Actor Alia Bhatt has turned producer too with 'Darlings' that began streaming on Netflix from August 5. The dark comedy has been directed by a debutant and also features Vijay Varma and Shefali Shah in the lead. Talking about why she opted for an OTT release for her first production, Alia said, "It was not something that we discussed during the pandemic."
She further told India Today that "In 2019 we all had met with regards to Darlings, that's where the initial talks began. Then in 2020, the world went into lockdown, but from the very beginning, we said that this is that kind of film which on a platform like Netflix will be very good, for various reasons. On Day 1 itself you reach out to over 190 countries, so who wouldn't want that reach? As we all know the world has become a very small place thanks to content lying on OTT. We are consuming content of all languages - Korean, Spanish, South Indian, etc. It is something that has become very easily accessible now. We don't have to take a flight or go to film festivals, it's just a unique way of consuming content."
Alia also feels that "Darlings is not a large-scale, larger-than-life sort of spectacle"
"... it's an intimate, intricate story of all these characters and their lives and their journeys. So,I don't mind where you watch it as long as you watch it. A film like Gangubai (Kathiawadi) you had to consume that film in the theatre first because that was the style, it was just a spectacle. But, Darlings is not that kind of a film, I am not saying it negatively. I'm just saying that it's an intimate watch. So, I don't mind watching it by myself. We are very happy that it is releasing on a platform like Netflix," she said.
'Darlings' follows the lives of two women as they find courage and love in exceptional circumstances and has got mixed reviews so far.
