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Sri Adhikari Brothers Enterprise's Karm Yuddh is a web series on Disney+Hotstar centred on the rivalry within a billionaire family. Back in October 2022, the series emerged as the most-watched show across platforms, according to the Ormax Media report. Karm Yuddh has been directed by Ravi Adhikari (son of media icon Late Shri. Gautam Adhikari and nephew of media baron Markand Adhikari), who joins us today to talk about the growing power of OTT, carrying the Adhikari Brothers' legacy forward, his future directorial ventures and more.
1. How is 'Karm Yuddh' different from the rest of the web series?
With so much content coming out on OTT nowadays, it is very important to be different to stand out in this ocean of content. Most of the content nowadays on OTT is crime or political thrillers and Karm Yuddh managed to stand out and get noticed is because of the theme and treatment of the show. A corporate family revenge drama shot on a lavish scale is something which is not on the menu of OTT platforms. Being different doesn’t mean being bizarre. In the case of Karm Yuddh it is more like giving the regular product packaged differently. The preference of the Indian masses was kept in mind throughout the making of the show. In simple words, it’s like serving samosa but with a twist.
2. Are you carrying the weight on your shoulder to carry forward your legacy?
We consider ourselves blessed to belong to a family that has redefined content decade after decade. Yes, the burden of responsibility is there on our shoulders but our upbringing has made sure that our shoulders are strong enough to carry the legacy forward and build it even more.
3. Tell us something about your film 'Dheet Patangay' which is the first film direct-to-digital on the initial outburst of covid-19.
When we started shooting the film the concept of OTT was not so strong at that time and the traditional theatrical release was the plan for us too. But by the time we were done filming and planning the release of the film the OTT market had opened a lot of avenues for new filmmakers like me But a maker always dreams of seeing his/her name on the big screen. After a lot of discussions and brainstorming we decided to go ahead with the straight-to-digital route as it offered a much more wider audience reach for the film. By the time we sold the film to Hotstar, the pandemic had surfaced and because of the lockdown the theatres were shut and the audience was on OTT. I am happy that we chose the straight-to-digital route for Dheet Patangey which garnered love and respect.
4. What future do you see in Bollywood? Will OTT overpower the big screen?
This is not the first time that Big screen dominance has been threatened. When television first came to India everyone thought now who will go to the theatres? The same happened when satellite channels came into existence. But theatrical cinema came back every time and proved that it is here to stay. This time it is a little different because of the pandemic where the audience’s habit of consuming content has changed. The audience will need to be seduced to come to the theatres. They will have to be offered a big-screen experience. But at the same time the economics should also be looked into. In Bollywood, going to the theatre has become a luxury and most of our population can’t afford that. The future of big-screen entertainment will be larger than life experience at affordable prices.
5. What are your future projects?
Three to four projects for OTT are under development right now but, due to a confidentiality agreement with the platform, can’t talk about them. Apart from that, I am in the process of writing a feature film which I plan to direct soon. Till then, I am keeping my fingers crossed.