Why Hindi titles are less on OTT? .

Last year around 100 Hindi projects including fiction, non-fiction, feature films and anthologies were launched across five top OTT platforms. Out of these only 38 shows had Hindi names while 45 had English names and the remaining names were in Hindi-English mix i.e. Hinglish. Also, among the digital shows made for Hindi viewers, 45 percent had titles in English.

Many will say what is burnt in the name? According to Hardik Mehta, director of 'Decoupled', the title of a film or project is important to attract the audience. Often the show does not have famous actors. At that time the importance of the name of the film increases. People will watch the trailer or teaser of the movie only if they find the name interesting. First of all, the title should not be confusing.

From January to August this year, 43 Hindi projects were presented on five OTT platforms. Of these, 16 project names were in Hindi while 20 were in English. Apparently there is a clear inclination towards English names.

Ajitpal Singh, director of 'Tabar' said that English is considered as the most ambitious language in today's time. Most mainstream filmmakers are more comfortable with English. They think and work in English. Internationally too, Money Heist has received a Spanish name while Squid Game has received a Korean name.

He advised Indian filmmakers to choose more Indian names to connect better with the audience and keep English names for the general audience.

However Hindi names also attract viewers. According to Ormax Media's 2022 review, 'Rudra', 'Ashram 3' and 'Panchayat 2' were the most watched shows in India, while 'Gheraiyan' and 'Kaun Praveen Tambe' were the most watched films. Also, 'Dhamaka' and 'Aranyak' were among the top 10 non-English films in the global list. However, shows like 'Sacred Games', 'The Family Man' and 'Scam 1992' were the biggest hits.

'Good Luck Jerry' director Siddharth Sen admits that English names naturally appeal to him. In the reason they state that OTT is a new generation medium. They like to use such slang and titles. They don't prefer titles like Sasural Seemer Ka on such platforms. 'Tribhanga', 'Dahan', 'Matsyakand' and 'Ranveer Vs. Deepak Dhar, a proponent of titles like 'Wild Bar with Grills', points out that each medium reaches a specific audience. On one hand, TV is for mature audiences, on the other hand, OTT platforms attract the youth.

Dhar says that before deciding on the title, there is no such thing as having a Hindi title for TV and an English title for OTT. We consider the target audience. Our team focuses on the target audience and the niche shown in the show.

'Rocket Boys' actor Ishwak Singh believes the title is meant as a decoration for the show. Audiences want good content. A beautiful structure becomes more attractive if there is good content.