The pandemic this year has changed the way we do a lot of things, amirite? With this, how we consume content has also drastically shifted and it has led to digital and OTT platforms taking centre stage. OTT has, in the recent past, given us some great performers who have gained immense popularity among the audiences. While some shows were spearheaded by the biggest names in showbiz, others saw emerging talents acting as the driving force behind the narrative.
A lot of actors have made their OTT debut with some amazing performances in impactful and well-written shows and films. We have put together a few names who managed to leave an indelible mark with their work this year.
Here are a few of our favourite debutants on OTT:
Sushmita Sen
Former Miss Universe and Bollywood actress, Sushmita Sen made a powerful digital debut with Hotstar Special, Aarya. We saw her back on screen after a decade, and boy was it worth the wait! She played the role of a mother and wife who will go to any extent for her family and children and did it with such elegance, restraint as well as gusto that you can’t help but love watching her in action!
Karan Tacker
We’ve known the dashing Karan Tacker as a well-known television star and host. But early this year, the actor forayed into the OTT space with Neeraj Pandey‘s Special OPS, a Hotstar Special. His intense performance as a RAW agent was an instant hit among critics and audiences alike and it seemed like he struck gold with his first web show! Special OPS certainly has opened him up to the world of digital content and we are sure he has a lot of such performances lined up for us in the coming times!
Masaba Gupta
Masaba Gupta is a queen in her own right for having redefined beauty and fashion norms in the industry with her incredible work. While she is great when it comes to fashion, little did we know she will own the screen with her acting chops? Masaba recently marked her acting debut with Masaba Masaba — a fun and frothy take on her life and her relationship with her mother, actor Neena Gupta. She received a lot of love for her effortless performance and charming screen space and we also have to agree with that!
Ishwak Singh
Ishwak Singh won over everyone with his suave and charming look in the film, Veere Di Wedding. But it was the Amazon Prime Original series, Paatal Lok, which seemed to put his acting chops chops to test and he sure came out with flying colours, didn’t he? His portrayal of a badass cop from the heartland in his debut web series won him a lot of praises and he emerged as one of the most promising faces to look out for. The actor was recently seen in Unpaused, an Amazon Prime Original anthology film, where he plays a confidante to a married woman.
Pratik Gandhi
The theatre and film actor, who carved a niche for himself in the Gujarati entertainment circuit, made his foray into the digital world with SonyLIV‘s Scam 1992 based on the life and times of the financial maven, Harshad Mehta. Even though the overall show was praised for its gripping and well-written plot, it was Pratik Gandhi who was the ultimate show stealer. His portrayal of a stock broker who starts out as a salesman and goes on to become a financial Czar in the money market was immensely appreciated. Needless to say, he is one emerging face in the digital world that we all are super excited to see more of!
Who have you enjoyed watching on screen the most? Let us know!