Ever since the OTT platforms came under the ambit of censorship imposed by the government, there has been a lot of noise about the unfairness of it all and many have been vehemently opposing the move. But, with the recent controversy over Mira Nair’s A Suitable Boy, some have welcomed the move.
Speaking of the recent imposition of censorship on OTT platforms, Sumeet says, “This is a very undemocratic move indeed. Imposing a censorship on the OTT platforms, is pretty much like robbing viewers off the information that they could bag off the internet. If you think about it, does it mean that in the future the government would levy a ban on the internet itself? After all we are a democracy, and we do have a right to information and the freedom to speech.”
The actor, who became a household name with series like Permanent Roommates and Tripling, goes on to add, “OTT platforms are fast emerging as a cesspool for content. It is being explored and exploited all the same. However, it is one of the mediums that delivers content that’s compelling. Content that is being portrayed on OTT platforms becomes exceedingly challenging to showcase on the mediums such as cinema and television. I am very much against censorship, but I absolutely support that rating process. Series and films appearing on the OTT should be rated according to age.”
Having co-written the screenplay of Permanent Roommates, would the levying of censorship affect the way he writes? “Not really. As a writer, I’ve usually written ‘slice of life pieces’, and nothing that I’ve written is hurtful in any manner. However, I won’t shy from lobbying against censorship as I would love to support fellow-writers, who create thought-provoking content that could be positively impact society.” On enquiring about the upcoming trends on OTT, he says, “People are steering towards content that is realistic. Docu-dramas are on the rise. People are very interested in learning about about facts and figures and taking from biopics.”
Sumeet has successfully experimented by playing the part of Ram Jethmalani in the series State versus Nanavati. “The story behind Harsha Mehta in Scam 1992. The Tashkent Files have done exceedingly well.” With the media opening avenues, viewers are now thirsty for truth. The truth could be about a number of things ranging from what’s happening in the lives of culprits like Vijay Mallya and Mehul Chokshi, to what goes on in the mind of a match-maker, before getting two ‘fitting’ individuals hitched.
Sumeet Vyas will next been seen the Zee5 web series Dark7White. In the series, he plays a spoilt royal who takes to politics. Speaking about his character, Sumeet says, “Yudhveer is a very impulsive character. He is very determined about taking to politics, and gets it done hook, line and sinker. He takes decisions at a drop off a hat!”
