Anurag Kashyap Criticises OTT Platforms: “Top Streamers Are Afraid to Take Risks”

The filmmaker calls out streaming giants for stalling creative growth and prioritising subscriber numbers over meaningful content.

January 3, 2025: Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, known for his bold storytelling and unfiltered opinions, recently expressed his frustration with OTT platforms and their growing reluctance to take creative risks. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Kashyap criticized streaming giants for favoring safe, formulaic content over innovative storytelling, ultimately stifling creative progress in Indian cinema.

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OTT Platforms and Creative Decline

Anurag Kashyap revealed that the entry of platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video initially brought hope for storytellers in India. However, he believes that the initial promise of creative freedom and boundary-pushing content has given way to risk-averse programming aimed primarily at increasing subscriber numbers.

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“But who are the people running the OTTs? They’re all from TV. They have no cinema experience. They don’t understand cinema. Their only motive is to increase subscriber numbers, which has led to dumbing down content,” Kashyap remarked.

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He went on to criticize the executives leading these platforms, accusing them of being too comfortable in their high-paying jobs and unwilling to take creative leaps.

Lack of Meaningful Collaboration

Kashyap admitted that having meaningful creative conversations with streaming executives has become increasingly rare. He shared that many decision-makers are more focused on protecting their positions than fostering genuine artistic growth.

“These people have jobs with very high salaries and a lifestyle they don’t want to lose. I would rather not do anything than sit down and have a conversation with someone who is trying to save their job or impose their position,” Kashyap said.

A Hopeful Future for Cinema

Despite his criticism, Anurag Kashyap remains hopeful. He believes that the current state of mediocrity will eventually lead to a creative resurgence.

“After we hit rock-bottom, we will make films again. Golden times are coming,” he concluded optimistically.

Anurag Kashyap’s OTT Legacy

Kashyap was a key figure in bringing Indian cinema to the global OTT space with Netflix’s first Indian original series, Sacred Games, which he co-directed alongside Vikramaditya Motwane. He also contributed to anthologies like Lust Stories and Ghost Stories on the same platform.

As the debate around creative freedom and commercial pressures continues, Kashyap’s voice remains a significant one in Indian cinema’s ongoing evolution.

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Anurag Kashyap OTT Criticism, Streaming Platforms India, Creative Freedom in OTT, Netflix India, Amazon Prime Video, Indian Film Industry