Teen dramas see surge on OTT platforms as teen viewers seek relatability

New Delhi, May 14 OTT platforms have seen a surge in teen drama shows, which cater to the tastes and aspirations of young adults, delving into the complexities of adolescence and tackling themes such as friendship, love, identity and societal pressures.

From coming-of-age stories set in high schools to narratives exploring issues confronted by teenagers, these dramas offer a diverse range of perspectives and characters.

Anushka Sen, who plays the role of Asmara in the recently released series 'Dil Dosti Dilemma', said how teen dramas work because they have a sense of relatability.

Sen told IANS: "After watching teen dramas, sometimes you feel what you are going through is something that is normal. You can find relatable characters. Teen dramas are really fun, they support friendship and relationships."

She added how her character Asmara is amazing, good at heart, confused but unique. "When I was portraying her, there were some things I was disagreeing as Anushka, but I had to understand that she is just a character."

Continuing on the theme, Sen noted: "When you portray complex teenage emotions, you have to accept the character first. The character should make sense to you, you should be convinced, then you can get into the script, read and understand it."

Talking at length about the challenges of portraying teen characters, Anushka said: "I am 21 myself, so my teens were literally a couple of years ago. I had my own challenges in my personal life. I try to relate them with the character and see what challenges my character faces, and what challenges Anushka was confronting when she was a teen. If you channel your challenges to the character's challenges, then these really help."

Revathi Pillai, who plays Naina in 'Dil Dosti Dilemma', told IANS: "Teenage dramas and young adult shows, for me, are very intriguing and interesting because they taps into the stories and complexities of all teenagers."

She added: "Nowadays teenage dramas have given that liberty to talk about things openly. I am glad that storytellers and creators are tapping into these problems and issues, and making beautiful shows and films out of them."

'Dil Dosti Dilemma' revolves around Asmara (Sen), a charming young girl from a privileged family in Bengaluru, who is excited about spending her summer holidays in Canada.

But her plans take an unexpected turn when she ends up at Tibbri Road, the middle-class neighbourhood of her maternal grandparents. It is streaming on Prime Video.

The romantic teen drama 'Campus Beats', which has seen three successful seasons, stars Shruti Sinha and Shantanu Maheshwari in the lead roles.

The show captures the joys, struggles, passion, friendship, love and intense competition among student factions. It follows the journey of two groups -- OGs and BGs -- at the Mumbai University of Movement and Dance, also known as the University of M.A.D.

Revolving around the lives of Netra (Shruti), Ishaan (Shantanu) and their friends, the series is a balanced mix of emotions, drama, romance and mystery. It airs on Amazon miniTV.

Talking to IANS, Shruti shared her views on teen dramas, making the point that she absolutely loves them.

"I am a huge sucker for youth shows because they show how intense and emotional a teenager can be," Shruti pointed out. "When you're a teenager, whatever decision you take, it feels like it is the most important decision ever. It is refreshing to watch these shows. Also, you can relate to everything that happened in your life."

On how she approaches complexities of the teenage emotions, Shruti said: "I try to deep dive into my character's mindset. I try to understand their joys and their struggles, and try to bring those emotions to life as honestly as possible."

Delving into the challenges that she faces in accurately representing teenage experience on screen, Shruti added: "Honestly, to make sure that it feels real, because teenagers go through so much, I try to capture that authenticity and, like I said, I have to make it as honest as possible."

OTT viewers have also recently seen a coming-of-age narrative set in an all- girls' school titled 'Big Girls Don't Cry', starring Avantika Vandanapu, Pooja Bhatt, Raima Sen, Zoya Hussain, Mukul Chadda, Aneet Padda, Dalai, Vidushi, Lhakyila, Afrah Sayed and Akshita Sood.

The Prime Video show is centred around life in a residential school where a group of seven girls are gearing up for their final year. And it is all about how these girls negotiate the alleys of changing interpersonal dynamics, love, academics and the legacy of their institution.

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