Actor Tamannaah Bhatia has made her OTT debut with the web series 11th Hour. Directed by Praveen Sattaru, the 8-episode drama is streaming on the Telugu OTT platform Aha from April 9. The web series revolves around a woman named Aratrika Reddy, whose aim is to make her place in a man’s world. It also deals with how she saves her company when faced with impossible odds.
Marking her OTT debut, Tamannaah interacted with the media along with her web series co-stars Arun Adith and Vikramaditya to reveal what inspired her to green-light the project. Here are the excerpts:
Tell us about how you are excited about the 11th Hour?
The show came to me at a point in my life when circumstances were against me. So, portraying this character on screen became easier for me given my journey at that point. The 11th Hour will always stay close to my heart.
What made you accept this project?
I have done a variety of characters in films till now. Films, at the end of the day, are a director’s medium. When it comes to OTT shows, you realize that it’s a medium for writers and actors to flourish. While filming for a web series, actors get a chance to relax but films are a cut-to-cut process.
For instance, while playing Aratrika, I could live the character, I didn’t have to hurry up my expressions or feel things faster. So, I can perform with a real-time feeling. For me, working for this show is a new experience. Moreover, Aratrika represents every woman in society. She is an entrepreneur, and she has a big family but struggles with patriarchy. The men in her life don’t believe that she can fight. I think this is the problem that society has and it has become possible to show that in an entertaining way in the web format. I thank Praveen Sattaru, Pradeep, and Allu Aravind for believing in the script.
What was your first thought when you came to know that the 11th Hour is a web show?
For the past two years, I have been planning to do a web show. But I needed a good script. A character with no arc would bring no interest from one episode to another. When the screenplay and characterization are strong, only then can a web show survive. So, when I read the script of the 11th Hour, I was like, ‘Ok, this is a good subject that I should attempt.’
You have been part of the biggest ever film Baahubali. Now, you are part of what is being called the biggest web show. What is the next big project that you are going to be part of?
There is nothing called big cinema; it is good cinema. If a film is good, it becomes big. Nobody starts anything big. Be it Baahubali or the 11th Hour, they have a good story, a good setup, the best cast, and crew. I think an artist or a creative person should have only do good content. If the content is good, the audience will like it.
Right now, I think the lines between web shows and films are blurring. Now, it is only content. The attention span has changed a lot now because the consumption of content has been changing. As actors, we have a chance to present ourselves in different formats. These formats may be different, but their intention is to give entertainment.
Tell us about your upcoming projects?
Seetimarr is coming out very soon. I have Maestro, F3, and Gurthunda Seethakalam at different stages of production. I have a Tamil web show called November Story in my kitty. One more new project is on the line, and an announcement for the same will come out very soon.