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Censorship of OTT content: Is regulation needed? Watch views of celebs

[Edited By: Vijay]

Saturday, 30th January , 2021 05:44 pm

The year 2020 hit the entertainment industry hard, with theatres shutting down and film shoots coming to a standstill in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, but something good came out of it too. With no alternative source of entertainment in contention, Over The Top (OTT) platforms clocked in an unprecedented viewership. The audience was wooed not only by the prospect of watching new releases from the comfort of their homes but also by the premium content on offer, created especially for the digital space. From chick-flicks to romance-dramas, and crime-thrillers, the webspace was doling out quality content by the minute and entertainment-starved people were lapping it up.

But as content-viewing shifted from being a community experience on a 70mm screen to a personalised affair on 5-inch mobile screens, the nature of the content changed too. With no restrictions, and encouraged by the wild success of certain shows, makers felt free to include graphic scenes and language that they would otherwise avoid fearing rejection from the Censor Board as well as the audience. Soon, every other web show found itself mired in controversy, if not for the use of foul language then for hurting religious sentiments or being too risque.

CENSORSHIP OR SELF-REGULATION?