Bollywood Hungama OTT Fest Day 2: Vijay Varma reveals how he got hooked onto the web medium: “I used to watch one film a day for years until I saw Breaking Bad”

The medium of OTT arrived in India roughly a decade ago. But OTT was able to boom in India during the COVID-19 pandemic as the cinema halls were closed for an indefinite period. Like everyone else, Vijay Varma too took time to get used to the new medium. The actor spoke about how his content consumption habits changed during a panel discussion at the Bollywood Hungama OTT Fest in Mumbai.

He said, “I was an avid movie watcher, especially till about 2010-2011. I had this mantra when I was studying at the film school that watch one film every day. So I used to watch one film a day for years until I saw Breaking Bad. That’s when I was like, ‘You can’t put this thing down. What is the deal?’”

Explaining the advantages of OTT in terms of creativity, Vijay added, “It’s such a blessing because the kind of audacity those writers have taken. The kind of brave choices those writers and directors have taken; you can never take those choices in cinema. The pay-off is way too long. It’s happening after four seasons. You are invested for 4-5 years. It’s incredible. That’s the power of storytelling. And I wish we get there.”

Vijay was asked his own experience of working in OTT shows, to which he said, “Although I have not done a character, which is recurring season after season. Maybe Mirzapur. But we will watch what happens when that happens. But exploring a character over the span of eight hours is far more satisfying for an actor, than to do it in an hour and a half, although I love both equally and I can’t take a side.”

The Bollywood Hungama OTT India Fest, in association with Cinema Waale Film and Television Productions LLP and Across Media Solutions, held on the 18th & 19th of October 2023 at Taj Lands End, Mumbai were Presented by Sonata Poze, powered by TVS Jupiter and Kheloyar, Driven-by JK Tyre Blaze Rydr, alongside Matchmaking partner Bharat Matrimony, Stylish Audio partner Skullcandy, Banking partner Bank of Baroda, Healthcare partner Fujifilm Healthcare, True Chocolate partner Smoor, Astrology partner Astroyogi, Wellness Partner HCG hospitals, Cricketing Partner Metashot in association with Festival partners Satvik, Snacking partner Special Choice, Outdoor partner Bright Outdoor Media, Radio partner Radio City, and celebration partners Johnnie Walker and Heineken Silver.

Also Read: Bollywood Hungama OTT India Fest Day 2: Tamannaah Bhatia calls for paradigm shift in empowering aspiring creators on OTT; says, “We need the entire ecosystem to benefit, so that we make things that are creatively driven”