Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], September 22: “My karma is akin to an Usher in a Cinema Hall who guides the viewer to watch and enjoy entertainment,” Girish Wankhede humbly describes his work. Girish has been conferred with more than 50 awards for his valuable contribution to the Entertainment industry. At an event concluded earlier this month, he was felicitated and awarded the Cotton City Excellence Kala Gaurav Award at the third edition of Cotton City International Film Festival 2021 at Holiday Inn, Mumbai.
Girish Wankhede has been in the entertainment industry for almost two decades, managing cinema, multiplexes, exhibition, distribution, and marketing. During this period, his valuable contribution to the Entertainment industry and excelling in the craft has made him an inspiration to many others.
With the theatrical cinema business almost at a standstill, Wankhede was one of the earliest experts to predict the upsurge of OTT Platforms. Being in the exhibition, marketing and distribution of films, with his astute understanding of cinema, incisive research and balanced analysis, he began reviewing the films on the OTT medium. He soon discovered that a layperson is now more confused about which film to watch, and with several OTT platforms hitting the market, it became more complex for the viewer.
Hence, Girish Wankhede launched his own YouTube Channel, beginning with reviewing films on the OTT and following it with a weekly programme segment named WOR – Wankhede OTT Recommendations. He watches films on all the platforms and then selects six titles, categorising them as Good, Better and Best. His channel now has an archive of over 52 titles, with each of them picking up the best six titles of that particular week.
In addition, there are 2 to 3 major REVIEWS of films/web series every week by Girish Wankhede and then a weekly SPOT ON section that has the three best movies/series on the OTT Platforms genre specific.
One of the four shows he has on the YouTube channel is a monthly Educational and informational Knowledge Series that analyse fundamental aspects of why certain films are selected for National and International Awards and covers issues regarding the film industry.
Among notable awards conferred to Wankhede are the Mid-day Icon award, Tassel Youth Icon award and appreciation certificate by late Maharashtra Dy Chief Minister R R Patil for his contribution towards the Marathi film industry for holding Marathi film Festival in Multiplexes for five years. He has been named OTT expert by the media with his quotes in almost all top dailies and publications like Forbes, Dainik Bhaskar, Times of India, Mid-day, among others, regarding his views on OTT upsurge and periodic assessment of the Bollywood industry.
What makes his review stand apart is the knowledge he imparts with it. For instance, if one picks up a review of a Malayalam film on women empowerment, he makes a mention of other outstanding films on women empowerment in foreign languages, Hindi films on the same subject and then a brief yet incisive profile of the director, cast and the subject of that particular film.
Girish Wankhede’s reviews are more of education, information, enlightenment, offering in-depth analysis of actors and cast and crew of any particular film. Several publications, one being the trade journal Complete Cinema, regularly carry his weekly column Wankhede OTT Recommendations.
Vaishnavi Prakash
