Entertainment industry is going through a revolutionary phase with the onset of OTT platforms. Actor Ranaksh Rana feels this digitalization of the industry is both good and bad.
“Good because there is more business, more opportunities for the talent and more variety for the audience. And bad because it is also making this profession seem easy and anyone’s cup of tea, which in the process is increasing the volume of sub-par material across platforms. Everyone has an artistic streak but like any other profession, it has to be developed and the base has to be made stronger. It is important to treat this profession with respect and work on your craft with the right practice and training. Another flip side is also that it is reducing the attention span and increasing the competition – which makes it difficult for good material to find ground in the market. Digitalization of the entertainment industry is here to stay and it’s the collective responsibility of artists and audiences to create and consume quality craft,” he says.
Multiple mediums are co-existing and these days audiences have too many options to choose from. The reason why viewership is scattered, feels the Ranaksh Rana.
“Yes, viewership is scattered but that’s an opportunity, not a challenge. If you do good groundwork and a sound analysis about what kind of target audience you wish to cater to, there is enough demographic data to help you navigate the overwhelming numbers of mediums and respective choices,” he adds.
The pace of working is very fast in all industries including entertainment and that is somewhere causing the unsaid mental fatigue. Ranaksh feels that is how life in general has become in the cities.
“An increase in opportunities means an increase in competition. Parallelly, the human race has become ambitious and passionate to realise their potential. That’s a good thing, right? The problem happens when one lacks clarity and gets overwhelmed. It is important to be balanced, whether it is about the amount of work you take on or the way you work,” he says.
On whether he has faced mental fatigue or not and how he manages the scenario personally, Ranaksh Rana adds, “I think one has to draw the line when it comes to stretching oneself mentally and physically. If you do the work you love doing, it won’t cause mental fatigue. If you find value in what you are investing time in, you won’t feel tired but at the same time, realising the importance of mental and physical health and not losing yourself in the process of doing anything is very important. Accepting it to begin with and taking action at the right time is crucial. That’s how I function.”
Amid the Covid scenario there is no personal time left. Professional life is more time consuming than before.
“I feel this is valid only for people who switched to work-from-home mode. There were entire industries struggling to work and faced the opposite of it. The truth is that the non-working stress is more than the working stress. We always have reason to complain about what’s not working but I think the perspective has to shift to that of gratitude.
Having said that, yes, I’ve seen a lot of people struggling for me-time when their work took over their home. Life as we know has changed overnight and it was a major shift in the work culture and team culture. It took some time but conscious actions have been taken by individuals and companies to ensure that doesn’t happen,” he ends.
