Rithvik Dhanjani: We were cribbing a few years ago that the West is ahead of us, with OTTs, we should stop complaining

Actor Rithvik Dhanjani feels that one needs to see beyond the nudity and abusive language that the OTT medium openly showcases and often gets blamed and “see a story as a story”. “We were cribbing a couple of years ago that the West is so far ahead of us, when will we get ahead? This is our opportunity, so stop complaining and just do what you have to,” says Dhanjani, who got a chance to undergo a complete image makeover with the web show Cartel, where he plays a gang lord, afar cry from his good boy image when he did television.

Dhanjani, says he doesn’t feel the need to clear the air or correct the image of OTT content and people can “think and believe” what they want. “I am nobody to change people’s opinions, but I believe that the web is a medium of freedom for creators and actors who like to go out there and talk about relationships, issues, which usually no one else will pay attention to otherwise,” says the 32-year-old.

Dhanjani adds, “If you are looking for a loophole in a perfect combination, you will find it. Because you are looking at one portion, not the entire picture which might be so much more beautiful. Look at what the directors are trying to tell you, what the makers are trying to explain. I think that freedom is there, we should be grateful that as artists we have it today.”

He feels the web has given a chance to actors to break out of the fixed image they had. “That is what is giving a lot of actors their due credit. Stories are being told, and the creative freedom we are all experiencing on the web is euphoric. It’s something new, so I give credit to OTT platforms,” Dhanjani signs off.