‘No difference between directing for OTT or films’

Director Nitya Mehra, known for Baar Baar Dekho says she is more concerned about how best to portray a story on-screen

Nitya Mehra recently directed a segment of the digitally-released anthology Unpaused, and feels the experience was much like directing a short film. Mehra made her full-length feature debut in 2016 on the big screen with Baar Baar Dekho, starring Katrina Kaif with Sidharth Malhotra. She feels every story is just a story and does not let medium or platform alter her vision.

“I personally don’t think there is any difference when it comes to directing for OTT or for films. At the end of the day, we are storytellers and when I go on the sets, I have to put on the director’s hat and my process is very much the same,” Mehra said.

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However, there is one thing that she felt was different. “Unpaused was part of an anthology, so it was a short film compared to a series where I am doing a 45-minute episode or a feature film where I am doing a two-hour film. That way, the format was different,” she notes.

“For me, the main thing is how do I tell the story which is on paper. How do I best get my actors to perform and make them believable, how best do I get them to emote and create the drama or comedy or the genre. When I get down to write a script, I am not thinking that if I am doing it for OTT, I should use a different device,” she says.

With theatres being allowed 100 per cent occupancy, Bollywood is gearing up to get back in business. As a filmmaker, Mehra understands the nervousness of producers who have big-budget films lined up.

“I know theatres have opened up. I cannot wait for the day when theatres are full. It is important for our industry to survive the pandemic. It’s not about showing faith and releasing films. It is about the pandemic not being over. A lot of money has gone into making these films. In the end, the film business is a business. I understand why big budget producers are worried,” she says.

“Now that the vaccine is out, it will take a couple more months for things to stabilise, and that will give confidence to not just the film industry, but all other industries as well,” she says.

The filmmaker adds: “I do believe that the film industry will come together and take the right decisions because a lot of money is riding on these films and you want to wait for the right time to be able to make that money back.”