Sameer Nair is well placed to analyse the debate about the impact of streaming services on television viewing and movie-going behavior. As a television veteran who spent 12 years at the Star network and has had stints at NDTV and Balaji Telefilms, Nair observed the shift from a single terrestrial, state-run network to privately-held satellite channels. As managing director at Applause Entertainment, Nair oversees the production of long-form shows and features.
Applause recently premiered the third season of City of Dreams and the Tamil-language movie Por Thozhil in cinemas. Vignesh Raja’s warmly received crime thriller is a shot in the arm for Applause, whose other theatrical release, Zwigato, cratered despite critical acclaim.
The studio’s slate includes Scam 2003: The Telgi Story, an adaptation of historian Ramachandra Guha’s books Gandhi before India and Gandhi – The Years that Changed the World as well as fresh seasons for Criminal Justice, Undekhi, Mithya, Avrodh and Bhaukaal. There have been hits and misses, such as Hasmukh. The company’s co-production of Aparna Sen’s 2021 drama The Rapist hasn’t been released yet.
Predicting what will work is a mug’s game in the Hindi entertainment industry. However, some conclusions can be reached about the present and future of streaming as well as the vexed race for box office gold, Nair told Scroll. The increased popularity of web series because of the recent coronavirus pandemic might…
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