Prasar Bharati launches OTT platform, aims to revive nostalgia

Chief Minister of Goa Dr.Pramod Sawant on Thursday launched OTT platform 'WAVES' of the national public broadcaster, Prasar Bharati at the opening ceremony of 55th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa.

Dignitaries such as Sanjay Jaju, Secretary I&B, among other names were also present on the occasion.

India's iconic public broadcaster Doordarshan has ventured into the OTT space to cater to the.

The recently launched platform aims to revive nostalgia while embracing modern digital trends by offering a rich mix of classic content and contemporary programming, according to a statement by pib.gov.in.

It will showcase “Ramayan”, “Mahabharat”, “Shaktimaan”, and “Hum Log” to name a few. Additionally, it offers news, documentaries, and regional content, reinforcing its commitment to inclusivity and diversity.

'WAVES' makes its entry as a large aggregator OTT with Inclusive India stories embracing Indian culture with an international outlook, in over 12 Languages such as Hindi, English, Bengali, Marathi, Kannada, Malayalam, Telugu, Tamil, Gujarati, Punjabi, Assamese.

It will have over 10 genres of infotainment and will also provide 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.

WAVES also offers its platform to content creators including National Creator Awardees like Kamiya Jani, RJ Raunac, Shraddha Sharma and others. It has opened its portal to student graduation films of film and media colleges like Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Annapurna, and AAFT.

Aligning with the focus of 55th IFFI on young filmmakers, the platform will screen 'Roll No.52,' a student grad film from Annapurna Film and Media Studio by Nagarjuna and Amala Akkineni.

'Fauji 2.0,' a modern adaptation of the iconic 1980s Shahrukh Khan show Fauji and 'Kicking Balls' by oscar winning Guneet Monga Kapoor among many others.

The platform includes LIVE events like the Prabhu Shriram Lalla Aarti live from Ayodhya and the monthly Mann ki Baat by Prime Minister Narendra Modi among many others.

Other films and shows on WAVES include 'Monkey King: The Hero is Back,' Vipul Shah's thriller show Bhed Bharam, family drama Thode Door Thode Paas featuring Pankaj Kapoor, Kailash Kher's music reality show Bharat ka Amrit Kalash, and films such as Corporate Sarpanch, Dashmi, and Kariathi, Jaanki.

WAVES also has a string of animation programs such as Doggy Adventure, Chota Bheem, Tenaliram, Akbar Birbal, and games like Krishna Jump, Fruit Chef, Ram the Yodha, Cricket Premier League tournament.