The face of entertainment industry in India has never changed as rapidly as in the past two decades. While 2000s was marked by a revolution in daily soaps and the emergence of Bollywood power on small screen, it took another ten years for reality TV to completely take over the idiot box and charm the audiences with its exciting and entertaining content. Two years back, entertainment industry took another leap forward when Amazon Prime set its foot in India by making its first India original series Inside Edge (Richa Chadha, Angad Bedi) that even ended up winning an Emmy nomination for Best Drama series. Amazon Prime delivered another ace psychological thriller in Breathe (in January 2018) starring R Madhavan that again became a huge success.
The digital series space changed more dramatically with Netflix’s India originals. In addition to anthology series Lust Stories, the global streaming giant’s Sacred Games proved to be a game changer in India. Netflix soon followed it up with Radhika Apte’s Ghoul, Deepa Mehta’s Leila starring Huma Qureshi, Selection Day, Richie Mehta’s Delhi Crime, Sujoy Ghosh’s Typewriter among others.
No wonder, the viewership for digital content is expanding rapidly. Taking a cue from the success of Amazon Prime and Netflix, a host of digital platforms– Hotstar, Alt Balaji, Zee 5, SonyLiv, Eros Now, Ullu App–have followed suit and are coming up with exciting content (web series and movies) spanning across diverse genres.
The expansion of digital medium has provided a new platform for top Bollywood stars to showcase their acting range. Also, the seasoned actors who have faded into oblivion have a fresh chance to re-establish their careers, this time in a medium that is more character and story driven instead of star.
Jackie Shroff making his comeback with a performance-driven role in Criminal Justice, R Madhavan turning serial killer in a bid to save his 9-year-old child, Tisca Chopra portraying a surgeon who has been ordered to kill the Chief Minister if she wants to save her family from harm’s way, or Arjun Rampal bagging the author-backed role in The Final Call are some of the examples.
Here’s a look at Bollywood actors who have given digital a chance to break out of their well-established images.
1. Vidya Balan (An untitled series on India Gandhi): Vidya Balan is one of the Bollywood stars who has never shied away from experimentation. The actress debuted with a strong performance oriented role in Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s Parineeta (2005) and changed the definition of a heroine in Bollywood by carrying the responsibility of an entire film on her shoulders. The Dirty Picture (2011), No One Killed Jessica (2011), Kahaani (2012) and Begum Jaan (2017) will also be remembered for Vidya. To add to her impressive oeuvre, Vidya Balan is planning to produce a web series on Indira Gandhi which is reportedly based on Sagarika Ghose’s book Indira: India’s Most Powerful Prime Minister. Vidya has apparently put all her projects on hold for this one that is set to release in 2019.
2. Lara Dutta (Beecham House): The former Miss Universe and Bollywood actress has been missing from entertainment scene for a while. The last we saw her was as a judge in dance reality show High Fever Dance Ka Kal. The actress who starred in movies like Andaaz, Don 2 and Housefull is married to tennis player Mahesh Bhupathi and has a seven-year-old daughter Saira Bhupathi. Lara made her digital debut with a British show Beecham House (which is streaming on Netflix currently), directed by Gurinder Chadha wherein she plays the role of Begum Samru who converted to Catholicism three years after her husband’s death and was the first Catholic ruler in India. The story of Beecham House is set on the brink of the 19th century, and follows the story of John Beecham as he moves into a new mansion along with his family in Delhi, India.
3. Karisma Kapoor (Mentalhood): Karisma Kapoor makes her digital debut with Alt Balaji’s Mentalhood. The actress plays the role of homemaker Meira Sharma, a small town mother who is trying to navigate through the jungle of Mumbai momzillas. The show is directed by Karishma Kohli. Interestingly, Karisma forayed into digital medium because the mommy of two kids-Samiera Kapoor and Kiaan Raj Kapoor-doesn’t have time to explore full-fledged roles in films. Incidentally, Karisma made her TV debut with Karishma: The Miracles of Destiny in 2003.
4. Raveena Tandon (Untitled thriller): The 90s Bollywood beauty charmed her way into the audiences’ heart with her Mast Mast movies like Mohra, Dulhe Raja, Andaaz Apna Apna, Satta and Shool. Post marriage with distributor Anil Thadani, Raveena slowed down on films front. The actress, who recently made her debut on TV with Nach Balie 9, is all set to produce a web series and will also act in it.
5. Bobby Deol (Red Chillies Entertainment untitled series): He debuted opposite Twinkle Khanna in Barsaat (directed by Raj Kumar Santoshi), and became a youth sensations with movies like Soldier, Dillagi and Badal. His success in Bollywood films, however, couldn’t last long. The actor will reportedly make his comeback with a web series produced by Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment.
6. Jackie Shroff (Criminal Justice): The yesteryear actor popular for his films like Ram Lakhan, Khalnayak, King Uncle, 100 Days, Aaina and later Devdas was lying low due to absence of good roles coming his way. With Hotstar’s Criminal Justice, the viewers are happy to see their Bhidu in a new avatar.
7. Abhishek Bachchan (Breathe 2): After the success of its first season headlined by R Madhavan, Amazon Prime is returning with spine-chilling thriller series Breathe 2 starring Abhishek Bachchan in the lead this time. Amit Sadh will reprise his role and a host of new faces like Nithya Menon, Saiyami Kher among others have been added to the cast.
8. Emraan Hashmi (Bard of Blood): Emraan Hashmi who started out as the serial kisser of Bollywood has come a long way from his Murder Days. He has added variety to his oeuvre by doing movies like Once Upon A Time in Mumbaai, Azhar, Ek Thi Daayan etc. Bard of Blood is the story of an expelled spy, Kabir Anand who is recalled from his new life as a Shakespeare professor in Panchgani to save his country and long-lost love. The series is directed by SRK’s Red Chillies Entertainment.
9. Tisca Chopra (Hostages): Tisca Chopra, who sharpened her acting chops in theatre before foraying into Bollywood, made an instant mark in Bollywood with an array of unforgettable roles in films like Taare Zameer Par, Qissa, Rahasya to name a few. In Television, Tisca came into notice with Star Bestsellers and subsequently landed roles in shows like Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii (Star Plus), Astitva…Ek Prem Kahani (Zee TV), Sarkarr:Rishton Ki Ankahi Kahani (Zee TV) and Mariyam Khan – Reporting Live (Star Plus). Tisca made her digital debut with Hostages in 2019 wherein she starred alongside Ronit Roy. The actress played the role of Dr Mira Anand who is ordered to assassinate the chief minister, in exchange for the survival of her family.
10. Akshay Kumar (The End): After Kesari and Mission Mangal, Akshay Kumar will soon be seen in Amazon Prime original The End. It will be an action and entertainment series. The actor performed a risky fire stunt at the launch of the series.
11. Saif Ali Khan (Sacred Games): The actor who has survived in Bollywood for around three decades and evolved himself as an actor made his digital debut with one of the most talked about Indian series of the time-Sacred Games. He plays Sartaj Singh an honest cop who aspires to crack a bigger case than nabbing a small-time thief Bunty in his decade long career. A phone call from Ganesh Gaitonde (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) changes the course of his career as he is informed that Mumbai and all the citizens are under threat and he has only 25 days to save the city.
12. Nawazuddin Siddiqui (Sacred Games): The fortunes of Nawazuddin Siddiqui who survived on miniscule roles such as that of waiter, informer, pickpocketer, local goon for more than a decade in Bollywood changed after bagging a key role in Anurag Kashyap’s Gangs of Wasseypur. There was no looking back for him as he rose to stardom with films like Miss Lovely, The Lunchbox, Badlapur, Manjhi – The Mountain Man, Haraamkhor, Thackeray etc. With Sacred Games, the actor got another role of lifetime-a starry-eyed gangster Ganesh Gaitonde who makes it big in the Mumbai underworld scene.
13. Sharman Joshi (Baarish): The actor who debuted with Style in Bollywood went on to do some critically acclaimed movies like Rang De Basanti, Life in a…Metro, Ferrari Ki Sawari among others. He recently made his digital debut with Alt Balaji series Barsaat opposite popular TV actress Asha Negi.
14. Shah Rukh Khan (Untitled thriller): Actor Shah Rukh Khan will soon be making his digital debut on screen with an untitled thriller that he is producing under his banner. A report in DNA suggested that SRK’s production team has been working on a show to be streamed on one of the popular digital platforms. The actor’s production house will soon come up with Netflix series Bard of Blood, starring Emraan Hashmi in lead.
15. Jacqueline Fernandes (Mrs Serial Killer): Jacqueline Fernandez who has starred in movies like Aladdin, Murder 2, Housefull 2, Judwaa 2 and Race 3, is all set to try her hands at the digital medium with Netflix movie Mrs Serial Killer. “When her husband is framed and imprisoned for serial murders, a doting wife must perform a murder exactly like the serial killer, to prove her husband innocent.” The actress is quite excited about working in a project of international standards and sans song and dance routine.
16. Huma Qureshi (Leila): The Gangs of Wasseypur actress who has worked in come critically acclaimed movies like Badlapur, Dedh Ishqiya and Ek Thi Daayan probably played her career’s best role in Deepa Mehta’s Leila. The actress played Shalini who is leading a perfect life with her husband Rizwan Chowdhury (Rahul Khanna) and their small daughter Leila (Layesha Mange). All seems well in their world until the next moment when they are attacked. The husband is killed and the wife is captured and the daughter is also taken away to an undisclosed place. “Huma Qureshi slips into the role of Shalini effortlessly. Her transformation from an elite woman who is forced to lead an unbearable life and her journey through pain, helplessness and finally courage has been captured very well in the series,” according to an India Today review.
17. R Madhavan (Breathe): Amazon Prime’s popular thriller drama Breathe marked the digital debut of R Madhavan, the actor who has mostly played romantic roles. The actor plays a loving single dad named Danny, a football coach whose 6-year-old son is suffering from a congenital lung disease. The little one has only five months to live and Josh is number 4 in the recipient list. Danny steals the confidential donor’s list and does the unimaginable.
18. Dia Mirza (Kaafir): Directed by Sonam Nair, the story of the Zee5 series revolves around Kainaaz Akhtar, a woman from Pakistan Occupied Kashmir who accidentally crosses over to India and is held prisoner under the suspicion of being a militant. Dia Mirza plays the lead role in the series and is cast opposite Mohit Raina.
19. Manisha Koirala (The Lust Stories): Manisha Koirala marked her screen comeback after a long time with the Netflix original movie. Manisha played Reena who has an extra-marital affair with her husband’s best friend and has managed to keep it under wraps for three years now. Her husband discusses his doubts of his wife cheating on him with Sudhir and even lands at his house where his wife has come to visit her lover.
20. Adah Sharma (The Holiday): Adah Sharma who shot to fame with 1920 and Hasee Toh Phasee makes her digital debut with The Holiday. The show depicts a group of friends who decide to go for a holiday and the madness that follows.
21. Arjun Rampal (The Final Call): Arjun Rampal made his digital debut with The Final Call, a web series which is an adaptation of author Priya Kumar’s book I Will Go With You. Directed by Vijay Lalwani, it revolves around the passengers of a flight from Mumbai to Sydney whose lives are endangered after the captain decides to commit suicide on board. The web series stars Arjun Rampal, Neeraj Kabi, Sakshi Tanwar, Harshad Arora‚ Anupriya Goenka, Javed Jaffrey, Paula McGlynn, Anshuman Malhotra and Vipin Sharma. It airs on Zee 5.
22. Mallika Sherawat (Booo Sabki Phategi): Mallika Sherawat who shot to fame with films like Khwahish and Murder 2 has made her foray into digital medium with Alt Balaji’s Booo Sabki Phategi. She stars alongside Tusshar Kapoor, Krushna Abhishek among others. The series is a horror comedy.
23: Jahnvi Kapoor (Ghost Stories): Sridevi and Boni Kapoor’s daughter Janhvi Kapoor will be part of Netflix’s upcoming anthology series Ghost Stories which will have four stories, to be helmed by four filmmakers. Janhvi will be working in the direction of Zoya Akhtar who is ready with the quirky yet very scary story.
24. Shilpa Shetty (Hear Me. Love Me): Shilpa Shetty Kundra last year made her digital debut as a host of Hear Me. Love Me. It’s an Amazon Prime original that aims to redefine the concept of blind dating.
25: Chandan Roy Sanyal (Hawa Badle Hassu): Chandan Roy Sanyal is all set to play an autowallah in his digital debut which is touted as India’s first Environmental thriller. Hawa Badle Hassu starts off as a slice of life story but eventually takes an unpredictable turn. The series is directed by Saptaraj-Shiva.