During the pandemic, the nation saw new OTT platforms mushrooming and filmmakers eagerly investing in long-form storytelling. For the Malayalam film industry, it took a couple more years to step foot into the world of web series, with ‘Kerala Crime Files’ becoming the pioneer. Though the OTT trend has subsided in terms of direct-to-digital film releases and the division between curating content for the theater and OTT has mostly blurred, and the Malayalam industry is witnessing a surge in web series. In fact, post-pandemic, some of the top stars in Malayalam are making web series and also making waves. ‘Kerala Crime Files’ starring Aju Varghese and Lal was followed by ‘Mastepeace’ featuring Nithya Menen and Sharafudheen. Sunny Wayne, Nikhila Vimal, and Ashokan’s ‘Perilloor Premier League’ too made quite an impression on the audience, and the recent National Award-winning actor Suraj Venjaramoodu’s ‘Nagendran’s Honeymoon’ is the talk of the town. Some of the leading streaming platforms, including Disney Plus Hotstar, and SonyLIV, have announced several Malayalam web series in a row, with many in various stages of production. In the Malayalam industry, the web series fever has just begun, and the upcoming ones, including Nivin Pauly’s ‘Pharma’, suggest that the trail could be infinite. So is the web series surge in Malayalam a passing craze or a phenomenal shift?
PR Arun: director of Nivin Pauly starrer upcoming series ‘Pharma’; Prasanth Alexander: actor from the latest web series ‘Nagendran’s Honeymoons’ and a post-graduate in media and communications; Dr. Sangeetha Janachandran: OTT consultant and founder of a leading marketing agency; and Siddharth Anand Kumar: producer at Yoodle Films joins ETimes and shares their views on the boom of web series in Malayalam.
PR Arun: “Web series celebrates the power of storytelling.”
Director PR Arun, who has previously helmed two films and is currently putting the finishing touches on his upcoming web series ‘Pharma’ starring Nivin Pauly, observes that long-format story-telling is here to stay. “Since the beginning of civilization, people have enjoyed listening to serialized content. After the pandemic, the audience was exposed to serialized content and began to understand its potential, which at times could even surpass what films could offer. Though we are now in the initial phases of this type of content, I feel it is here to stay.” He quotes Yuval Noah Harari and emphasizes, “Fiction is the foundation of civilization.”
The young director asserts that the growing demand for web series itself is the biggest USP. “While people tend to pause and resume watching movies on streaming platforms, web series are being binge-watched all at once. I was fascinated by some of my friends binge-watching series that they weren’t even that interested in! Web series celebrates the power of storytelling.”
The ‘Pharma’ director notes that web series also give countless possibilities to creative minds involved in it. “There are multiple characters and character arcs. These can be expanded to create a larger universe. In the case of actors, I feel it is such a brilliant medium. Case in point ‘Friends’: We know Joey, Rachel, and Ross. But if you ask about the writer or director, people don’t necessarily remember them. Web series are predominantly character- or actor-friendly mediums.”
Are actors very accommodating when it comes to web series, especially veterans? “Of course! Look at the films being made here: ‘Bramayugam’, ‘Kaathal: The Core’, and ‘Malaikottai Vaaliban’. This versatility and taste speak volumes. The right script at the right time, and any actor from Malayalam would sign it.”
Dr. Sangeetha Janachandran: “Now that the exclusivity of movies no longer exists, streamers are looking for original web series.”
Dr. Sangeetha Janachandran, who is an OTT consultant and founder of a leading marketing agency, has worked on 101 projects (including movies and web series) so far and feels the web series fever has only begun.
Sangeetha Janachandran observes that the paradigm shift in the revenue model of streaming platforms has propelled the need for web series. “Post-pandemic, direct-to-digital releases have died down almost by 99 percent. Now, the post-theatrical acquisition depends on the theatrical success. Also, most of the movies are getting dubbed in multiple languages, which adds to the versatility of the content compared to the scenario pre-pandemic. Hence, OTT platforms have shifted their acquisition guidelines and are looking for original content, where the web series comes into play.”
“Many streaming platforms nowadays have the marketplace concept, which provides an integrated platform where you can also watch content from other platforms on rental. So, consumers need value for money when it comes to subscription renewal. Streamers are scarcely outright buying movies these days and are opting for pay-per-view, revenue sharing, or hybrid models. You can watch films that have a pay-per-view revenue model on multiple platforms. When there is an integrated approach to OTTs, people won’t subscribe to a new platform unless they are offering something exclusive. Now that the exclusivity of movies no longer exists, streamers are looking for original web series. So retention and subscriber acquisition are important. As the exclusive nature of movies has changed, streamers opt for originals (web series), which are exclusive to that particular platform,” she adds.
As an OTT consultant who is collaborating with some of the leading streaming platforms, Sangeetha Janachandran emphasizes that the streamers are aggressively looking for web series, and according to her, a leading streamer has completed three Malayalam web series so far, and five to six are in various stages of production. “Next year, we are going to witness a surge of web series. Web series are in the spotlight because of the rising demand for exclusive content.”
Another fascinating shift in content is the language merger. Sangeetha asserts, “The birth of cross-industry content is exciting. For instance, the Trisha and Indrajith Sukumaran starrer web series ‘Brinda’ is about to come out. Here, the creators have a focused audience scattered throughout the country, which could help in popularizing the series.”
Prasanth Alexander: “When you see Saif Ali Khan doing ‘Sacred Games’, there is no room for any concerns on the big screen or small screen division.”
Actor Prasanth Alexander, a postgraduate in media communications with over 22 years of experience in the industry, made his web series debut with ‘Nagendran’s Honeymoons’. He essayed the role of Soman, who is equally important as the protagonist, Nagendran, played by National Award-winner Suraj Venjaramoodu. As Malayalam is still making its baby steps in the world of web series, we asked Prasanth Alexander if he was concerned about the shift from the silver screen to smaller screens. “Those concerns were already crushed by bigger stars. When you see Saif Ali Khan doing ‘Sacred Games’, there is no room for such worries. In fact, Nithin Renji Panicker (director of Nagendran’s Honeymoons) offered me this series after watching my film ‘Purusha Pretham’, which was a direct-to-digital release. Initially, I was a bit skeptical of whether the audiences would return to the cinemas if the content was available in their living rooms. I’ve survived in this industry for 22 years because of my passion for cinema. Only recently have I started receiving the roles and recognition I’ve long sought. However, that concern has vanished, as I’ve observed that audiences can clearly distinguish between movies and web series,” the actor shares.
Interestingly, Prasanth Alexander has signed on for Krishand’s web series ‘Sambhava Vivaranam Naalara Sangham’ and another yet-to-be-titled Hindi series, both in various stages of production. As someone who has tried his hands at web series, Prasanth Alexander finds the medium providing more space for its actors. “Films often revolve around the protagonist, whereas in web series, we have the possibility to travel through the lives of other characters too. In the first season of ‘Nagendran’s Honeymoons’, the story revolves around Nagendran. In the upcoming season, the creators can always tell the story of Soman. A spin-off is possible for the female leads as well. It gives all the actors the possibility to explore and add detail to their performance,” he points out.
Prasanth Alexander also believes that web series can help fill the gap of character actors. “When we look at Malayalam cinema now, we can sense the scarcity of character actors like Sankaradi, Thilakan, Nedumudi Venu, Bharath Gopi, Oduvil Unnikrishnan, Innocent, Jagathi Sreekumar, Mamukkoya. These seasoned actors had mastered the art of effortlessly portraying any character they were given. I feel web series, to an extent, could fill this void.”
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Siddharth Anand Kumar: “The Prithviraj Sukumaran starrer web series is still on the cards.”
Producer Siddharth Anand Kumar of Yoodle Films has confirmed that a Prithviraj Sukumaran-starrer web series based on India’s ‘Biscuit King’ Rajan Pillai is still on the cards. Prithviraj Sukumaran roping in for a web series would be a game changer. “We have been working on that. It is a series that requires a platform, which is agreeable in terms of budget. Rajan Pillai’s story is definitely a very big-budget show,” Siddharth Anand Kumar confirmed. The pre-production work for the series is progressing. “We are still working on the research and the writing. We will be pitching on the platform. It has taken us a lot more time than we expected,” he added.
Looking at the market trends, and expert opinions, it is certain that the boom of web series in Malayalam is more than a fleeting fad. ‘Web series’ abhi baki hai mere dost!
