Nowadays the OTT industry is growing tremendously and its influence on the people is undeniable. It already holds a greater impact on the public than television. 

The state government of Assam has collaborated with an OTT platform to feature a short film about the heroic Ahom general, Lachit Borphukan in an attempt to display the culturally rich heritage of Assam to a larger crowd. As revealed by an official report released on Friday, the government intends to make similar short films on critical subjects, including the world’s largest Bihu dance ensemble and the 200 years of Assam Tea.

The Assam government has partnered with Jio Cinema with the aim of making the film on Lachit Borphukan accessible to a larger audience, which marks the first instance in India where a state has used an OTT platform to extend its reach nationwide.

The Chief Minister of Assam emphasised the rapid growth of subscriber base of OTT platforms which presently has a pool of 45 crore subscribers, in contrast to 15 crore television sets. 

The film was released during the 400th birth commemoration of the honoured Ahom military leader. In New Delhi, the documentary film premiered on November 25 last year. Being the first ever film in Hindi language devoted to the heroic Assamese warrior made it tremendously  remarkable.

Following the success of this endeavour, the state government is now committed to creating further short films on a variety of culturally significant topics. These films will be made accessible on major OTT platforms such as Hotstar, Prime Video, Jio Cinema, and others. 

Assam endeavours to draw a diverse audience and promote awareness of its remarkable rich cultural heritage on a national level using these major platforms.

Indeed the impact of OTT is significant. Now the important question lingers whether the other state governments will follow similar initiatives to promote heritage and culture. We shall wait and watch.