Rahul Riji Nair: There'll be a 'content-battle' between streamers in the next two years

Malayalam cinema, despite being hailed as a content-rich industry that produces some of the most pathbreaking films in India, is still in its nascent stages when it comes to long-format storytelling. While new shows are being launched every week in other languages, it has baffled many as to why mainstream OTT platforms have been reluctant to penetrate the Malayalam market. It seems like the ball is finally rolling with Disney+Hotstar taking the baby step. As their maiden Malayalam web series Kerala Crime Files gears up for its premiere on June 23, we catch up with its producer and National award-winning filmmaker Rahul Riji Nair to discuss the show and the intricacies of web series production.

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Does the reputation of being the first Malayalam web series from a mainstream streamer add extra pressure?

During the pandemic and the subsequent lockdown, there was a huge shift in terms of how Malayalis consume content. Today, people from even remote parts of the state are discussing Spanish and Korean shows. So yes, there is a lot of pressure when catering to an informed audience like that. But at the same time, we're also curious to see how they respond to something that's made on their home turf. It must also be noted that Malayalam content is not just watched by Malayalis. While interacting with the studio executives, I learnt there's a huge consumer base for our content in other states, particularly in tier 1 cities. However, there's also a general conception among them that the Malayalam industry is tied down by budget limitations. We wanted to break that and ensure our show is on par with any Indian series.

How did you ensure that?

To grab the attention of a wider audience, the show had to be visually appealing. So we did a lot of previs, including 3D modelling and fixing colour palettes. We had access to special equipment to shoot the way we wanted the series to look like. It wouldn't have been possible without the platform's backing.

But why do you think it took so long for these platforms to greenlight Malayalam originals?

It's purely because the user base in Kerala was far less in comparison to North India and the other Southern states. It's only in the last two years that there was a spike in official subscriptions. People, who till then resorted to piracy, gradually started opting for official platforms for a better viewership experience. Affordable subscription rates and aggregators offering multiple OTTs under a single scheme have also helped in the drastic rise in numbers. Like in any field, it's the market that dictates terms. While Disney+Hotstar and SonyLIV have already swung into action, other main players are also in discussions for various projects.

As a show producer, what are your responsibilities?

Though there hasn't been any major creative involvement from my side, there were a lot of other responsibilities to handle. As far as the platform is concerned, the producer is the sole point of communication. The platform signs the production house and it's us who sign the crew. We act as a bridge between the two. The platform has a creative team, whose requirements and suggestions are communicated to the direction team through us. We ensure there's a balance between what they want and what the creators want.

But who puts in the money?

It's the production house. It's our responsibility to execute and hand over the project. The platform will release funds only periodically at certain milestones. They will evaluate our work and release funds based on that. Since we can't wait for their payments and plan the shoot accordingly, we invest the money to keep things moving.

Could you elaborate on the involvement of the platform's creative team?

They're involved right from the scripting stage. In films, the focus is more on the plot, but in a series, it's on the characters. The creative team will let us know if a particular character is undercooked or if they sense any potential to extend it to the second season. They bring in a completely new perspective as their suggestions are data-based. They might have similar content on their platforms, so they will know what's working and what's not. There's also the Standards and Procedures (SAP) team, who helps with the legal inputs. As creators, we may not be aware of the legal complications, but a platform can't function like that. For example, if there's a sensitive scene, they'll help us bypass it with minor tweaks; it might be a name change or a CG alteration. They also have a separate team to check the footage that's shot each day. If they find any issue, they'll highlight it so that we can rectify it immediately. In my experience, it has been a very healthy collaboration as they don't enforce anything. I feel their suggestions are significant for the success of a series.

Producers and filmmakers often complain that only star-driven projects get picked by OTTs. But the lead cast of Kerala Crime Files tells a different story...

I think this is where the producer's role becomes crucial. It's our duty to sell a vision to the platform and win their trust. At the beginning itself, we communicated that we are not looking for established stars to tell this story. There were concerns over our unconventional casting choices, but we managed to convince them. If Aju Varghese and Lal sir hadn't agreed to this project, we would have gone to actors in their league only. When a bigger actor enters a thriller like this, we might have to deviate from the story to accommodate their persona.

Director Ahammed Khabeer's previous two films (June and Madhuram) fall under the feel-good genre. How confident were you of his ability to pull off a thriller, that too in a longer format?

As a filmmaker myself, I'm not a fan of branding creators based on what they've done before. No matter what the genre is, if a filmmaker can make it effective, then it is a sign of a good storyteller. I enjoyed both of Ahammed's films and wanted to collaborate with him. When he told me this idea of a crime thriller, I was intrigued. I thought we should go ahead with it for two reasons—I knew he could bring in a fresh perspective, and it would also be something that people don't expect from him. I feel this is probably his best work yet. Maybe in the future, he'll become a filmmaker known for making thrillers (laughs).

Are thrillers and police procedurals still the most viable genres on streaming platforms?

Firstly, we need to understand that there's an influx of thrillers on OTTs only because there's a huge consumer base for it. Most of the content that gets pitched to these platforms are thrillers, but because they already have a big bank of approved stories, they are now looking for fresh ideas. They are receptive to new genres, like say, a musical. My next series (Jai Mahendran) for Sony LIV, in which I'm the writer and showrunner, is a slice-of-life comedy. We're also discussing a few other ideas, and none of them are thrillers.

How much does being a showrunner and producer help you better as a filmmaker?

I'm someone who doesn't have a formal filmmaking background. I quit my IT job and entered cinema without assisting anyone. So I try to learn from every given opportunity. By watching Ahammed and his team go about things, I learnt a lot, especially with this being a format that I haven't attempted before. I do admit that there are monetary benefits as a producer, but more than that there's a personal high in learning the craft from close quarters.

How do you see the future of long-format storytelling in Malayalam?

I think it's too early to judge, but I know for a fact that most leading filmmakers and production houses are aggressively developing content for web series. Just like how 7-8 films are released a week now, there'll be a 'content-battle' between various platforms in the next two years. There are already 4-5 other Malayalam series in the making and their results will be crucial. As a creator, the primary challenge is to engage the audience for 4-5 hours. The content has to be strong enough to ensure the viewer is tempted to watch the entire show regardless of its duration. There's also a misconception that there won't be any box office pressure. But the truth is, instead of box office figures, there will be pressure to generate higher viewership. The parameters might differ, but the pressure to deliver will be the same.