Celebrated Bollywood Analyst cum Business Transformation Expert Hirav Shah says, “The evolution of Cinema for ages, right from black and white movies to colorful cinemas, is an amazing experience for the audience.
A decade back, movies used to have more than 3 hours of run time but are cut short from 3 hours long to 2 hours, and now we have short films for crisp stories available in the entertainment industry.
The innovation of technology and development has paved the way for web-series culture, which was introduced a couple of years back.
We are now in 2022, and in this era, we have been seeing a tough fight between web series and Bollywood films.“
Hirav Shah adds, “The point to note is that web series are having a great impact on the youth, who prefer watching shows at their ease while managing a busy work schedule during working hours.
It is widely known that, as the name suggests, most of the series will be aired on the web or, namely, called the internet, meaning these shows will be available on streaming platforms.
The fact is that during this current generation, online shows carry more weight than Bollywood movies in terms of audience and viewership.”
Hirav Shah points out, “Some of the recently released web shows, such as Ye Kaali Kaali Ankhein, Money Heist, Squid Game, Suits, The Family Man, Asur, and a lot more shows, grabbed the audience’s attention and popularity.
On the other hand, Bollywood is still over the top. In the era of online web shows, people are still ready to watch movies with a good setup in the theaters as nothing can beat the power of Cinema.
In India, web series were introduced by a reputed Youtube Channel – TVF: The Viral Fever. TVF launched its first series in June 2015 named ‘The Pitchers.’ The show revolves around a group of four friends trying to sell their start-up pitch to investors. Later, TVF aired a romantic comedy show, ‘Permanent Roommates,’ which earned a lot of popularity and fame among the audience. Bang Baja Baaraat was another short web show launched around the time by a different youtube channel.
Promoted as reputed Bollywood production house Yash Raj Films’ youth wing Y-Films’s product, Bang Baja Baaraat, was released online in 2015.
From then, the web series started evolving, offering us ample shows and climbing steps from Youtube to OTT platforms. Digital platforms such as Amazon Prime, Netflix, and Hotstar were launched eventually and became close to households. While web series are loved by the younger generation, they have failed to impress the audience watching Bollywood movies since the early 70s and 80s.”
Shah adds, “Iconic Bollywood movies are over episodic shows, even at this time when films are released online on OTT streaming platforms. The recent Indian blockbusters on OTT that grabbed the audience’s attention.
After the global pandemic hit the world in March 2020, things changed drastically. While cinema halls were shut and production houses ended up releasing movies online, it is the time nowhere web series and Bollywood movies are on one platform, offering stories in varied styles to the audience of all sections.“
Hirav Shah concludes by saying, “At the end of the day, what the audience wants is entertainment, and it’s their call what they choose web-series or Bollywood for their relaxation, fun, and enjoyment. Nowadays, filmmakers are choosing content over everything and trying to make movies that can be engaging and entertaining at the same time. But I feel web series are more intriguing, creating a rush to binge-watch one after other episodes. These episodes are short, crisp, and don’t go till 400 episodes like Hindi soap dramas. The whole filmmaking scenario has been changed with web series.“
Frequently Asked Questions About Web series vs. Cinema
What is the difference between TV series vs. web series?
A web series is designed like a television series. Both include a number of episodes that tell a story or inform. The main difference between a web series and a TV series is the financial investment required to start and maintain each one.
Why are web series better than TV serials?
TV serials go on till an ‘unwanted’ number of episodes. In the busy life schedule that we all have today, it becomes nearly impossible to invest time in something that seems never-ending. However, web series provide much-needed relief by containing their content within 8-10 episodes.
