Mreenal Deshraj on OTT influencing an evolution of content on TV: Competition in general is very healthy, often forces creativity and change

“The lines are being blurred between these industries and there is a lot of collaboration and cross-industry work happening not only in TV and Bollywood but across the country which includes regional cinema as well. This is a good time to be in the industry,” says Mreenal, who has done TV shows such as Ishqbaaaz and Naagin, and films, Vivah, Runway: Love Among GunShots, among others.

With so many platforms giving way to a plethora of content, there are more options that one now has these days to pursue their acting dreams. And, Mreenal thinks that is a wonderful phase.

On how the younger lot of actors are different from the seasoned ones, she adds, “I think they are hungry and ambitious and have much more at play than the previous generation. Not only do they have OTT platforms, TV, Bollywood, regional cinema but they also have social media platforms and everything that comes with this digital age. So yes, the number of opportunities are more, which means hard workers have more avenues for growth than ever before.”

Do you feel the OTT boom has led to the evolution of content on TV?  “Competition in general is very healthy. It forces creativity and change. This will lead to an evolution of content across the board because everyone wants to get ahead so everyone will sharpen their skills and put their best foot forward,” she opines.

The audience appreciates relatable content. Explaining, Mreenal adds, “I think people want to be inspired to do better. Most content is about storytelling and that means on some level it should be compelling enough to not only engage the audience but to maintain that relatability. I think as long as these fundamentals are strong, reality can be manipulated to serve the end result of aspiring growth and change for the audience.”