A unique feat about Vikrant Massey’s filmography is that the actor’s last nine out of 10 releases have been direct-to-OTT, including the recent releases Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba (PAHD) and Sector 36.
Ask him about the appeal of the digital platform for films, which is generally known for shows, and he says, “There are many permutations and combinations and it is beyond the purview of an actor that whether a film will come in theatre or on OTT. And rightfully so as it is the producer’s prerogative. You work with as much honesty irrespective of the medium. One advantage of OTT is that it caters to a larger audience in one go and gives a film a global outreach. That, in turn, also gives us the incentive to up our game so as to upgrade our skill set and be at par with international cinema.”
But does less censorship on OTT also serve as an advantage? He responds, “It is partly true. But there is a misconception that there is no censorship on OTT because there are definite guidelines that one has to abide by now. A lot of things that we showed in Sector 36, we might not have been able to portray on the big screen. Having a film on OTT also gives a private and personalised experience. You can watch it with the company you want or watch it privately. The platform has to be chosen as per the purpose of the film.”
{{/usCountry}}But does less censorship on OTT also serve as an advantage? He responds, “It is partly true. But there is a misconception that there is no censorship on OTT because there are definite guidelines that one has to abide by now. A lot of things that we showed in Sector 36, we might not have been able to portray on the big screen. Having a film on OTT also gives a private and personalised experience. You can watch it with the company you want or watch it privately. The platform has to be chosen as per the purpose of the film.”
{{/usCountry}}With PAHD, a section of the audience felt Massey’s role was less effective than the first part. Mention that to him and he says, “I know what I signed up for and I am happy with how it turned out. People are free to have their opinions, while I am happy with how both my films have been received. I have already moved on from Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba.”
Having done two grey characters back-to-back, ask Massey if it helps him explore himself better as an actor and he responds, “It does. Sometimes the more you explore yourself as a human is when you probably want to explore such characters. But while you are playing these characters, you get to know things about yourself. When I was reading about serial killers while prepping for Sector 36, a commonality I learnt about them is childhood trauma. I never saw it that way, but after reading about them, I realised the impact of it.”