. Nataly, a 29-year-old living in the capital city of Ukraine says it has become a matter of choice. She recalls that it was after a few days of uncertainty that one day, she woke up to a call from a friend saying the worst has finally happened. Russia had invaded Ukraine. She says, that although there were talks of invasion happening around, she always thought of it as a far-fetched idea, never really believing that it would happen. Life after the war started Nataly says, that in the first few weeks after the invasion, her life along with many others came to a standstill. Nobody worked, nobody knew what to do. For days, she couldn't sleep. The future seemed so clouded that she says planning life for even more than two hours did not seem feasible. Some of her friends immediately shifted to the western parts of Ukraine. According to the United Nations, over 5.1 million have been displaced internally in Ukraine while more than 6.2 million have been forced to seek refuge outside. But Nataly made a choice to not run away from the place she calls home. In the initial days of the war, she shared a flat with two of her friends. A month after the war, normalcy started setting in her life or rather she tried to bring some into her life. What's normal now? Her normal routine includes doing daily chores against the backdrop of war raid sirens and continuous shelling. Sometimes to avoid the nightly ordeal that Russian shelling brings along, some people choose to sleep at underground shelters instead of their homes, she says. It's dangerous living in the city, she says, adding that there is a price to pay to stay in her own home now. Other changes that have creeped up in her life include taking up medical courses to learn how to give first aid because you never know when you would need to save someone else or yourself. A lot of her friends have become volunteers who collect money and provide equipment to the frontier soldiers. She along with her family raised money to provide drones to the army as well. Living in the city or even travelling around is not safe. For people in other parts of the world, while a vacation might bring some respite, for Nataly, it wasn't the same. She went to Lviv for a few days where she was welcomed by drone strikes. Now as a part of their pre-departure ritual, people in Ukraine just don't check for cash or keys, but also look if the place they are travelling to has a bomb shelter or not. Crowd funding campaigns and making donations to army and charity foundations have become an integral part of people's lives in the war-torn country. Nataly says, if you're travelling to a village where shelters are not available, you just accept your fate and make a choice. Humans are adaptive, she says. It makes one think but where do we draw the line. Here is a person talking about getting used to paraphernalia that a war in her country has brought along with itself. Overwhelming is how she describes her days since the war clouds engulfed her skies, while mentioning in the same breath that she has been among the lucky ones. War has brought people closer home Nataly further says as days pass, life is becoming more uncertain, but she is glad to be around those she loves. She says, among the people she knows, most have shifted to speaking Ukrainian only. People even avoid using Russian casually like they used to, in the pre-war period. War has brought people closer home. It is being reflected in the art they create. Nataly says a lot of them are turning towards Ukrainian culture and their roots. Message for the world. Nataly says she is grateful to the world for the support Ukraine has received so far. She hopes it does not end as the country continues to remain at war. She would also want people to know more about the Ukrainian culture.

'It's a matter of choice to live in Kyiv': Ukrainian woman speaks about living in war zone

A day in the life of an Afghan women.

This is what I wished to write about when I started my research.

The idea occurred when planning my day, and at the same time writing a story on United Nations' reaction on the Taliban's increasing atrocities against women in Afghanistan.

I wanted to know and tell the world what a normal day now looks like, almost two years after Taliban's rule began again in 2021.

I reached out to a couple of young women in Afghanistan.

I was reading the UN's continuous commentary on what's going on in this part of the world.

About the horrific diktats and statistics that kept coming out after August 2021.

In September 2021, an order was issued banning girls from attending high school. In December 2022, women get barred from attending universities. On 24 December 2022, they were banned from working with NGOs in Afghanistan.

The assault on women's rights continues even now.

On June 24th this year, all salons across the country were given one month to close.

Now, reportedly the Taliban has banned girls over the age of 10 from attending primary school classes.

Unfortunately, it does not end here. There is an extensive list of other restrictions as well.

Gyms, Parks, cinema halls, fairs and most employment opportunities are out of reach of women.

Even for a few activities where women are allowed to step out of their house, a male figure is supposed to accompany them.

But talking to Aisha made me realise how there's so much more going on beyond numbers and diktats.

How each number had a story behind it.

Aisha tells me that before 2021, she was a person who walked under free skies.

She was a student pursuing law and teaching at a primary school at the same time.

Now, fear has gripped her life and dictates every action she takes.

Aisha had to drop out of her law degree and was banned from teaching at the school.

She has now changed her field to pursue a nursing course, the only one that Taliban has permitted for girls.

From a simple act of clicking a picture, to listening to songs, to even watching television, she cannot do anything with a relaxed mind, she says.

She says that there are certain streets she can't even go to for the fear of getting caught.

Caught for what, one might ask.

Well, for being a woman in Afghanistan, unfortunately.

Barred from undertaking any simple activity that humans like to take up.

At this point one might as well ask: so where are Afghan women and what do they do?

Aisha tells me that she sits at her home all the time on most days.

For a few hours that she goes out, her mother fears if her daughter will even return home or not.

It makes me think of how years of progress of working, raging and fighting for women's rights, is getting washed away with each day that these women spend locked up in their own homes.

I realised that, in a world where going to school, work and even a park has become a dream, Aisha does not have 24 hours.

Her days now belong to Taliban.

But slowly, feeble voices are rising.

Women staged protests against the Taliban's latest decree to ban salons.

Every now and then, when Taliban tries to tighten its grip around women's freedom, few voices do rise up to nothing but reclaim their days back.

Here is hoping that, one day, Aisha will reclaim her days.

And do things she wishes to do, in every 24 hours.&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)&nbsp;

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A day in the life of an Afghan women. This is what I wished to write about when I started my research. The idea occurred when planning my day, and at the same time writing a story on United Nations' reaction on the Taliban's increasing atrocities against women in Afghanistan.

A day in the life of an Afghan women. This is what I wished to write about when I started my research. The idea occurred when planning my day, and at the same time writing a story on United Nations' reaction on the Taliban's increasing atrocities against women in Afghanistan. I wanted to know and tell the world what a normal day now looks like, almost two years after Taliban's rule began again in 2021. I reached out to a couple of young women in Afghanistan. I was reading the UN's continuous commentary on what's going on in this part of the world. About the horrific diktats and statistics that kept coming out after August 2021. In September 2021, an order was issued banning girls from attending high school. In December 2022, women get barred from attending universities. On 24 December 2022, they were banned from working with NGOs in Afghanistan. The assault on women's rights continues even now. On June 24th this year, all salons across the country were given one month to close. Now, reportedly the Taliban has banned girls over the age of 10 from attending primary school classes. Unfortunately, it does not end here. There is an extensive list of other restrictions as well. Gyms, Parks, cinema halls, fairs and most employment opportunities are out of reach of women. Even for a few activities where women are allowed to step out of their house, a male figure is supposed to accompany them. But talking to Aisha made me realise how there's so much more going on beyond numbers and diktats. How each number had a story behind it. Aisha tells me that before 2021, she was a person who walked under free skies. She was a student pursuing law and teaching at a primary school at the same time. Now, fear has gripped her life and dictates every action she takes. Aisha had to drop out of her law degree and was banned from teaching at the school. She has now changed her field to pursue a nursing course, the only one that Taliban has permitted for girls. From a simple act of clicking a picture, to listening to songs, to even watching television, she cannot do anything with a relaxed mind, she says. She says that there are certain streets she can't even go to for the fear of getting caught. Caught for what, one might ask. Well, for being a woman in Afghanistan, unfortunately. Barred from undertaking any simple activity that humans like to take up. At this point one might as well ask: so where are Afghan women and what do they do? Aisha tells me that she sits at her home all the time on most days. For a few hours that she goes out, her mother fears if her daughter will even return home or not. It makes me think of how years of progress of working, raging and fighting for women's rights, is getting washed away with each day that these women spend locked up in their own homes. I realised that, in a world where going to school, work and even a park has become a dream, Aisha does not have 24 hours. Her days now belong to Taliban. But slowly, feeble voices are rising. Women staged protests against the Taliban's latest decree to ban salons. Every now and then, when Taliban tries to tighten its grip around women's freedom, few voices do rise up to nothing but reclaim their days back. Here is hoping that, one day, Aisha will reclaim her days. And do things she wishes to do, in every 24 hours. (Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

No country for Afghan women: How Taliban took away Aisha's days

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Zee News Rajasthan

Editor

Ishita Mittra

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