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OTT visionaries share their approach to growth
The country might have undergone an unprecedented shift in power this year, marked by various sacrifices that have, and will continue to, drive seemingly necessary transitions across all sectors. The ever-evolving entertainment industry, particularly in the OTT space, has been no exception. This year, the third iteration of Blender’s Choice-The Daily Star OTT & Digital Content Awards 2023 took place on December 12, once again recognising the best of the best.
The year presented an assortment of genres for audiences to enjoy, ranging from thrillers, crime mysteries and even love stories. Aside from industry leaders Chorki and Hoichoi, platforms such as Binge and iScreen also picked up the pace.
We reached out to a few illustrious figures in the OTT sphere to gather their insights on the reception of this year’s productions, as well as their approaches to navigating audience interests in the near future.
Honoured in 30 categories for their outstanding on-screen performances and behind-the-scene excellence, spanning Individual Content, Music, Critics’ Choice, and Popular Choice segments, Chorki snagged the most awards, much like its pronounced streak of wins last year.
Redoan Rony, CEO of Chorki, expressed, “I would foremostly like to congratulate all the winning artistes and crew members under our banner. However, the orchestration of this award show is nothing short of inspiring for all of us considering the dearth of the availability of credible digital award shows in the country. Other shows tend to arrange for a mixture of award categories from all platforms but Blender’s Choice-The Daily Star OTT & Digital Content Awards is a purely digitally-focused initiative, which keeps on progressing well.”
Sakib R Khan, country director at Hoichoi Bangladesh, commented, “As expected, this year’s OTT Awards was a spectacular event. These awards not only celebrate artistes but also inspire professionals like us, who work in the content industry, to strive for even greater achievements.”
Swizee Islam, content head of Binge, told The Daily Star, “This year’s award ceremony was exceptional. Artistes like Nazia Haque Orsha and Mosharraf Karim deservingly won their awards. At the end of the day, if and when artistes and industry professionals receive the appreciation that they deserve, they will always be inclined to do more.”
In terms of a possible shift in their priority of content programming, Redoan Rony stated, “Frankly, we have only ever focused on generating and developing quality production and working alongside people who are interested in devising the necessary content. So, we don’t determine content selection based on the governing body of our country. We simply have never held onto any form of political priority.”
Sakib R Khan commented, “The impact of the change in government on the content approval process is something that only time will reveal. However, we firmly believe that producing high-quality content to meet audience demands has always been a priority and will remain so in the future.”
Swizee responded, “I don’t think we will change the way we operate, because we believe in our approach to recognising good work. If we can inspire more people to join the industry by creating and acknowledging great work, we can contribute to its growth, which is crucial as our numbers are still small. I believe it is our responsibility to help the industry grow.”
When inquired if Redoan Rony thought a nominated production deserved to win but didn’t receive an award, he said, “I think Guti could have also won as it has a winning quality about it. Nonetheless, we are glad that our Myself Allen Swapan won big.”
Sakib R Khan conveyed, “The best content and artistes have won awards based on audience preferences and the judges’ decisions. The Daily Star has always strived to recognise and celebrate the finest works.”
By Zareen Nawar﻿