Here are five stellar movie directors who had an OTT directorial debut that was applauded by critics and viewers alike.
Gone are the days when directors had to only showcase their work through television and movies.
Over the last few years, we have seen countless filmmakers take to digital platforms to direct a web series or a film, sometimes even both.
With the coronavirus-induced lockdown, there's no denying that OTT platforms' audiences increased manifold. However, it is nowhere to be mistaken that the digital boom in India took place post the lockdown. On the contrary, there has been a gradual yet substantial increase of subscribers on OTT platforms and a paradigm shift has been noticed in the way audiences have been consuming content in the last couple of years.
Keeping all of this in mind, a few noted filmmakers, who hadn't explored this side of the creative world, including directors Zoya Akhtar, Pradeep Sarka, Apoorva Lakhia among others, did eventually take to the platform.
So, here are five stellar movie directors who had an OTT directorial debut that was applauded by critics and viewers alike.
1. Apoorva Lakhia - Crackdown
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This multi-talented director, known for some big-screen crime movies like Ek Ajnabee, Haseena Parkar, Shootout at Lokhandwala, brought his expertise to the OTT world with his debut series Crackdown on Voot Select.
Starring Saqib Saleem and Shriya Pilgaonkar, this espionage thriller is a no-nonsense drama that keeps its focus on the main narrative and offers up twists and turns in the plot when you are least expecting them.
2. Pradeep Sarkar - Coldd Lassi aur Chicken Masala
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Having helmed path-breaking films like Parineeta, Mardaani, Laaga Chunari Mein Daag, Lafangey Parindey, and most recently, Helicopter Eela, the talented director gave us a show to cherish with ALTBalaji and ZEE5’s Coldd Lassi aur Chicken Masala.
Featuring Divyanka Tripathi and Rajeev Khandelwal who played the leads, the web series, that was filled with the many ups and downs that the couple went through during the course of the show, gave one ample food for thought. And despite it being released in 2019, the show continues to be binge-watched by subscribers even today.
3. Zoya Akhtar - Lust Stories, Made in Heaven
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When a director of Zoya Akhtar’s caliber makes a film, rest assured that it will be worth your time. The maker of Dil Dhadakne Do, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, Gully Boy, made her bow into the OTT realm by directing one of the 4 episodes of Netflix's anthology ‘Lust Stories’.
The episode starred Neel Bhoopalam and Bhumi Pednekar and showed the sexual relationship between the owner of the house and his housemaid. The series went on to receive many positive reviews from critics.
However, Amazon Prime's Made in Heaven was the first web series directed by Zoya Akhtar.
4. Deepa Mehta - Leila
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This extremely talented director, who’s given the world three terrific films in the form of Fire, Earth, Water, and much more, made Netflix original Leila as her very first web series which went on to gain rave reviews worldwide from audiences and critics alike.
The web series starred Huma Qureshi in the lead role as Shalini, who tries to find her missing daughter in a dystopian world set many years from now. A show that was well ahead of its time, there was no surprise to see it being hailed as one of the best web series of 2019.
5. Ken Ghosh - Dev DD
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Known to make films spanning a host of diverse genres, this all-rounder director debuted on the OTT space through ALTBalaji's web-series Dev DD. Going on to become a superhit, owing to its innovative storyline, Dev DD is about a modern young woman trying her best to break stereotypes about how an Indian female is supposed to be.
The web-series features Asheema Vardaan, Akhil Kapur, and Sanjay Suri in lead roles. Having directed movies like Ishq Vishk, Fida, Abhay, and many more, it was fascinating to watch Ken Ghosh offer viewers yet another masterpiece.
