2020… a year that changed the way we lived our lives. And along with the many big changes, the way we consumed content also shifted drastically. With theatres shut and film shootings coming to a grinding halt, digital platforms saw a boom like never before. In India, digital entertainment has been seeing a rise since the last three years but the heights it scaled last year was unfathomable. And with that boom, emerged new icons for Indian audiences. It’s a known fact that the talent seen on OTT platforms is unbeatable. And some of these actors simply stole the show with their performances. Their characters became household names and people were seen aping their dialogues too. It didn’t matter whether they have been a part of the industry for over a decade or rank newcomers, it was their sheer charisma and talent that put them on the pedestal. While there are many names to reckon with, we have listed the 10 most power men in the Indian OTT space. These are 10 actors who can simply carry the show or movie on their shoulders and have filmmakers queuing up to get their dates.
1. JAIDEEP AHLAWAT
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Age: 40
Power project: Paatal Lok
Paatal Lok was probably the only show after Sacred Games (Part 1) that created mass hysteria in the country. Released during the initial months of the lockdown, the show became an instant rage and one of the biggest reasons for the success was its lead. Jaideep Ahlawat drew all the stares with his act as a rough but vulnerable cop, Hathiram Choudhary. With his natural hold on the Haryani accent, he expressed every emotion, whether anger or regret, with utmost conviction. Paatal Lok was pitch-perfect and Jaideep’s performance only elevated the show further. It’s safe to say the actor’s stars turned around overnight with his big digital release after a decade of doing small roles in feature films. Jaideep is a definite A-lister in the OTT world now and everyone’s eagerly awaiting his next project; especially after him bagging the Best Actor Award at the first Filmfare OTT Awards.
2. AMIT SADH
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Age: 37
Power project: Breathe: Into the Shadows, Avrodh: The Siege Within, Barrot House
Amit Sadh is an actor whose life journey is scripted to be a blockbuster. A posh boarding school student becomes a house help then a store salesman only to land up in Mumbai to become one of the biggest names on television. He then has a big fallout, gets a big break in Bollywood but the career doesn’t go anywhere until he comes on the OTT platform and becomes a digital superstar. With back to back successes like Breathe, Breathe: Into The Shadows and Avrodh: The Siege Within, Amit is now a formidable name to reckon with. His performances have been widely appreciated and his fan following has increased by leaps and bounds, check his Twitter mentions if you don’t believe us. His next show Jeet Ki Zid has started trending on social media even before its release and that says a lot about his power.
3. PRATIK GANDHI
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Age: 31
Power project: Scam 1992
Pratik Gandhi is what you call an overnight sensation. Just like Harshad Mehta, the character he played in his digital debut show Scam 1992, Pratik’s life and fate took a 180-degree turn within just a few days after the show’s release. With critics and audiences hailing it as the best show in years, Pratik became a digital superstar overnight. And when you find out that it took him 10 long years to finally taste success, his story seems even more victorious. Pratik’s power today lies in his reach, videos featuring him are garnering high views, he’s the most wanted actor by publications and internet portals and is soon becoming a favourite of the red carpet too. The man is off to a great start and now only time will tell what lies ahead for him.
4. ALI FAZAL
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Age: 34
Power projects: Mirzapur, Mirzapur Season 2
On one hand, he’s rubbing shoulders with Dame Judi Dench and Gal Gadot in scenic foreign locations and on the other he’s getting real and rustic with Pankaj Tripathi in Indian heartlands. And he’s doing both of it with equal passion and ease. The massive success of Mirzapur Season 1 and 2 have accelerated Ali’s career even further. His character of Guddu Bhaiya became a rage on social media and the show’s popularity resulted in many viral memes too. Ali, always considered a dependable actor, is now seen as a crowd puller. His star status has changed not only internationally but in India too. Apart from Mirzapur, he also wowed with his act in Forbidden Love: Arranged marriage and now people are eagerly awaiting his next projects.
5. PANKAJ TRIPATHI
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Age: 44
Power Projects: Sacred Games, Mirzapur, Criminal Justice
Let’s all raise a toast to the phenomenal success Pankaj Tripathi has seen in the last few years. And let’s also thank our stars for blessing us with a talent like Pankaj Tripathi. Whichever movie or OTT show he features in turns into gold and he walks away with all the accolades. His mere presence adds value to the project and filmmakers have realized his power. His stint in series like Sacred Games, Mirzapur and Criminal justice have made him a favourite of the OTT world too along with the big screen. 2020 was a year wherein there was no escaping Pankaj on the web. He stole the show with his heartwarming act in Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl which released directly on Netflix. He wowed again in Mirzapur: Season 2 and made you notice him in Ludo, another film which was released on Netflix. The year ended on high for him as his show Criminal Justice: Behind Closed Doors released to rave reviews. All hail the man of the moment!
6. MANOJ BAJPAYEE
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Age: 51
Power projects: The Family Man, Bhonsle
Now here’s a stalwart who keeps reinventing himself every few years and delivers performances that stay with you for long. Manoj Bajpayee has been the darling of the 70MM for over two decades now and his entry into the digital world exceeded all expectations too. The Family Man shows Manoj in top form and his nuanced and sincere performance makes the series even more watchable. The veteran actor’s second stint in the OTT world, Bhonsle, also got him applause. He now is an indomitable force in the OTT area and fans are getting hyper even with the smallest news of his forthcoming projects. Up next for him is the second season of The Family Man, and needless to say, it’s already on everyone’s binge-watch list.
7. ROHIT SARAF
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Age: 24
Power project: Mismatched
He came, he saw and he conquered millions of hearts in a span of one week. Rohit Saraf could easily be termed as the hottest find of 2020. Having impressed with his roles in Dear Zindagi and The Sky Is Pink earlier, it was only with Mismatched that the country took notice of his supreme charm and screen presence. He starred alongside viral digital sensation Prajakta Kohli in Netflix’s Mismatched and turned into an instant heartthrob. His other Netflix release Ludo also got him a lot of fans and he was deemed as the national millennial crush. His growing social media numbers are proof of his popularity and power.
8. ANGAD BEDI
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Age: 37
Power project: Inside Edge series, Mum Bhai, The Verdict: State Vs Nanavati
Where Angad Bedi scores the maximum points is consistency. Whether it’s the big screen or web series, Bedi is an actor who’s always impressed with his commendable performances and it won’t be wrong to say he’s owned the digital space much better than the celluloid. His turn as Arvind Vashishth in Prime Video’s successful Inside Edge series got him the maximum attention. His power lies in his affability and one can see creators scanning for his dates. His acting chops were on full display in The Verdict: State Vs Nanavati and his swag was seen in Mum Bhai. With all successful shows in his kitty, the curve only seems to be going upwards for him.
9. NAWAZUDDIN SIDDIQUI
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Age: 46
Power projects: Sacred Games Series, Raat Akeli Hai, Serious Men, Ghoomketu
What do we say about an actor who can convey each and every emotion with just his eyes? What do we say about an actor whose mere presence in a project is like an ISI mark? What do we say about an actor who makes even lackluster movies/shows watchable? Seriously what do we say about the phenomenal Nawazuddin Siddiqui that hasn’t been said before! After creating a stir in Bollywood, the actor chose to do the same in the OTT world. His portrayal of Gaitonde in Sacred Games made him a fan favourite instantly. Offers flowing for him was the evident next step and he did a smart thing by picking the right ones. Raat Akeli hai proved to be a smash hit and cemented his position right at the top. Serious Men and Ghoomketu may not have created a riot but his performances were noteworthy.
10. ABHISHEK BANERJEE
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Age: 32
Power projects: Paatal Lok, Mirzapur Series
One of the best things to happen because of the boom of web shows is that we are finally getting to see some of the best actors of the country in prominent roles. These are actors who in the past were seen in minuscule roles in feature films but have now made a big splash. And one such gem is Abhishek Banerjee. Of course, Jaideep Ahlawat was the soul of Paatal Lok, but Abhishek Banjerjee with his act as Hathoda Tyagi pumped in the adrenaline rush. He made his character and show iconic. Interestingly, Abhishek is an eminent casting director too and he’s responsible for the fantastic casting of Paatal Lok. Abhishek has also created waves with other digital biggies like TVF Pitchers and Mirzapur.
ML Entertainment