Hemant Awtade: My Generation Was Inclined To Theatres But The Young Generation Prefers OTT

‘Ghar Banduk Biryani’ releases on Zee5 this Friday. The film received a lot of praise when it was released theatrically. Now, it’s up for grabs from the comfort of your home. Hemant Awtade, the director, has been getting immense love from audiences all over for his film.

Talking to Prateek Sur about the film, Hemant Awtade opens up about the actors, the film’s reception at theatres and its OTT release now. Excerpts:

Can you share one quality of each actor which impressed you the most?

Sayaji Shinde portrayed Pallam’s cruelty and humour incredibly. Akash is someone who disappears once you hand over the script to him. He immerses himself in the draft and brings alive the character. Sayali’s spontaneity made my work easy. She is not a professionally trained actor but has an amazing quality of improvising on the spot. She has a good grasping power.

The film performed well theatrically and will soon be streaming on OTT. Does that bring in expectations or pressure?

My expectations have definitely increased after the theatrical release. The film is going to be exposed to more audiences through Zee5.

Do you feel streaming platforms are helping regional films gain a wider reach/exposure?

Streaming platforms have opened the doors of entertainment just like theatres. My generation was inclined to theatres but the young generation of 22-23 years prefers OTT. My nephews are obsessed with streaming platforms. With our age, it gets difficult to get used to the digital form of entertainment but that is the need of the hour.

So, when you’re making the film, the digital platforms are there at the back of your mind, right?

As a maker, I am afraid of how the film will visually turn out on the digital screen as I created it considering the big screen audio/video format. One cannot deny that streaming platforms help important films and topics gain a better reach to every household in the country.