In the West, the platform system is such that players continue to migrate from one platform to another, without any markers or labels. Famous and Academy Award-winning actress Meryl Streep has been seen in shows like Pretty Little Liars and Only Murders In The Building. However, in Indian showbiz, the tags of the media outlet you are from take precedence in many cases.

Actor Choudhary Gurmeet made its OTT debut this year with Commander Karan Saxena and now has another show coming up with Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein. Same actor Surbhi Chandna made her web debut this year with Rakshak – India’s Braves: Chapter 2, while Sanjeeda Shaikh appeared in Heeramandi. Shaheer Sheikh became the latest entrant to make his OTT film debut with Do Patti. With increasing acceptance of diverse roles across media, the industry is witnessing a wave of talent moving from television to OTT platforms. We look at the experiences of the biggest and most popular TV actors who have successfully made this transition.

Karan Tacker

Karan, who has directed shows like Khakee: The Bihar Chapter and Special Ops on OTT, believes the medium is “a great leveler or equalizer for an artist who wants to perform, work on their craft and do more immersive work in as a spectator. artist.” However, he adds, “the TV actor label is a perception that comes more from the media and the fraternity than from the platform itself. Both my OTT shows were successful, but I have always been written as a TV actor doing something on OTT It’s a perception that the media and the fraternity need to change more than anyone and this will truly be an equalizer. is more the responsibility of the media than the platform.

Sumeet Vyas

Sumeet believes that the acceptance of media merger on OTT came from the audience’s need for change. “If audiences want to watch something predictable, they can watch TV or movies. Things there are quite predictable, but when they come to watch a show on OTT, they expect to see something new and unique. Thus, even the actors accept change. If an actor has already acted on television, but he tries something new in OTT, he usually likes it. What OTT did was it encouraged the audience to experiment with the content, the actors and the performances,” he says.

Kritika Kamra

Kritika, who has worked in ensemble shows like Hush Hush with actor Juhi Chawla and Tandav with actor Saif Ali Khan, says OTT actually gives you the chance to catch up with the biggest stars and to create your own space. “For someone who learned everything on the job, OTT gave me the opportunity to observe other actors and their process and taught me to be a team player. To act is to react, and working with great actors elevates your own performance. I had the chance to work alongside very good actors and directors without forcing myself to play the solo lead role. I just need my character to be well-written and have his own memorable journey,” she says.

Iqbal Khan

Khan shares that while OTT proves to be an equal platform, this shift is still in its infancy. “When OTT started, there was this thing that didn’t let anyone get off TV. Then there was another breed of actors known as OTT actors, and then there were other categories: film actors, OTT actors and television actors. Today, things are changing and everyone is working everywhere. There are big movie stars doing OTT stuff and then there are TV actors doing OTT stuff too. This transition has started but it is not there yet,” he insists.

Aamir Ali

Ali clearly states that although things are getting better, even on OTT, the ‘TV actor’ tag still works against an artiste. He shares, “OTT has been a relief for all the actors to explore what they can do, what they want to do and go in different directions and just play different types of roles. But the TV actor label is unfortunately still there and it is very difficult to get rid of it. I have been away from television for six or seven years now, and people still remember me as a television actor. But ultimately, you just need a great creator to trust you and give you the kind of role that suits you, so that people look at you differently. However, the label still remains.