Mumbai: Veteran filmmaker Subhash Ghai is all set to make his debut foray in the OTT space as a producer and writer with the family entertainer 36 Farmhouse.
The film, which stars Flora Saini, Amol Parashar, Barkha Singh, Vijay Raaz, Ashwini Kalsekar and Sanjay Mishra, is inspired by Ghai’s endeavour to offer viewers content that a family can enjoy together.
Talking about the project, Subhash Ghai says, “It’s great if one can reach out to viewers across the world, who have exposure to great content.36 Farmhouse is sure to echo the sentiments of the Indian diaspora worldwide because it has family issues today at its core and it also explores the dichotomy of the rich and the poor through an interesting lens.”
The film, produced by Subhash Ghai and Rahul Puri, directed by Ram Ramesh Sharma, with story written by Subhash Ghai and dialogues by Sharad Tripathi, will be released on ZEE5 as it turns a new leaf in the life of the veteran filmmaker.
Shedding light on the decision to venture in a new space with OTT, he says, “Change is the name of life – so is for the storytellers that have to re-learn to write for the new medium with the best of all our experience of writing drama stories for big screen for four decades.”
“So, I am really excited to create the new energy and quality update on the small screen too. I’m sure our new attempt with the film 36 farmhouse on ZEE5 will be loved by the viewers as a family entertainer – especially a film from Subhash Ghai and his young team all over,” he adds.
Talking about how different the medium of OTT is compared to cinema, he says, “In cinema we call the public as an ‘audience’ but on OTT we refer to them as viewers who have power to watch, stop and forward as they like.”
Every medium has its own modus operandi. Sharing insights on how things work differently on two mediums from the point of view of the craft, the filmmaker says, “The grammar of writing a screenplay and making a film for OTT is different than a grammar for big screens.”
Breaking it down further, he adds, “There is a very little scope of pauses and stay and using the virtues of long shots on screen and also in narrative on home/mobile screen. So it is a tougher task for us to make an interesting film with repeat value for OTT viewers which they can enjoy watching 20 times in due course compared to what happens in cinema.”
However, he is proud of the work that his team has put together, as he says, “But my team has done it with this film ’36 Farmhouse’ to prove that we can make a best of quality modern drama with fun like ’36 Farmhouse’ for home screens too as a family entertainer with thrill and fun all the way.”
“So I am re-learning to write and produce interesting stuff for home screen too along with big screen cinema – Please wish me the best,” he concludes.