Resurgence of Parallel Cinema in the OTT Era

Abstract

The Indian film industry today is in a state of flux as changing audience expectations are demanding more than just passive entertainment. Thinking, reflecting and interacting with the narrative are the qualities that today’s audience is looking for in a motion picture and this has led to the revival of interest in parallel cinema. This genre that tells the story of society in all its existence with (undistorted) realistic issues and intricate storytelling, is on the way back to the top, particularly with the rise of Digital Over The Top (OTT) services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+ Hotstar. This paper investigates the resurgent interest in parallel cinema in the OTT distribution era. The paper examines the historical perspective, the effects of the new digital platforms, and analyzes the kinship of narratives with regard to considerations of creative production in this cinema.