OTT content battles mainstream pressures, controversies

New Delhi: Not governed by a censor board or regulatory authority so far, video streaming platforms in India, both foreign and local, have long remained immune to the pressures of their more mainstream counterpart — feature films. But as consumption of media grows in the country and OTT (over-the-top) streaming services cater to wide audience groups, their often risqué content has begun to ruffle far more feathers than earlier.

Mahesh Bhatt directed thriller Sadak 2 that begins streaming on Disney+ Hotstar on 28 August has been caught in the eye of the storm ever since its trailer launched. The film starring Bhatt’s daughter Alia in the lead is supposed to be a stark example of Bollywood’s nepotism that it has received much flak for since the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput in June.