Trends in the OTT and social media world came up for a free will discussion as celebrities like Anu Malik, Debendu Bhattacharya, and Falak Khan joined the discussion at The Friend of Mumbai Awards and Conclave on Sunday, February 18, 2024, organised by ITV Network. Actor Dibyendu Bhattacharya has shared his experience of how he made his name in the Bollywood industry despite coming from a non-filmy background.
Dibyendu said that he was blessed to work in the film industry, as he started his career in the industry doing short and side roles, then performed the main antagonist roles and mainstream roles only because of the audience who liked his work.
He also shares his experiences working on OTT (Over the top) and says, “OTT has given a new direction to the film industry as it brings a quantum of work and provides content that has somehow been forgotten by our streamlined industry. OTT also proves that content is king, irrespective of the platform. If the content of the project is liked by audiences, then nothing can stop it from making new records, as we saw with some web series like Mirjapur, Panchayet, Criminal Justice, Jamtara, and many more. Our industry follows the path of trends; if a project is liked by an audience, you will see lots of projects being done on the same topics. So it again proves that content is the only king.”
He added, “I would like to play a character that is out of my comfort zone, which challenges me and brings something new out of me.”
Similarly, Falak Khan also shared her experience working on the Oscar-nominated short film named Champaran Mutton. Falak said that Champaran Mutton is a short film that connects us in our daily lives, and everyone will feel attached to it.
Further, she shared her journey from being in a small town to becoming an actress. “I got inspired by actors like the late Irfan Khan, Manoj Bajpayee, etc. and thought that one day I would also become an actress.” Falak also shared the challenges that she faced during her journey from Muzaffarpur to Mumbai. She said that during her studies, she decided that she would become an actress and started working on it side by side. She added that the bigger challenge for her is to convince her family that they will allow her to pursue her passion as a full-time career. She lastly said that Champaran Mutton is given a breakthrough in his career that every actor wants in his career.
Meanwhile, renowned music composer and singer Anu Malik also shared his experience and said, Anu Malik became Anu Malik because of Mumbai, as this city has given me everything from the beginning till now, from beaches to this stage. I would suggest that aspiring musicians and composers never give up and go for it if they think they have something in them. As there is no shortcut, one has to work hard for it. He also suggests aspiring singers run for the work, not for the money, which will bring them success in their lives.Malik further said that Indian music is famous because of its roots, as Indian musicians have never forgotten ancient classical music. From old singers like Lata Mangeshkar, R.D. Burman, Lakshmikant Pyarelal, etc. to our new singers, they have never forgotten our roots. They have a melody in their voice, and as a result of that, they have become successful in their journey.