MUMBAI: Taking the word at its definition, genre is the “term for any category of literature or other forms of art or entertainment, e.g. music, whether written or spoken, audio or visual, based on some set of stylistic criteria.”
The term dates back to ancient Greek literature which dealt with primarily three kinds of performative art – the tragedy, the comedy, and the epic. In this day and age, where there are myriad categories of entertainment, for content creators, it is usually the simplest, most practical way to label different styles of stories and content which also resonates with the audiences.
Genre is also important because quite often, content is marketed by genre. In a recent panel organised by Firstpost and YouGov, which included filmmaker Vikramaditya Motwane, Applause Entertainment CEO Sameer Nair, and actress Shreya Dhanwantary, discussed the major trends in the industry, importance of genres and much more.
During the session, it was highlighted that despite the noise over OTT platforms taking over linear TV, 37 per cent of people have continued to tune into television while partially moving towards digital. Also, most of the viewers watched content on free video sharing sites like YouTube, Facebook or Instagram rather than subscribing to OTT platforms. They prefer to watch streamable content bundled as a service or by sharing a subscription among friends or family members. Other than that, 47 per cent viewers experimented with content which is quite out there from what they usually see. Indian audiences are in an exploratory mood lately and are willing to expand their boundaries on what they watch. It further mentioned that algorithms built into streaming platforms are leading more choices and not recommendations from friends or family.
As far as genres are concerned, both genders across tiers are opting for comedies, which currently rules the roost, followed by romance and drama. Thriller, crime and horror are a little lower down on the list. 2020 was a stressful year for everybody, maybe that is the reason people are actively going for lighthearted and feel good content, said the panelists.
Audiences also watched a lot of fictional content, limited as well long-running series, suggesting that time was not a factor when it came to content consumption.
Picking genres
Clearly, genre can be make or break when it comes to a person’s viewing habits, but what part does it play on the flip side of the equation – for instance, when pitching and conceptualising a show or film? Nair explained that for any content, whether on TV or OTT, it has been observed that comedy, romance, thriller and horror are broadly universal genres. They have been present for the last four decades. These are the genres which generally work well for everyone.
Said he: “When we are selecting on what stories to tell, I think it is not genres that work or fail, it’s the stories that decide the success. Even if we look at the algorithm aspect, platforms are also working on basic human instinct. All the information and data is validating what we are doing.”
These genres have worked for a very long time in cinema halls and have now transcended into the OTT space to great success, noted Motwane. India is a land where we largely watch shows as a family and this trend continues, hence making comedy the most preferred genre. In fact, production studios show confidence in these projects. On the other hand streaming platforms are in the growing stage, they are focused on acquiring paid users, because the more the subscribers, the more the money – which can then be invested in developing content.
At the same time, Motwane acknowledged that the strength of the content lies in its storytelling. Also, audiences in today’s time are experimenting with previously unexplored, even taboo subjects because they are now available to them. For him, amongst all the genres, action is the most underserved, and needs to be explored more.
Reception of Indian original stories and adaptations
Nair has come to view Indian adaptations as content which the larger mass of India has not seen yet. He further added, “When we adapt international formats, we try to make it to the taste of the Indian audience. The cast is Indian, then we try to bring local accent, language, we also add more family plot which is missing in American or European adaptations. It doesn’t matter if it’s original, adaptations or international format, the idea needs to resonate with the audiences. Kaun Banega Crorepati is the biggest example. The average consumer just reacts to the story.”
AK vs AK is a 2020 film directed by Vikramaditya Motwane and is the first release under his banner Andolan Films. After landing on Netflix, the movie introduced the average Indian viewer to a new genre – reality fiction. It started out as AK vs SK in 2014, when Shahid Kapoor was supposed to play the part which eventually went to Anil Kapoor. However, shooting commenced and wrapped up just before the lockdown. For Motwane, it was merely a coincidence that the film was accepted by both critics and audiences alike and it has nothing to do with pandemic. He also credited the movie’s success to the Netflix marketing team for promotions and creating buzz. The opportunity was there, the timing was right, the execution went well and the risk mostly paid off.
It’s the risk factor which still governs the choice of genre. Dhanwantary urged content studios to take more risks in terms of content creation and experiment with other subjects. She held the view that India is still several paces behind the west when it comes to offering groundbreaking formats and unconventional modes of storytelling.
