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

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.