Mumbai: It is clear by now that Bollywood stars are no longer averse to the OTT space. In fact it has given many of them a fresh lease to their career. And we are not talking about character artistes or budding stars, but established names such as Shahid Kapoor, Sonakshi Sinha, Madhuri Dixit, Raveena Tandon and Juhi Chawla.
While Bollywood stars like Kajol and Emraan Hashmi have already made their OTT debut, the year 2021 will sees a major influx of well-known names into the world of OTT.
Says casting director and filmmaker Mukesh Chhabra: “I remember I used to approach actors earlier and they weren’t too keen when I said the film would release on an online platform. But now, everything has changed in a span of a year’s time. More and more films and shows are being bought by OTT giants. Actors are more willing to do these shows and films,” casting director and filmmaker Mukesh Chhabra was quoted as saying by News18.
“Actors always want an audience, the bigger the better. So, while many of them are already well established, they can now have a bigger audience from every part of the country or world, so to say,” he added.
With new announcements coming everyday, it is clear that mainstream film actors are looking directly at OTT platforms for some breath of fresh air. Actress Kajal Aggarwal, who made her OTT debut in February with the series “Live Telecast”, said doing an OTT project felt like a natural step for her.
“I think it’s a very natural progression for actors to venture into different platforms. Making your mark in the digital world is very important, especially to connect with the millennial,” she was quoted as saying.
Here’s a latest list of Bollywood’s top stars who are lined up for OTT debut in the months to come:
Shahid Kapoor
The actor announced his digital debut with filmmakers Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK’s action thriller series, which has not been titled yet. Shahid is expected to do some heavy duty action scenes on the show.
Sonakshi Sinha
She has been a part of big productions in Bollywood and will play a fearless lady cop in an untitled series. The series will be directed by Reema Kagti and also star Vijay Varma, Gulshan Deviah and Sohum Shah.
Madhuri Dixit
The diva recently announced her upcoming digital debut in the series “Finding Anamika”. While details are awaited, it is known that Madhuri plays the role of a global superstar, who suddenly goes missing. The series is directed by Karishma Kohli and Bejoy Nambiar.
Juhi Chawla
The actress will make her digital debut with a web series tentatively titled “Hush Hush”. The series has a female-led cast and crew, with director, producers, writers being women. Actress Ayesha Jhulka will also be making her digital debut in the series.
Raveena Tandon
The actress will be seen on OTT platform is the series “Aranyak”. Raveena will play a cop named Kasturi Durga. The series is directed by Vinay Vyakul.
