Sudhanshu Pandey: OTT is huge, but difficult to say if OTT actors are becoming stars

As the OTT boom continues to alter the entertainment landscape in the country, actor Sudhanshu Pandey feels the medium has given huge opportunities to many actors. But, he also believes that whether or not these actors will go on to earn the status of stars in the industry is something only time will tell.

“OTT is huge, no doubt. Having said that, even though this new medium is giving visibility to many actors, who are now getting their due, it is hard to say whether OTT actors are becoming stars or not. It has happened in the past with television. Gradually, the telly medium grew so much that today, TV stars are as big as film stars. But OTT is also a growing platform and sooner or later, actors who are doing well on it may also become huge stars,” says the actor, who is currently riding high on the success of his ongoing TV show, Anupama.

The 47-year-old goes on to note how the lack of censorship on the digital medium gives creators the liberty to be creative and explore bold or taboo topics. “People are openly talking about many subjects that they wouldn’t otherwise, back in the day. Many people are now openly sharing their inhibitions, thanks to the entertainment industry,” adds the actor, who was also seen in films such as Singham (2011) and 2.0 (2018).

Ask him if he would be comfortable doing intimate scenes onscreen and he replies, “I might consider doing bold scenes in a web project if the story demands, but not just for the heck of it.”

Adding his two bits to the debate on whether this freedom on the web may influence viewers negatively, Pandey shares, “The growth of all these mediums has increased exposure, and people have access to almost everything today. It is only natural that people will pick up [what they see on screen] and get influenced by what is shown on OTT. So it’s a double-edged sword. You win some, you lose some.”