Would still be unemployed if not for OTT, says Neha Dhupia

MUMBAI: Neha Dhupia on Tuesday said she would have remained "unemployed" as an actor if it weren't for the opportunities that came her way from OTT platforms.

The 43-year-old actor, known for movies such as "Singh Is Kinng", "Ek Chalis Ki Last Local" and "Phas Gaye Re Obama", forayed into the digital space in 2016 with podcast "#NoFilterNeha" and two years later, starred in Karan Johar's segment of Netflix anthology "Lust Stories".

"I took a two-three-year break, I was busy doing other stuff, having children... that keeps you very busy. Then I was like, 'I can become a producer', (but) becoming a producer is a difficult thing in the industry," Dhupia said during a panel discussion during the 'Champions of Change' conclave here.

"If it wasn't for OTT, then I would still be unemployed. All of last year, I did one feature film and I love going to cinemas to watch films. At the same time, I did three other OTT shows and they kept us happy and consumed," she added.

According to the actor, most creative people have the fear of losing out on potential audiences, if they don't like the content.

"The fear actors and producers have is that the audience should not leave watching our work midway... We don't want them to go away.

"They have the ability to pause that fear but at the same time, there's a will to hold on to the consumer. We want them to watch our content. The fact that we keep producing great content will help us in growth," Dhupia said.

Her last feature film appearance was 2022's "A Thursday", which got a direct-to-digital release on Disney+ Hotstar.