Desi grassroots dramas help OTTs cut production costs, boost returns

The trend may have started in April 2020, but has spread as makers take shows to small, remote parts

- Lata Jha

Much like the wave that took over Bollywood around the early 2010s, when movie plotlines shifted to small towns, original shows on video-streaming platforms too are being set in tier-two and tier-three locations.

The trend may have started with shows such as Panchayat in April 2020. Now, it has spread as makers take shows to small, remote parts of the country, whether it is Punjab in Kohrra or the northeast in the latest season of Paatal Lok, cashing in on local dialects and talent.

While the common perception is that OTT is an upmarket, metro phenomenon with limited viewership in smaller towns, executives said that in the effort to widen audience reach, writers and makers are setting stories in the hinterland, which makes it cost-effective to put together and allows for new faces and real locations. Even metro audiences increasingly seek rooted stories from beyond the cities.