Ajay Devgn to Abhishek Bachchan- actors who have reinvented themselves on OTT platforms

OTT platforms have been redefining the Indian entertainment industry, especially in the last few years post the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. The fathomless expanse of borderless content and thematic diversity has been attracting even big screen veterans to long-format stories they could not possibly have explored in cinema. From Ajay Devgn to Saif Ali Khan, here is a list of top Bollywood stars whose foray into OTT narratives got us all excited!

It is not hard to see why Ajay Devgn would be attracted to the British psychological crime thriller 'Luther'. A Hindi adaptation seemed like a logical step and Devgn, who has been busy directing and acting on the big screen for over three decades post his debut in Phool Aur Kaante (1991), decided to finally appear on the small screen as DCP Rudra. The first season of ‘Rudra: The Edge of Darkness is directed by the national award-winning director, Rajesh Mapuskar, and was released on Disney+Hotstar in March this year. Produced by Applause Entertainment and BBC Studios India, 'Rudra' also stars Atul Kulkarni, Esha Deol, and Rashi Khanna. 

Suniel Shetty is a man of many parts and since his debut in the action thriller 'Balwaan' opposite Divya Bharti in 1992, he has starred in over 100 films and is a much-loved part of the industry as a producer and actor. The trade is now excitedly buzzing about his new project in an OTT thriller produced by Yoodlee Films. The suspense-laced series titled 'Invisible Woman' will see Shetty as a cop trying to heal his past and earn some redemption. Shetty is paired opposite Esha Deol in this much-awaited series.

Saif Ali Khan today plays by his own rules and made a splash in the OTT space as a Sikh cop Sartaj Singh in the Netflix series, 'Sacred Games' much before his peers had realised the potential of streamers. This was the first ever Indian Netflix original series and went on to be nominated for the Emmys. The two seasons produced by Phantom Films were jointly directed by Anurag Kashyap, Vikramaditya Motwane, and Neeraj Ghaywan. Saif also appeared recently in another series, 'Tandav.'

Abhishek played the role of a psychotic killer whose alter ego leads a perfectly normal life as a family man and a doctor in the second season of the ‘Breathe’ series (2020) on Amazon Prime, paving the way for an interesting cameo on Netflix's black comedy, ‘Ludo’ and in ZEE5's original thriller movie, 'Bob Viswas.' The biopic 'The Big Bull,' was also digitally released on 8 April 2021 on Disney+ Hotstar. Also, he recently gained applause with his mind-blowing performance in 'Dasvi' co-starring Yami Gautam and Nimrat Kaur.

Even though the film flopped, hits like 'Gupt: The Hidden Truth', 'Soldier' and 'Ajnabi' kept him afloat, and then in 2020, he surprised everyone, including possibly himself when his MX Player series 'Aashram' became an instant hit. He also appeared in the Netflix film ‘Class of 83’ and in 'Love Hostel' that was streamed on ZEE5. Bobby's turn as Baba Nirala has won over even the most hardened critics. The third season of the series was released in June 2022. Aaditi Pohankar and Darshan Kumar also play prominent roles.