The coronavirus pandemic, definitely, caused a lot of trouble to almost each and every sector and the film industry too dragged in the flow. Though Bollywood closed down, OTT (Over The Top) platforms, such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar, etc. served as a blessing for the movies and their makers. Now that the pandemic situation improved, the OTT platform emerged as the new age streaming service, and this will remain with us for a long time. Below is the list of Bollywood actors to debut on OTT in 2022:
Madhuri Dixit Nene
The veteran beauty of Bollywood, who has always stayed in our hearts, made her debut on the OTT platform. With the web series, called “The Fame Game”, previously known as “Finding Anamika”, Madhuri reminded us of her undying beauty and acting skills. The series focuses on the dark side of fame and the hidden conspiracies and scandals of the cinema. It revolves around the life of a superstar “Anamika Anand” played by none other than Madhuri Dixit. It portrays her life and all of a sudden, her disappearance. This mystery series solves the case of her disappearance. Though Madhuri plays the role of an actor even in the web series, that’s nothing similar to her real life, it portrays all together a different story.
The series came out on Netflix on the 25th of February, 2022. Along with Madhuri, it features Lakshvir Saran, Manav Kaul, Sanjay Kapoor and Muskkaan Jaferi and a few other actors. Speaking of her OTT debut, Madhuri said, “It’s strange and yet it’s true because there are so many different avenues and when you are doing it for the first time, you are debuting. And it’s great that even after 35 years, I am debuting with something. It’s wonderful because I’m like a child, like a student of cinema. I love learning. For me, it’s a different language of making films, a different system.”
Aparshakti Khurrana
The rising star, Aparshakti Khurrana, brother of the superstar Ayushmann Khurrana, rose to fame with his projects like Dangal, Stree, etc. The actor is all set to make his OTT debut with the web series “Stardust”. It tells a fictional story based on the Indian film industry from 1947 to 1989 and explores the clash between two superstars. Aparshakti is known to play the role of one of the superstars “Ashok Kumar” in the film. It also stars Ram Kapoor, Sidhant, Prosenjit Chatterjee, Wamiqa Gabbi and Aditi Rao Hydari. Aditi and Prosenjit’s parts are said to be based on Devika Rani and Himanshu Rai. The filmmaker took us back to the 1940s, tracing the evolution, rivalries and changing work culture of Hindi cinema over the decades.
Talking about his show, Aparshakti tells the media, “Stardust is a series close to my heart for more than one reason. It’s my OTT debut. It’s a period drama series and I am extremely humbled to play the role of one of the first superstars of Bollywood. It will give me the opportunity to work with a genius like Vikramaditya Motwane and the legendary Prosenjit Chatterjee — which is every actor’s dream. I am really looking forward to all the learning and fun”. The shooting took a halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The makers recently completed the shoot in February. And the web series is all set to launch with its nine episodes on Amazon Prime Video. The next seasons will delve into the lives and times of the Bollywood stars of the coming decades.
Ajay Devgn
The Singham of Bollywood, having ruled the big screens for decades, enters the OTT platform with a bang. The actor featured for the first time in a web series “Rudra: The Edge of Darkness”. This crime thriller web series launched on Disney+ Hotstar on March 4th, 2022 records the highest viewership ever on the platform. Ajay Devgn’s debut on a digital platform is applauded by everyone, including some big film stars. The series also casts Esha Deol, Rashi Khanna and other stars. The series consisting of 6 episodes is based on the British series “Luther” by Neil Cross. Directed by Rajesh Mapuskar, the series stars the country’s favourite cop on screen, Ajay in the role of DCP Rudra Veer Singh.
The story shot on the crime streets of Mumbai appealed well to the viewers. In this, Rudra is under the system’s radar despite having been one of the best officers. The story kept simple and straight, delivering the message easily to the viewers. Each episode unveils a different part of the story of DCP Rudra. His marriage, his bonding with the seniors and juniors, his devotion to the job and his way to tackle criminals are discussed in the entire show. With a rating of 7.1 out of 10 by IMDb, the show is praiseworthy and is hitting the digital screens of many. Ajay Devgn also launched a film “Bhuj: The Pride of India” last year on Disney+ Hotstar due to the pandemic situation.
Sonakshi Sinha
The Asli Sona of this film industry shines in all of her roles in Bollywood films. Now comes the time for shining in the web series industry as well. The actor makes her debut with a web series, tentatively named “Fallen” on Amazon Prime Video. In this crime-drama genre, Sonakshi plays the role of a tough cop. It portrays a true story of a conman, accused of marrying women and tricking them out of the money. Along with Sonakshi, Vijay Verma, Anjali Bhatt, Sohum Shah, and Gulshan Devaiah plays pivotal roles in the film.
The filmmakers released the first look of the series featuring the actress on the eve of International Women’s Day. Amazon Prime Video tweeted “There’s no limit to what women can accomplish. Our collective belief in this has only been reinforced time and again. And on the eve of #WomensDay, we’re taking things up a notch! Can’t wait for #Sonakshisinha to show us yet again how girls get it done Princess. Coming soon!” Produced by Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti (Tiger Baby) with Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar (Excel Media and Entertainment), and directed by Ruchika Oberoi and Reema Kagti, the series created a spark of excitement in the audiences’ hearts.
Shahid Kapoor
The Bollywood heartthrob, known for playing various roles in numerous Bollywood movies, makes his debut with the film series “Sunny”. This Raj & DK directed web series is still a work in progress and is yet to complete the production. The series launches on the Amazon Prime Video in around mid-2022. It also includes Regina Cassandra, Vijay Sethupathi and Rashi Khanna. Shahid and Vijay won’t be doing any faceoffs in the series. This series consists of explosive action-thriller with their usual quirks infused in it. Planned as a two-season project, this series features Shahid in the titular role, performing some acutely designed daredevil action sequences.
Shahid while addressing the media, says “The choice to go on to the OTT platform was to break the trend, was to do something different and challenge me. I have been doing this for almost 20 years, I need to feel challenged and excited. If I am not doing something new, I will get bored of it and then the audience will get bored too. I always feel the need to bring out little change, so that it is fresh. So, this (show) was an opportunity to do that”. The actor felt quite excited while working on the series and creating a character in the 8-9 episodes in the first season. Shahid even acted in the film “Jersey”, set to release by the end of April 2022.
A scene shot in Mumbai featured Rs 2000 fake notes spread all over the street. After the shoot, it tempted the public that thought it to be real notes. Soon somebody filed a complaint against the makers over disrespecting the father of the nation. Though the currency was unoriginal, the portrait of Mahatma Gandhi was real.
Aditya Roy Kapur
The hottest Gen Z actor of Bollywood made it to the headlines with his amazing performances in Bollywood films like Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, Malang, Ludo, etc. The actor will soon take the stage of the OTT platform with an upcoming web series. This will be a Hindi remake of the series “The Night Manager”. The series will launch on Amazon Prime Video by the end of 2022. The Night Manager is an espionage thriller that includes the story of a tense cat and mouse chase between a covert agent and a secret arms dealer. Apart from Aditya Roy Kapur, Sobhita Dhulipala and Anil Kapoor play pivotal roles in the series.
Aditya travelled to Sri Lanka for the shoot of this web series. Earlier, rumours came out of Hrithik Roshan starring in this film but he left the film due to some reasons. The original Hollywood version bagged various awards for the amazing plot and actors. The audience expects the same from this version as well.
Now that we looked at the top Bollywood actors to debut on OTT in 2022, let’s wait for their blockbuster acting and movies to be launched this year.
Also Read: https://rbollywood.com/6-lessons-we-learned-from-ayushmann-khurranas-films/