Actor Mahie Gill believes the rise of OTT has not only changed the way audiences consume content but has also opened up new opportunities for actors, particularly women. In an exclusive conversation with India Today while promoting Raktanchal 3, the actor reflected on her journey of experimenting with OTT, breaking free from years of being stereotyped in glamorous roles, the four-year break that cost her several projects, and why playing Saraswati Devi has been one of the most refreshing experiences of her career.

The 50-year-old actor spoke about the same and said, “Until Ritam came and narrated Raktanchal 3, I was mostly being offered glamorous roles. In almost every film, I was playing a woman who was drinking, wearing a saree, and looking glamorous. I had done that so many times that I wanted to break out of that image."

Adding, “People would come to me and say, 'Ma'am, you'll have a cigarette in your hand, and you'll do all this.' I would say, 'I want to do something else as an actor too.' It's not that I regret doing those roles; I would love to do them again, but I wanted a break from them."

And that's precisely why the actor believes Raktanchal 3 offered the kind of challenge she had been waiting for."So when this role came, I felt it was very challenging for me. Playing Saraswati Devi wasn't easy. The language and the dialect were difficult, and I really had to concentrate on getting them right. The body language wasn't a problem, but the dialect definitely took effort," she explained.

Gill believes the rise of OTT has significantly widened the scope for female actors, offering stronger roles and more meaningful opportunities than ever before. While she admitted missing out on several promising projects after taking a four-year break from acting, she feels the industry has evolved in a positive direction.

"For women, definitely, a lot of good work is happening now. I lost some work because I took a break for four years. There were so many good shows that I had to say no to, and they did very well. Not that I regret it, but I do feel that now you're getting much better opportunities," she shared.

Reflecting on the changing landscape of the entertainment industry, she added that the biggest shift has been in the way women are written on screen.

"I think the roles have definitely evolved. When I was offered my first OTT show, people were like, 'No, Mahie won't do it.' I just wanted to experience and experiment the difference between cinema and OTT. But honestly, I didn't feel any. The process of shooting is the same, the performances are good, and even the scripts for OTT shows are really good," she said.

Crediting OTT platforms for creating more work across the industry, Gill concluded, "Things are really changing. Thanks to OTT, a lot of people are getting work. I've seen so many of my friends, such fabulous actors, sitting at home without work. OTT has opened up opportunities, and I think everyone is getting a lot more work now."

Mahie Gill was recently seen in Raktanchal 3, alongside Nikitin Dheer, Karan Patel and Kranti Prakash Jha. The series is streaming on MX Player.

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Published By:

Prachi arya

Published On:

Jul 21, 2026 17:06 IST