Freedom to choose content on OTT is entirely on viewers, says Manoj Bajpayee

By Nishtha Narayan
Jaipur (Rajasthan) [India], March 11 : Bollywood actor Manoj Bajpayee on Friday said that OTT platforms have all kinds of content, what to see and what not to see is completely dependent on the viewers and that the OTT platforms have given the freedom to the directors and viewers to select and view the content on the OTT.
"It is like a railway station where some stalls use to sell obscene books, while some used to sell literature books. So did everyone buy obscene books? We never bought obscene books. We bought literature books," said Bajpayee during a session at the Jaipur Literature Festival.
"This freedom and selection should be with the viewers. Until you do not give such freedom to should be for no good work will be done," he added.
Bajpayee said that no one can be a bigger censor in Indian society than parents. "If they cannot take care of their children, then do not impose the responsibility on the director, impose on yourself," he stated.
"We all know what is good for us and what is bad. If you don't see adult things or if you feel bad, don't watch. This kind of freedom should be with the viewers and directors," he further stated.
He added that OTT has given him the freedom to do all genres and choose the directors who have the capacity to really come out with content that people have never seen or experienced.
"The films that I have completed and I was doing in the last two years are vastly different from each other. Some films are meant for the festival circuit or the niche audience. Some films are meant for the entire nation for every one of us, some for all age groups. Some films are meant for only the adult audience," the actor added.
"What I love about this OTT type is that it has given me the freedom to do all genres, choose the directors who are completely different from each other and has the capacity to really come out with the content which people have never seen or experienced," he added.
Talking about his biography Manoj Bajpayee -- Kuch Paane Ki Zid written by Piyush Pandey, he said, "The book written by Piyush Pandey on my life, it's his research. I have no contribution to it. The way the book is being appreciated and becoming famous among the people who are Hindi speakers, I congratulate him"
"I want to congratulate him. Many people are writing books on my life but I don't want to take credit for any of those books as I want readers to give their suggestions. Why I don't write an autobiography is that I don't have the courage to write about my weaknesses. An autobiography sounds right only when the writer brings his or her weaknesses in front of people," he added.
The 15th edition of Jaipur Literature Festival 2022 is taking place from March 5 to March 14 in a hybrid format with its on-ground events from March 10 to March 14 at Clarks Amer, Jaipur, Rajasthan.