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Ekta, Prasoon Joshi welcome OTT guidelines, Nandy urges govt to tread carefully
Updated On: 26 February, 2021 10:12 AM IST | Mumbai | PTI
The government on Thursday said a `code of ethics` and three-tier grievance redressal mechanism would be applicable for OTT platforms, such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+ Hotstar, news publishers and digital media.
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Ekta Kapoor. Pic/Shadab Khan
Welcoming government`s guidelines for OTT (over-the-top) platforms on Thursday, film personalities Ekta Kapoor, Priyadarshan and Vikram Bhatt said there cannot be creative freedom without responsibility, while producer Pritish Nandy said there was a need to tread carefully with the regulations. Kapoor, Bhatt, Priyadarshan -- all prominent names in Bollywood as producers and directors -- said the guidelines are a "great step" by the government. Nandy and Onir had a different take, with the former saying that it was crucial for the government to not allow a "heavy hand" to fall on OTTs, while the latter criticising the move. The government on Thursday said a `code of ethics` and three-tier grievance redressal mechanism would be applicable for OTT platforms, such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+ Hotstar, news publishers and digital media.
Seeking to establish a soft touch regulatory framework, the government said OTT platforms would have to self-classify the content into five age-based categories - U (Universal), U/A 7+ (years), U/A 13+, U/A 16+, and A (Adult). Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said such platforms would be required to implement parental locks for content classified as U/A 13+ or higher, and reliable age-verification mechanisms for content classified as `A`. Kapoor, a major Bollywood and TV producer who also runs OTT platform ALT Balaji, said the new regulations will provide a level-playing field. "Heartening to see the new guidelines that provide a level playing field for digital news media and OTT platforms. #ResponsibleFreedom," Kapoor tweeted. Nandy, who has backed the International Emmy-nominated Amazon Prime Video series "Four More Shots Please", said while grievance redressal mechanisms are fine, they rely on "very careful and circumspect actions by the authorities in power". "One mistake and the entire credibility of the mechanism can disappear. That is what we must understand and reckon with in these difficult times. Right now, it is just a beginning and the government ought to tread carefully if it wants to emerge as a global soft power," Nandy told PTI.
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