Ram Prasad ki Tehrvi is one of those films I have been eagerly waiting for. When its Netflix release was announced, the first thing I did was, added it to MY LIST on the OTT platform’s app. I even added it to my content calendar. Then there were two films I was excited about towards the end of March – Pagglaiit and Ram Prasad ki Tehrvi.
It didn’t look like from the trailer but while watching Pagglaiit, I noticed a striking similarity between these two films. But since I had not watched Ram Prasad Ki Tehrvi, I did not think it is right to compare both films without watching the other. So, I waited for the second film’s release. It was supposed to be out on 31st March. I checked Netflix on the mentioned date and the film didn’t release. I thought it must have been postponed so I checked it the other day. Still, no luck. Then came an update on Instagram, from the writer and director of the film, Seema Pahwa which made it clear that the release has been postponed but not canceled. Then came the interviews where the makers of Pagglaiit were accused of making an identical film, only the difference was the age of the protagonist.
Till the films, their storylines, and the locations were the same but till both the movies were getting equal opportunities, it was all fine. Now it looks like, to save the makers of Pagglaiit from the accusations of plagiarism, Ram Prasad ki Tehrvi has been indefinitely postponed. From what I can make out from Seema Pahwa’s Instagram posts is that Netflix is simply allotting different release dates to the makers. But are they releasing the film on the said date? No, they are not.
I am sure they won’t cancel the release as it might surely have legal implications (that is just my assumption). But how long will they keep postponing the release is what I am wondering. Release it today, tomorrow, or a year later, there will always be comparisons.
Or is it that the makers of Pagglaiit are so scared of Ram Prasad Ki Tehrvi that they are sure that once the original film comes out, no one will watch their film? This controversy is taking me back to the debate we all were the audience of last year – the outsiders vs the insiders. Is Netflix becoming a part of it now? Are bigger platforms not for new filmmakers or debutantes? Should in the future, only big banners and the industry influencers stand a chance to grab a spot on Netflix? Isn’t it about content anymore?
I guess the debate will never end.
With The Great Indian Kitchen, there is hope for debutantes. You should know that there are new OTT platforms like NeeStream and others that are giving a chance to good content. Not just giving a chance but also making your content popular, so popular that eventually platforms like Amazon Prime (that once rejected the content) release it soon after.
P.S: If Netflix had to choose one among two films, don’t you think they should have blindly chosen Seema Pahwa here? If her experience and contribution to the film industry isn’t enough to consider her an ‘influential’ personality who is an ‘insider’ as well (owing to the number of years she has been in the business), I don’t know who is.