Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who was one of the early adopters of streaming in India, has admitted that the quality of content on OTT platforms is rather hit-or-miss. Nawaz said that even today, people all over the world recognise him for his work on Sacred Games, Netflix's first Indian original series. The actor most recently appeared in Ghoomketu, a long-delayed film released on ZEE5 during the lockdown.
"I have only chased interesting stories, and Ghoomketu was one of them. It doesn't matter whether the story is being told on an OTT platform, television or on the big screen," Nawaz told Mid-Day in an interview.
The actor, who played the notorious gangster Ganesh Gaitonde in Sacred Games, added, "If you study the [OTT] market, there are all kinds of work on offer. While there are brilliant films and shows, I also unfortunately see some below-average work from India on these platforms. The [streaming] services have a wide reach and must be respected."
Sacred Games, which told the cat-and-mouse story of Gaitonde and police inspector Sartaj Singh (Saif Ali Khan), received acclaim and popularity. Its second season debuted in 2019. Nawaz said that he can feel the show's impact everywhere. He continued, "It was Sacred Games that put us on the map. Even if I stand on the streets of New York, people recognise me as a Sacred Games actor. People don't give him enough credit, but Anurag Kashyap has played a big role in changing Indian cinema. He encouraged directors to stay true to their roots and tell stories of the heartland. That's when stories set in Meerut and Kanpur started making their way [to the silver screen]."
Ghoomketu received mixed-to-negative reviews from critics. Anurag features in a special appearance in the film. The filmmaker's next directorial effort, Choked, will be released on Netflix on June 5.
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