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RESEARCH REPORT ON “THE GROWING POPULARITY OF OTT

PLATFORMS AND IT’S IMPACT ON YOUNGER GENERATION”

Submitted by,

Muskan Gupta
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Table of Content

1) Introduction
2) Ott platforms: meaning
3) Growing popularity of OTT platforms
4) Few acts from popular web series
5) Critical analysis of OTT platform and the content used.
(i) Portrayal of women in current shows/movies on OTT
platforms (Mirzapur, Sacred Games)
(ii) Portrayal of religion and caste- based communities in current
shows/movies on OTT platforms (Ashram, Pataal Lok)
(iii) Depiction of violence, profane language and vulgarity
& its effect (Mirzapur, Gangs of Wasseypur)
6) Effect of such shows/movies on mental and social health
7) Laws relating to OTT platform
a) Article 19
b) Indian Penal Code
c) IT Act, 2000
8) Do OTT platforms need to be regulated?
9) My suggestions
10) Conclusion

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Introduction

Man is a social animal and due the process of socialization it tends to behave in
a specific manner. For sustainability of life few factors like human
sustainability, social sustainability & economic sustainability are necessary.
Entertainment is one such factor which is very essential for living a prosperous
and satisfied life and thus man is consistently engaged themselves in exploring
different source of entertainment. From storytelling, singing etc. to watching
web series in OTT platforms the source of entertainment is always changing.
We are living in a technologically driven culture and it tries to regulate our life
in every possible manner. The advancement of technology generally evokes a
range of emotions in people from all walks of life. Some view technology as a
great evil that slowly diminishes our humanity, while others view it as a way to
bring the world closer together and to help solve some of our greatest
challenges1.

“Science and technology revolutionize our lives, but memory, tradition and
myth frame our response” as quoted by Arthur Schlesinger (Historian) is indeed
matching with the current dynamics. Technology has revolutionized our life
aspects especially in the form of using internet thus from being updated about
things, googling browsers to almost everything tech has taken over into our life
but the values and ethics which we inculcate in ourselves is in comparable.

OTT Platforms: meaning

OTT which means (Over The Top) refers to film and television content
provided via a high-speed Internet connection rather than a cable or satellite
provider. Platforms like Amazon prime, Netflix, MX player are the classic

120 Great Technology Quotes To Inspire, Amaze, And Amuse,

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examples of it. They are directly reaching to the audience without any
interference from any third party.

Growing popularity of OTT platforms

In the mid of March 2020 all cinema houses across the country were shut down
and thus paving a new path for viewers for finding their entertainment through
OTT platform. Over the top platform are becoming popular pass time amid the
corona virus outbreak. Indian are turning to online streaming services like
amazon prime video, Netflix, YouTube, sun next, mx player, alt balaji etc.
While OTT platform have already seen an increase in the viewership for
example mx player have witnessed 2 times increase across its content specially
for its original content, voot select saw 3X more increase in its subscription than
expected. thus, it can be said that during the covid time in lockdown not only the
covid positive patients rise could be witness but subscription into OTT
platforms was also complementary. As a result, Indian OTT platforms are
seeing increased demand across international Territories.

Over the Top Consumers completely changed the way of video consumption.
Video viewing on Traditional televisions has replaced anywhere any time on-
demand video streaming on apps.2 India is the second largest online market in
the world, ranked only behind China3. The active internet users as of January
2020 is 687.6 million in India (Statista). Putting emphasis on market share of
streaming (OTT) platforms in India in Q2 2020 the pie chart given below will
highlight the major contribution of different OTT platform-

2 https://www.reelnreel.com/indian-ott-statistics/
3 https://www.statista.com/topics/2157/internet-usage-in-india/
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Viewership percentage of OTT

Netflix prime video sony liv mx player alt balaji ZEE5 hotstar others

Thus, from the chart it is evident that Relatively a large number of users have
engaged themselves as audience in OTT platforms.

Few acts from popular web series

• Paatal Lok

The creator of this web series is Sudip Sharma. The show revolves around a
cynical cop who gets assigned to investigate a high-profile case. As he gets
caught in the investigation, he gets dragged into the darker realms of the
underworld and found 4 youngsters to be engaged in an attempt to commit the
murder of famous journalist. Paatal Lok is inspired by traditional concepts of
Swarga, Dharti and Paatal (heaven, earth and the hell). One of the most
disastrous scenes which crosses all the boundaries of violence, brutality,
exploitation and oppression is one in which there is a fight amongst the people’s
of lower and upper caste and in the fight due to grave and sudden provocation
from upper caste people, a lower caste man murders them with the knife and
one of the boys of upper caste before dying make a last statement that “his
father will going to fuck the mother of the boy who killed him”.

After a while a flock from upper caste moved to the house of that
lower caste boy and one man from the flock said “since the last statements of
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my son was to fuck your mother not only me but whole of the mob will going
fuck your mother one by one” and then they raped the women.

• Sacred Games

Sacred Games is an Indian crime thriller web series based on Vikram

Chandra 's 2006 novel. It is India's first Netflix original series and it was
produced and directed by Vikramaditya Motwane and Anurag Kashyap. In
this series in the name of investigation by police, thrilling events, adult
content a serious kind of violence, brutal sex, patriarchy and men dominated
society, caste-based inequality etc. is clearly evident.

Critical analysis of OTT platform and its content

The critical analysis of the OTT platforms can be done under the
following head :
• Portrayal of women in current shows/movies on OTT
platforms:

Showing brutal and non-consensual sex, dominating women, degrading their

self-respect etc. are common virtues found in many of the blockbuster’s web
series like paatal lok, Mirzapur, sacred games, 50 shades of grey. In the name of
entertainment not only the portrayal of women is highly compromised but also
their positions in society oppressed.

• Portrayal of religion and caste-based communities in current

shows/movies on OTT platforms (Ashram, Pataal Lok)

In the movies like a clear division of society on the basis of caste is shown.
Also, extreme violence is done to lower caste by upper caste and then as a result
a lower caste man turns into a gangster. Thus, not only violence, extreme hatred
but also a kind of revenge attitude is shown in these series which can worstly
influence the audience.
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• Depiction of violence, profane language and vulgarity & its

effect (Mirzapur, Gangs of Wasepur)

Using of the words like madharchod, gandu, bhosdike etc. and using of profane
language and considering it to be a new cool and savage by youngsters is indeed
spreading vulgarity among them. Actors in web series and movies whom Young
generation consider as their role model when they go away with abusive words
in saying almost anything it urge the youngsters to think that using of abusive
language is a new savage. Dialogues like “Chacha ooo bhosdi wala chacha” one
of the common memes used by adults and teens take these abusive language and
vulgarity in a funny way.

Effect of such shows/movies on mental and social health

Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It

affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle
stress, relate to others, and make choices4.

Social health is commonly defined as your ability to form

meaningful relationships with other people and interact in healthy, positive
ways. The way you connect to the people around you, adapt to different social
situations, and experience a sense of belonging all contribute to your social
health5.

Now by knowing the meaning of these terms we can finally analyze the effect
of shows like Tandav, Mirzapur etc. over them. I could recall one of the
incidents in my locality in Bhopal where a person (in his early age of
adulthood)y who committed rape and said he got influenced by webseries and
movies running in these OTT platform. Even in the table given below it clearly

4 https://www.mentalhealth.gov/basics/what-is-mental-health
5 https://yoli.com/what-is-social-health/
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shows that people from age group 15-24 are the active audience of these
platforms thus when a person is in its tender age of life he is subject to such
content which will surely spread negativity, hatred etc.

“No one is born criminal” the situations ethic a person face is usually makes a
person criminal. As per the behaviour theory all human behaviour – criminal
and otherwise – as learned and thus manipulable by the use of reinforcement
and punishment. So we need to think over the issue can depiction of such
content over these shows is directly or indirectly may takes an individual
towards criminal side.

Laws relating to OTT

Up till now there are no particular law that are enacted to regulate the content
available in such platforms. But in few sections and articles from different
bodies of acts and rules we can find some laws relating to it-

• Right to freedom of speech and expression with reasonable

restrictions

Article 19(1) of the Indian Constitution, gives the citizens of its country the
Freedom of Speech and expression but under Article 19(2) of the Indian
Constitution, such freedom can be restricted by imposing reasonable restrictions
if that freedom is against public order, harmony and wellbeing of the State.
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Thus any content which can violate public peace and create discomfort among
them it can come under the ambit of reasonable restriction.

• Indian Penal Code

Under IPC one of the sections talks about obscene literature and punishes those
who engaged in this. Thus depiction of obscenity, child pornography is strictly
condemned by law.

• IT Act, 2000

The Information Technology Act, 2000 provide for compensation as well

imprisonment to be imposed on anyone who has transmitted or published any
kind of obscene material, any sexually explicit material including those where
children are depicted in sexual acts.

Do OTT platforms need to be regulated?

As per the new action made by the government OTT platform and online news
portal content have been brought under the Ministry of Information and
Broadcasting6, Prior to this, in September, the I&B Ministry had turned down
the self-regulation code floated by the Internet and Mobile Association of India
(IAMAI). About 17 OTT platforms in India had signed the "Universal Self-
Regulation Code.

Thus, a new horizon can be seen where content from these platforms may be
censored as well.

My Suggestions

6 https://yourstory.com/2020/11/government-ott-online-news-portals-ib-ministry
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i. A committee must be set up which will censor into the content

of the shows and movies depicted in these platforms which will
examine the shows under some grounds.
ii. Emphasis on self-regulation should also be made. Those
platforms where audience traffic is not high must be self-
regulatory while those platform with high viewership like
Netflix, amazon prime must come the examining committee as
stated in point 1
iii. Specific Laws and guidelines must be given in order to
effectively regulate such platforms

Conclusion

“Youth is the power of the country”. OTT platforms are the new source of
entertainment for youngsters. Being in a tender age of life it must be ensure that
they don’t get access to something which can re-shape or tilt their thinking
power and standards in an inappropriate manner.
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BIBLIOGRAPH

• Statista Reports
• Amazon Prime Video & Netflix websites
• Indian Constitution
• IT act, 2000
• Indian express articles
• Hindu articles on OTT
• Ministry of Information & Broadcasting website