My idea is to showcase issues prevalent in outskirt towns of Bharat: Rahul Bhatnagar

Rahul Bhatnagar is the Founder at Natak Pictures. Having directed 16 short films for his channel, Bhatnagar has established himself in the Digital content space. One of his shorts, ‘Unarranged’ (over 9.7 million views) has been the winner of the Best Short Film title at IIFC and has been listed under top 3 short films of 2017 by India Today. Not only this, his other short films such as ‘Pinki ki Shaadi’, an award winning short film, garnered over 5 million views on YouTube in a short span of time. As a filmmaker, Bhatnagar is not hesitant to experiment with different formats and genres. He has recently written and directed a web show which will be streaming on OTT, soon.

Bhatnagar’s work has been celebrated at prestigious film festivals across India. His short, ‘Dahej Ka Scooter’, won the Best Film title at Kolkata International Film Festival and received the Honorable Jury mention in Dadasaheb Phalke Film Festival along with another short film of his, ‘Pinki Ki Shaadi’.

In conversation with Adgully, Rahul Bhatnagar speaks about his approach to content creation, the growing march of OTT platforms, evolving consumer tastes, trends that are dominating the entertainment market, and more.

What is your vision and purpose behind ‘Natak Pictures’?

At times in which filmmakers are perhaps more concerned about following the colonial mentality, my idea is to showcase the issues prevalent in the outskirt towns of ‘Bharat’.

It was important to break from the conventional web of storytelling and bring something which is more realistic and relatable to the audience. Within the society we live in, there are numerous issues that go unaddressed and it is important to shed light on the same.

Through Natak Pictures, we wanted films to be a medium of that very change. For instance, one of our films, Dahej ka Scooter, comically deals with strange ancestral traditions in a small town family, while Chodh Pakad showcases how the definition of happiness differs from person to person.

Our sole purpose is to deliver quirky yet family oriented content through Natak Pictures. We believe that everybody has the right to access quality content, irrespective of being a paid subscriber. The content we create should not be restricted to one particular target group. Hence, inclusivity was one of the major parameters while building Natak Pictures.

According to you, what trends are dominating the industry currently?

In recent times, short-format content has gained popularity among the audiences. Today, people are no longer hesitant to experiment with different formats and genres across the entertainment ecosystem. The shift from traditional to digital platforms has been quite evident.

People want to watch something which is shorter in duration, but higher in content standards. Gone are the days where films were solely about faces. Unlike the previous times, the audience has become extremely active and demanding with respect to content.

What is your take on OTT platforms and how are you going to embrace it as an opportunity?

The intense popularity of OTT platforms among all age groups and genders goes unsaid. The content streaming on such platforms caters to not only metropolitan cities, but also Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, whose stories often go unheard.

Natak Pictures, too, is expanding its network from YouTube to OTT platforms as well. Most of the Natak creations, such as a Kati Patang, Stuck, Pinki Ki Shaadi, Raat Baaki, to name a few, are already streaming on Hotstar, MX Player and Shorts TV.

The idea is to not be restricted to one particular medium alone and try your hand in different platforms through your content.

Our primary objective is to offer quality content as frequently as possible. We recently wrapped our mini web-series, ‘Unsorted’, starring Mugdha Agarwal, Vikram Bhui and Tanya Singh Bhatnagar. The story revolves around the challenges an ordinary individual faces while trying to strike a balance between personal and professional life, and how eventually in the compulsion of not being able to express transparently, one loses from both the ends. The show will most probably go live on an OTT platform and will stream on Natak Pictures YouTube channel as well.

What according to you is the definition of quality content and what is your favourite genre to foray in?

For me, quality content is something that’s distinctive from the rest, yet relatable and realistic to the audience watching it. It is extremely important to weave stories that take place in one’s day to day life for it to make a special place in one’s heart.

Having said that, while I enjoy watching thriller content, I like experimenting with the comedy genre as a filmmaker. Creations like Bali Sangh Nisha, Unarranged, Matinee show were stitched with the elements of small town humour and romance.

It is tough to make people laugh and that is where challenges lies as a filmmaker for us.

What is your success mantra?

It is extremely important for one to stay grounded and not lose focus of the vision that one has set for themselves. There might be times when things do not go the way we expect, but not losing hope is utmost important.

While I was in a corporate set-up, I worked as a designer for more than 13 years while pursuing my passion for writing parallelly. It was tough to strike a balance between two completely different worlds, but my zest as a writer perhaps acted as a supporting bridge.

What advice would you like to give the youngsters?

While I was young, there was a natural instinct to do things in haste. As you grow, you realise the value of time and patience. It is important to not be hard on yourself and allow life to unfold the way it is meant to while we do our best.