Where there is a will, there is a way – Rising stars of the OTT platform
The best thing about talent and honesty is that it can’t be kept hidden for too long. OTT platforms have proved to be a successful medium for lesser known actors or new ones to showcase their talents and make a mark in the industry. As the name says, Over-the-top (OTT), the entire content is delivered over the internet as per the consumer requirements.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, OTT platforms have gained immense popularity, as it gave people a variety of entertainment from serials to movies and web series of their favorite stars as well as the other upcoming ones, in all languages. Below is a list of some of the popular OTT actors in India who were not major forces in Bollywood but now rule the OTT world.
- Pankaj Tripathi– Watching films in the local theatres during childhood was Tripathi’s primary step for choosing acting as his career. He was born a farmer’s son in Bihar’s Belsand village but the motivation to join National School of Drama (NSD) made him complete his graduation in Hindi literature and simultaneously work the night shift in hotel kitchens and perform plays during the day. He debuted in Bollywood with the film ‘Run’ and gained prominence with ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’ in 2012, but the it was his role in ‘Mirzapur’ that transformed him into a star.
- Manoj Bajpayee– Born in Belwa, a small village in the West Champaran of Bihar, Manoj Bajpayee always aspired to be an actor. Inspired by actors like Nasiruddin Shah and Om Puri, he finally joined NSD after four consecutive rejections. After his debut in ‘Droh Kaal’ in 1994, he gained fame with movies like ‘Satya’, ‘Pinjar’, ‘Bhonsle’, ‘Aks’ and ‘Special 26’, but his role in ‘Family Man’ left a long lasting impression in the audience’s mind.
- Radhika Apte– Radhika is referred as the queen of OTT. She began her acting career with the Hindi fantasy ‘Vaah! Life Ho Toh Aisi!’ in 2005 and further worked in Tamil, Marathi, Bengali, Malayalam and Telugu cinema. She was recognized for her performances in Bollywood productions- Hunterrr, Manjhi-The Mountain Man and Badlapur. With her outstanding work in Netflix productions- Sacred Games, Ghoul and Lust Stories, she started dominating the OTT platform.
- Nawazuddin Siddiqui– An apt personification of how success comes from never giving up, Nawazuddin came from Budhana, Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh, where sugarcane, wheat and guns were the only known ways of survival. He worked as a chemist and watchman for living and a love for theatre landed him in NSD. Anurag Kashyap’s ‘Black Friday’ opened the doors to Bollywood in 2007, but movies like ‘Kahaani’ and ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’ revealed his true potential. His role in OTT web series ‘Sacred Games’ created a huge fan following among the masses and gave him his identity.