Pa. Ranjith: OTT platforms creating a 'new wave' of Indian cinema

Tamil filmmaker Pa. Ranjith, whose period sports action film 'Sarpatta Parambarai' has been streaming on Amazon Prime, says cross-regional collaborations will trigger the growth of a "new wave" of Indian cinema.

The filmmaker, who had announced plans to direct his first Hindi film on the life of the freedom fighter Birsa Munda, said in a chat with IANS: "South Indian films, especially Tamil and Malayalam movies, have always been special because of their progressive content. Also, the storytelling formats and quality and the technical aspects of South Indian movies are very good. I believe that with this collaboration (with Amazon Prime), we are creating a new wave of cinema."

With OTT platforms picking up content from different parts of India, Pa. Ranjith said, the reach of regional cinema has increased effectively. The filmmaker was previously known for movies such as the Rajanikanth-starrers 'Kabali' and 'Kaala'.

Continuing on the subject of the digital media, he said it was exposing people to global cinema. "We have a lot of youngsters who have come into the industry and the digital media has helped them to get to know more about global culture and events happening across the globe and in world cinema," Pa. Ranjith said.

He concluded by noting: "The digital medium connects easily with a larger audience irrespective of the language. For example, my movie is not only for the Tamil audience, but also for the North Indian audience, such as the Marathi audience, which was especially appreciative of my movie 'Kaala'. I believe content has greater value today. Many youngsters have come forward to make movies based on the prevailing social and political situation, which I believe is a good and healthy sign."

Tags: Cinema, Showbiz