Indian producer Karnesh Ssharma, best-known for acclaimed Bollywood films and shows such as NH10 and Paatal Lok, is launching what he says is the world's first female-orientated streaming platform called Clean OTT.
Ssharma, who co-owns Clean Slate Filmz with sister and Bollywood star Anushka Sharma, says the platform will place female actors, directors and producers at its heart. It is set to launch in the first quarter of 2023.
“I have always believed in the power of storytelling to move hearts and minds and I am conscious of the responsibility that entertainment platforms have in producing and promoting stories that do not endorse bias. For centuries, patriarchy has governed storytelling, and as a man, I have always felt men play an equal part in shifting the narrative, conversation, and power shifts," Ssharma says.
“When the voices of women are heard, it teaches us new perspectives which, as an audience and filmmaker, are just as compelling and interesting. It's stereotypical when I hear people say women’s stories are just about oppression or fall into the romantic comedy genre. Female first content is in fact extremely exciting and eclectic."
Ssharma's production company, Clean Slate Filmz, has been known for its female-centric content, many of them starring his sister, Anushka. Their last film, Bulbbul, about a child bride set in 1880s Bengal, received critical praise when it was released on Netflix in 2020.
Their next project, Qala, also for Netflix, revolves around a daughter's estranged relationship with her mother, and will be directed by female director Anvitaa Dutt. The film will also mark the acting debut of Babil Khan, the son of the acclaimed Indian actor Irrfan Khan, who died in 2020 at the age of 53.
Chakda 'Xpress, based on the life of Jhulan Goswami, the former captain of India's women cricket team, is also in the works.
Clean OTT will comprise international and regional projects across films, web series and docu-series. They will include originally curated and produced works by the platform and pre-selected projects that meet its tenets from producers from India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal. Directors, scriptwriters, actors, and producers associated with Clean Slate Filmz will also be highlighted, as well as emerging talents, Ssharma said.
The platform will be driven by an annual subscription and will initially launch in India before expanding to the UAE, UK, US and Canada.
“We are confident the Clean OTT narratives will appeal to everyone as we provide a platform free of prejudice," Ssharma, who was in Dubai this week to promote the platform, said. "This will give women a voice that can be enjoyed by any demographic around the world and for those who are part of our productions, a path for career progression.”
