Pandemic hit all of us. For the first few months of lockdown, all of us were trapped in the house, and most of us remained glued to our screens. Little did we realise how much we were contributing to the OTT platforms. People cut down their expenses and saved a lot of their money but buying subscriptions for various OTT platforms was an expense that everyone treated as a necessity.
There are currently about 40 OTT platforms that are focusing on catering, online streaming content in India. Online streaming was booming in the Indian market before the global pandemic hit; the pandemic and the consequence lockdown translated into more profit for the industry.
On the positive side, OTTs gave liberty to independent filmmakers, storywriters, and other artists to get a platform for their talent which was a little hard before. With the same ambition Ferns & Petals has entered the industry. Mr. Vikaas Gutgutia, MD & Founder, Ferns N Petals & FNP Media said, “Our country has vast talent, Ferns N Petals through FNP Media is determined to identify people who demonstrate amazing talent and help them foray that into a long term career.”
One of India’s largest flower and gifts retailer company Ferns & Petals is all set to launch its OTT platform-FNP Media. This production and content house by Ferns N Petals focuses on launching a digital platform that caters mostly short format films, web series, storytelling, poetry etc., this will be hosted on YouTube channels ‘Live By FNP Media’ and ‘Films By FNP Media’ the respective verticals that showcase performing arts, films & shows.
Keeping in the mind the advantage of prior business experiences of connecting with people’s lives, touching the journey of human emotions quite closely, FNP Media is targeting on translating these understandings now on the screen. Their first short film–‘Chuha Billi’ staring Anupriya Goenka and Adah Sharma was launched on 12th February on their YouTube channel. This short film is based on a social problem of mental illness and with a hidden message of awareness around the topic. The story revolves around two friends who live together and one of them is in therapy for her mental health. Actor Anupriya Goenka said, “Through Chuha Billi we have tried to portray the emotional insecurity of mental patients. I am playing the best friend of a girl who is bipolar. I am sure the audience will get to understand how challenging it can be to have a person around you who struggles every day unknowingly. Mental illness, depression should be discussed and people suffering from this should be accepted in the society with an open mind.”
The story ends with a gripping climax. The film’s writer Mehak Mirza Prabhu shares her personal experience in the story and how she wrote the story revolving around a mental illness. Adah Sharma says, “This movie is on a dark subject. I play a girl who is bipolar. She is depressed and she isn’t coping well. We did a lot of workshops for the film to actually understand how a person with such illness behaves and feels.”