Raj and DK on star system invading OTT space: ‘Stars bring automatic publicity, viewership, interest’

Raj and DK, in a recent interview, denied that stars are invading the space of talented actors on OTT platforms.

Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK (Image: Instagram/rajanddk)

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When streaming platforms first emerged in India, they were regarded as a safe space for performers, in contrast to the star-driven theatrical market. However, the pandemic changed things. As streaming became a more lucrative business, platforms began courting stars with big money. However, filmmakers Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK, popularly known as Raj and DK, creators of hit series such as The Family Man and Farzi, said in a recent interview that this isn’t entirely true.

In an interview with Film Companion, the duo was asked if the star system is invading the OTT space as well. “I did get the feeling when the streaming came into place that this is actors’ medium. I also look at it in such a way that only an actor can do a series and not a star who is not an actor,” Raj said. Seconding him, DK added, “There’s no compromise for that.”

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Raj then denied that stars are taking jobs away from character actors. He said, “There are a lot of series and movies we make… in fact, in the most content we make, we are not going to always keep casting stars. We need a lot more actors there (series) which is the function of the content itself. The way we look at it is that we want to mix it up. Like we started doing it in Shor in the City. It also the budget, the studios’ point of view where they put in a certain amount of money and they want to figure out the way they can recover it. If you are doing a low-budget, low-brow sort of thing… ‘do whatever you want, cast whoever you want’. Then again, we won’t cast someone who doesn’t fit the character.”

DK then spoke about why studios opt for stars for big-budget content. He said, “You know as much as I do that when you see a star there’s something attractive about him. Wherever they go, it becomes automatic publicity, viewership, interest… everything comes in instantly. That will bring you to turn on the TV on the day of streaming saying that ‘Oh my god, I want to watch Shahid Kapoor or whoever, which is what I think works for the platform. But the show has to be good, the actor has to be good for you to go beyond that.”

Raj said, “What we want to do as filmmakers who are greedy to get you more talent… there are so many people you are going to fall in love with in that show that you don’t know the names of. In Farzi, Guns & Gulaabs, and Family Man, there are so many actors like the bad guys, brothers, and Chellam sir… you come in for the stars and take away all these people. In Family Man Season 1 and Season 2, we have had 20 great actors who have had a great career after that. That’s what it is about.”

However, actor-director Konkona Sen Sharma, who directed the well-received segment The Mirror in Netflix’s Lust Stories 2, admitted that the star system is invading the OTT space, and that studios are demanding makers to cast stars. “More than talent, people who are putting in money, want stars. I can understand they are putting in money and they want to cover the bases, many stars are talented and perhaps some aren’t that much. Even for OTT, there is a move towards stars,” she told Film Companion.

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