We aren’t on the lookout for star worth: Interview with SonyLIV content material head Ashish Golwalkar

Amidst a bloated streaming area bursting with platforms, SonyLIV occupies an fascinating place. For one, it’s one of many oldest platforms round, which relaunched in 2020 with a string of promising unique exhibits. Later that 12 months, the platform noticed its first thunderous success with Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story, one of many strongest, most refreshing Indian collection so far. It represented the easiest of storytelling on streaming – putting expertise over identified faces. It’s no marvel that the platform is equally accountable for lots of the finest exhibits on the market (Tabbar, Gullak, Rocket Boys), second solely to Amazon Prime Video. Also learn: Gullak season 3 review: This slice-of-life series manages a rare feat, keeps getting better each season

Big winners apart, even their originals that don’t completely work present a way of competence, promise, and originality (A Simple Murder, Uncommon Sense With Saloni Gaur, The Whistleblower, Chutzpah), suggesting that there are succesful, inventive minds behind the wheel. It’s in all probability why their subscriber base has grown to a powerful 18.2 million over two years, placing them effectively forward of Netflix India (reportedly shut to five million) and in the identical league of subscribers as Amazon Prime Video. (As per experiences, Hotstar nonetheless leads the cost with near 50 million subscribers).

Over Zoom, I spoke to SonyLIV’s Head Of Content Ashish Gowalkar in regards to the platform’s journey thus far, what the way forward for the Indian streaming panorama seems like and in addition, the bugs with its app.

Edited Excerpts:

First off, what’s SonyLIV doing that almost all different platforms aren’t? Why is the common SonyLIV unique extra promising that almost all different platforms?

SonyLIV is definitely one of many oldest OTT platforms within the nation. We have been round a lot earlier than any of those large ones got here in, however we have been enjoying extra of the TV catch-up content material sport. The actual originals play began with SonyLIV 2.0, once we relaunched the platform in June 2020. When this new crew took over, the imaginative and prescient was quite simple: There have been already large worldwide OTT gamers within the Indian market, so we needed to create one thing that was totally different.

When we began, we regarded round and determined we needed to inform tales of India. The complete geography of this nation is so distinctive that each 100km the tradition, meals and language modifications. That makes for a really wealthy treasure trove of tales which might be native and native and ready to be instructed. And not solely in Hindi but additionally within the South. Starting July you’re going to see much more Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam content material from us.

But the actual fact is that the complete OTT ecosystem is just 5 years outdated. Everyone remains to be studying. With each new present that drops on any platform, the complete fraternity learns, whether or not it’s a hit or not.

When it involves gaining subscribers, which is the secret, what would you say are the important thing drivers of that? Between nice unique exhibits, film acquisitions and sports activities?

Subscribers are a difficult factor. All three stuff you talked about are essential and depends upon your technique the way you need to method every. For instance we determined very early on that we needed to keep away from buying the newest large Bollywood motion pictures.

When we checked out our income and funding targets, we realised that if we make investments extra within the unique content material area then the yield is likely to be higher, and thus far we’ve been proper. But that’s to not say we wont be trying to try this in future. Once we have now adequate money, we might effectively look to get into that sport as effectively .

There’s one thing fascinating about your programming, particularly throughout the household drama and comedy area, with exhibits like Nirmal Pathak Ki Ghar Wapsi, Potluck and Salt City. They’re all candy, competent exhibits however hardly the type that you just see breaking the web. What’s the rationale behind backing exhibits like that?

I’ll add a couple of extra exhibits to that record. I believe some of the celebrated exhibits in that class is Gullak. It’s a beautiful present which takes you again to the nostalgia and nostalgia has all the time labored wherever on the earth. Similarly, we have now a present like Tabbar which is way darker. Again, with that present, we did it very authentically and stored it rooted in Punjabi somewhat than forcefit it into Hindi.

Lots of people instructed us “it’s Punjabi, you won’t get the Hindi audience”, however we did. In truth there are individuals within the South who’ve watched and liked that present. The truth is that content material is more and more turning into language agnostic. People within the South are watching Hindi content material and folks in UP are watching Tamil and Malayalam cinema.

Speaking of Malayalam cinema, you’ve had this latest sizzling streak of your Malayalam movies successful large on the Kerala State Film Awards with movies like Madhuram, Freedom Fight, Bhoothakalam and Churuli. What’s the key to this curation?

The Sony model lens helps quite a bit. The truth that individuals know we’re on the lookout for cerebral, genuine tales. The second factor we do is again the inventive conviction of the creators. We put the maker above everybody else.

If you are taking Churuli for instance, I’m an enormous fan of Lijo Jose Pellissery (Angamaly Diaries, Jallikattu). When the movie got here to us, many from the crew thought it was an indulgent movie that doesn’t warrant that sort of funding. But then Lijo got here to fulfill us and defined why he made the movie and I used to be satisfied. We have to again voices like that stand out, or else we’d be telling the identical sort of tales many times.

But many platforms say that for them the creator’s imaginative and prescient is what issues most. What is it particularly that you’re doing in a different way?

Thats what I’m saying, we have now a really strong content material choice course of. It’s not simply that if I prefer it, it will get purchased. We have a rigorous three tier course of the place a set of individuals watch it after which it involves us and we see if it suits the Sony model lens, after which we take a choice. Besides that, we aren’t on the lookout for the standard star worth.

For instance there is a Malayalam movie we again known as Thinkalazhcha Nishchayam, the place not even a single actor is a identified title, even in Kerala. But we adore it and it did effectively purely due to the innocence of the idea. For filmmakers and storytellers, cash is only one aspect. They additionally want plenty of love and respect. They like individuals who perceive them. So, once we did a couple of of those movies, naturally plenty of these sorts of movies began to return to us as a result of they knew this platform is supporting the sort of tales they need to inform.

I believe thats fairly true throughout the board for you – the truth that they don’t seem to be all the time identified faces and filmmakers. Whether it is Scam 1992 or Tabbar. Is it honest to say then, that in relation to SonyLIV, you’re not on the lookout for the most important tasks, you’re on the lookout for the very best?

Absolutely. For us probably the most essential half is the maker, the script and the conviction. So far, we have now not taken a single present that’s a “proposal” the place it’s simply in regards to the large director or identified actors. We dont purchase proposals, we again tales.

Whethers its backed by identified faces or not. For instance with Maharani, we didn’t take Huma Qureshi as a result of she’s a identified title however as a result of the maker Subhash Kapoor had full religion in her and since she needed to provide her all to that function. It wasnt simply one other venture for her.

Great programming apart, the opposite dialog round SonyLIV are the problems that individuals hold having with the app. What’s being completed on that entrance and does it frustrate you to see individuals loving the exhibits and complaining in regards to the app in the identical breath?

I believe from the place we have been to the place we’re by way of the app, there was a large enchancment. Unfortunately at any time when you might be on this market you get in contrast with the gold customary. I’ll be sincere and admit we aren’t the very best on this class however we’re striving arduous to be. I believe within the final 6 months alone, our app scores have improved and we’re continually investing in expertise and issues will get higher. But past that, we’re the youngest within the sport, we’re solely two years outdated, so we ask individuals to please give us some leeway and simply bear with us for a bit longer. We are bettering however there’s a protracted strategy to go nonetheless and we’re working in direction of that.

Where do you see the Indian streaming area going? There was solely about 50 platforms 3 years in the past and now there’s over 150 and rising, and we are able to solely subscribe to so many. Are we headed into an period of consolidation? Where do you see all of this going?

I believe the reply is in your query. As with all industries, throughout the OTT area we have now the large worldwide gamers, the youthful startups and the area of interest gamers. But the actual main, large platforms are solely round 10 or lower than that. So, I believe as we go forward, the OTT universe will proceed to develop and habits will proceed to vary. For instance with streaming it’s all about selection. No matter how a lot I bombard you with adverts, you determine what you need to watch.

There are additionally totally different sorts of viewers. Currently most main platforms are all specializing in a specific sort of viewer. It’s extraordinarily male skewed – it’s about 80% male. The female-focused content material is lacking. Similarly, the younger grownup area is not captured in any respect, so that could be a large area to concentrate on. Eventually all of the platforms specializing in these area of interest areas will get purchased up by a much bigger participant.

Currently we’re in a development area and that may proceed. There will probably be a saturation that kicks in sooner or later after which the consolidation will start within the subsequent 3-5 years. Till then, it’s a good time for content material makers, for platform house owners and most of all, for audiences.