As 2024 comes to a close, here’s a list of the biggest newsmakers from the OTT world this year, including IC 814, Heeramandi, Gyaarah Gyaarah and Ananya Panday

The year 2024 saw a lot of highs and lows on OTT, which included Ananya Panday getting a new lease in her career with Call Me Bae and CTRL, to projects like IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack and Maharaj landing in legal trouble. Before the year ends, here is a list of all things that made headlines in the web world this year:

What’s in a name? Apparently, a lot
Filmmaker Anubhav Sinha’s debut OTT directorial series IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack was highly praised. But it also came under the limelight for the names of the five terrorists in the real-life inspired story. The show was accused of ‘whitewashing’ the events leading to the hijack. Netflix agreed to update the series’ disclaimer to mention the real names of the hijackers after the Information and Broadcasting Ministry met them over the allegations of misrepresentation of facts.

All that three seconds can do
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairytale, the documentary on the eponymous actor got marred with controversy as its teaser featured three-seconds of BTS footage from Naanum Rowdy Dhaan (2015). Actor-filmmaker Dhanush, who backed the film, sued Nayanthara for the usage of the footage without permission, after she issued an open letter on Instagram slamming him for using his power against her and her husband, Vignesh Shivan.

The religious dilemma
Actor Aamir Khan’s son Junaid Khan’s debut film, Maharaj, made its way direct-to-OTT, without any promotion before the release. However, even with no marketing, Maharaj’s release was initially halted by the Gujarat High Court after a petition from members of the Vaishnavite Pustimargi sect raised concerns about the film’s depiction of their religious beliefs. The High Court eventually lifted the stay, allowing the film to be released on Netflix on June 21, a week after the initial planned release, asserting that the film did not target the sect as alleged.

The Diamond Bazaar went global
Filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali entered the OTT space with Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, and the series earned global acclaim. It even ended up in the Top 5 most searched shows on Google worldwide in the year-end list. The series had its premiere in Los Angeles, US ahead of its May 1 release. However, it also brought in a considerable amount of trolling for actor Sharmin Segal for her acting, expressions as well as her behaviour towards her castmates during the interviews.

No place on OTT for Ekam
Actor-filmmaker Rakshit Shetty had to release his web series Ekam on his own platform after there were ‘no takers’ on other streaming giants for his show. Shetty took to X to shed light on the whole issue, and post that, several Kannada filmmakers also called out Kannada content not being getting any takers on OTT.

A reinvention for Ananya
Actor Ananya Panday had a reinvention of sorts this year thanks to the OTT platform. She first made her series debut with Call Me Bae, playing a rich spoilt brat who is left to fend for her own in Mumbai after she is exiled from her rich family. While she was garnering praise for it, she showed an intense performance just within a month as she was part of filmmaker Vikramaditya Motwane’s cyberthriller, CTRL.

Entering the OTT game
India’s public broadcaster, Doordarshan, announced its entry into the OTT space in November, as they unveiled their free platform Waves at the International Film Festival of India. The platform offers content in 12+ Languages amd across 10+ Genres of Infotainment. It provides Video on demand, free-to-play gaming, Radio streaming, Live TV streaming, 65 live Channels, several App in App integrations for video and gaming content, and online shopping through Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) supported e-commerce platform.

A musical comeback for Imtiaz
Filmmaker Imtiaz Ali’s last few directorial outings hadn’t performed well commercially and critiically, including Love Aaj Kal (2020) and Jab Harry Met Sejal (2017). However, as there were doubts looming over his prowess, the filmmaker made a smashing comeback on OTT with his directorial, Amar Singh Chamkila. The film based on the eponymous artiste, featured actors Diljit Dosanjh and Parineeti Chopra, was a big success and catapulted the trajectory of all three of them to newer heights.

A new venture for Kriti
Actor Kriti Sanon started on a new adventure as she turned producer with the film Do Patti. Released in October, it featured her in a double role alongside actors Kajol and Shaheer Sheikh. While the film received mixed reviews, Sanon’s performance was praised and so was her intense portrayal of domestic violence on screen.

The curious case of Kapil Sharma’s show
As the end of the first season of The Great Indian Kapil Show was announced in the first half of the year, there were reports stating that the show was axed due to low viewership. However, the team denied the rumours saying that it was meant to be just a limited episodes first season. Quashing the rumours further, it returned with a second season just a few months later in September.

Start of a new collaboration
Filmmaker Karan Johar and producer Guneet Monga Kapoor joined hands to bring some edgy content to screen, and within a span of two months, they released two projects this year. While their big screen outing Kill received unanimous acclaim, on OTT too, they started the journey on a high withh Zee5’s Gyaarah Gyaarah, which became the most-watched series on the platform, featuring actors Raghav Juyal, Kritika Kamra and Dhairya Karwa.

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Lee Min Ho reacts to whether he’s dating someone during new K-drama promotion

Gong Hyo Jin and Lee Min Ho promote their upcoming drama When The Stars Gossip, highlighting its humorous take on space themes.

South Korean actor Lee Min Ho is making a comeback with tvN’s new show When the Stars Gossip. Gong Hyo Jin will star alongside the Heirs actor for a zero-gravity space station thrill. Ahead of the highly anticipated release, the two stars recently headlined a YouTube talk show, Salon Drip 2, where they spent a fun 30-minute session discussing their show. During the interview, the host asked some sassy personal questions about Lee’s dating life. See how he responded.

Lee Min Ho reacts to his dating life
For Lee Min Ho, Salon Drip 2′ marked his debut on the YouTube talk show. He confidently entered the stage, having already rehearsed with the scriptwriters backstage, and boldly declared his readiness to tackle even the most challenging questions. “I’m comfortable with uncomfortable questions,” he stated.

Also read: Song Joong Ki reveals his favourite OST as he emotionally remembers late Lee Sun Kyun: ‘Miss him so much’

Seated beside him, Gong Hyo Jin and Jang Do Yeon understood the task and wasted no time in making him ‘uncomfortable.’ The host asked, “Are you seeing anyone right now?” Lee Min Ho was visibly flustered, momentarily caught off guard by the direct question. Jang Do Yeon continued the teasing banter, playfully inquiring, “How many celebrities have you dated so far? Five? Or more than that?”

The actor’s reaction had everyone cracking up. He leaped to his feet, making a beeline for the door. When the host tried to stop him, he grinned and quipped, “I need a bathroom break.” When he returned to his seat, Gong Hyo Jin couldn’t resist weighing in: “What’s the point of asking for uncomfortable questions if you’re just going to freak out?”

‘I’m the pawn’: Lee Min Ho and Gong Hyo Jin’s banter on talk show
As the discussion turned to their upcoming drama, Gong Hyo Jin revealed that this was her second time working with the director and third time with the writer, but she’s always played the ‘supporting cast’ in previous projects. “This time, it’s Lee Min Ho,” she said with a grin. “I’m the star for once.”

Also read: Bang Si Hyuk credits himself and BTS for cultural impact, but fans aren’t happy: ‘It’s embarrassing…’

“Now… I’m the captain. The pawn is here,” she declared. Lee Min Ho chuckled, “I guess I’m the pawn this time.” Talking about the show, the actor said, “The storyline is really unique! Most space-themed dramas or movies tend to be serious… But our drama is different—it’s humorous enough to just have fun with!” “It’s more fun and laid back,” they added.

When The Stars Gossip is set to release on January 4, 2025. “Set against the breathtaking backdrop of outer space, the series delves into themes of love, trust, and human connection, in a world where every resource is precious and emotions run deep,” Netflix describes. This production is brought to life by writer Seo Sook Hyang (Jealousy Incarnate) and director Park Shin Woo (It’s Okay to Not Be Okay).

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Real-life violence that inspired Squid Game left countless dead, survivors were ‘frustrated’ by Netflix show

The Ssangyong strikes of 2009, which engulfed a car factory in Korea, were the inspiration behind Netflix’s Squid Game.

A factory turned into a battlefield, riot police armed with tasers and an activist who spent 100 days atop a chimney — the unrest that inspired Netflix’s most successful show ever has all the hallmarks of a TV drama.

This month sees the release of the second season of Squid Game, a dystopian vision of South Korea where desperate people compete in deadly versions of traditional children’s games for a massive cash prize. (Also read: Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk likens show’s violent game to US election, S2 will ask ‘is majority always right?’)

But while the show itself is a work of fiction, Hwang Dong-hyuk, its director and writer, has said the experiences of the main character Gi-hun, a laid-off worker, were inspired by the violent Ssangyong strikes in 2009.

“I wanted to show that any ordinary middle-class person in the world we live in today can fall to the bottom of the economic ladder overnight,” he has said.

In May 2009, Ssangyong, a struggling car giant taken over by a consortium of banks and private investors, announced it was laying off more than 2,600 people, or nearly 40 percent of its workforce.

That was the beginning of an occupation of the factory and a 77-day strike that ended in clashes between strikers armed with slingshots and steel pipes and riot police wielding rubber bullets and tasers. Many union members were severely beaten, and some were jailed.

‘Many lost their lives’
The conflict did not end there. Five years later, union leader Lee Chang-kun held a sit-in for 100 days on top of one of the factory’s chimneys to protest a sentence in favour of Ssangyong against the strikers.

He was supplied with food from a basket attached to a rope by supporters and endured hallucinations of a tent rope transformed into a writhing snake.

Some who experienced the unrest struggled to discuss Squid Game because of the trauma they endured, Lee told AFP.

The repercussions of the strike, compounded by protracted legal battles, caused significant financial and mental strain for workers and their families, resulting in around 30 deaths by suicide and stress-related issues, Lee said. “Many have lost their lives. People had to suffer for too long,” he said.

He vividly remembers the police helicopters circling overhead, creating intense winds that ripped away workers’ raincoats. Lee said he felt he could not give up.

“We were seen as incompetent breadwinners and outdated labour activists who had lost their minds,” he said. “Police kept beating us even after we fell unconscious — this happened at our workplace, and it was broadcast for so many to see.”

Lee said he had been moved by scenes in the first season of Squid Game where Gi-hun struggles not to betray his fellow competitors.

But he wished the show had spurred real-life change for workers in a country marked by economic inequality, tense industrial relations and deeply polarised politics. “Despite being widely discussed and consumed, it is disappointing that we have not channelled these conversations into more beneficial outcomes,” he said.

‘Shadow of state violence’
The success of Squid Game in 2021 left him feeling “empty and frustrated”. “At the time, it felt like the story of the Ssangyong workers had been reduced to a commodity in the series,” Lee told AFP.

Squid Game, the streaming platform’s most-watched series of all time, is seen as embodying the country’s rise to a global cultural powerhouse, part of the Korean wave alongside the Oscar-winning Parasite and K-pop stars such as BTS.

But its second season comes as the Asian democracy finds itself embroiled in some of its worst political turmoil in decades, triggered by conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol’s failed bid to impose martial law this month.

Yoon has since been impeached and suspended from duties pending a ruling by the Constitutional Court.

That declaration of martial law risked sending the Korean wave “into the abyss”, around 3,000 people in the film industry, including “Parasite” director Bong Joon-ho, said in a letter following Yoon’s shocking decision.

Vladimir Tikhonov, a Korean studies professor at the University of Oslo, told AFP that some of South Korea’s most successful cultural products highlight state and capitalist violence.

“It is a noteworthy and interesting phenomenon — we still live in the shadow of state violence, and this state violence is a recurrent theme in highly successful cultural products.”

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