Shershaah, the Sidharth Malhotra-starrer that worked across all demographics and became one of the year's most popular films, was the biggest OTT hit in 2021. Prior to that, Akshay Kumar's Laxmii set a huge record in 2020, not only with its opening day viewership but also with its subsequent run. What do these two films have in common? They were both as commercial as they come, designed for family viewing with audiences ranging from 6 to 60 years old.

Gehraiyaan, which will be released on Amazon Prime Video on February 11th, differs from these films in one important way: it is intended to test Indian audiences' readiness to watch mature content on OTT. 

Of course, when it comes to such content, there is a vast ocean out there. What makes Gehraiyaan such an important step for Bollywood and its devoted fans is that it is the first time a superstar anchors a film with such intimate scenes and a major production house backs it.

With Deepika Padukone in the lead role, there is a certain level of familiarity amongst audiences across the country. Karan Johar and his Dharma Productions, on the other hand, are known for their largely 'universal audience' outings, with examples including last year's Shershaah and Gunjan Saxena - The Kargil Girl a year before that. In the case of Gehraiyaan, both the production company and the leading lady are experimenting. (Three production companies are involved with the film: Dharma Productions, Viacom18 Studios, and Jouska Films.)

To be honest with the audience, they are making efforts to inform them about what to expect from this film about infidelity, how to prepare for the intimacy quotient, and why this is not being promoted as a film for everyone. (Those who do not watch it with their children or parents have been forewarned.) So far, the message is clear: Gehraiyaan is a niche film, and thus, despite the presence of Deepika Padukone and the subject of infidelity and a love story gone wrong, it isn't a Cocktail-type offering. The treatment is realistic, and the visuals have a more international flavour than a 'desi' traditional Bollywood look and feel.

Choosing an OTT route over a traditional theatrical outing could be the first major step in this direction. After all, the film's promo, directed by Shakun Batra (Kapoor & Sons), screams "for digital viewing." With no filtering required, as would have been the case if it had been released theatrically, the film appears to be quite honest in its core storytelling, visuals, and overall feel and ambience.