Actors are no longer defined by the medium they most often dabble in. By Team Viva
So many performers are today flexing their acting prowess with equal ease on, both, streaming platforms and films. Here is our pick of five of such versatile talents:
Mukul Chadda
Mukul left New York and a thriving career as a banker because his heart craved for a life in the arts. He arrived in Mumbai without a blueprint for his future but memories of doing theatre in college and attending classes at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute began to guide his choices. He soon found himself working in films like Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu, Island Cty, I, Me Aur Main et al along with shows like Bichoo Ka Khel and Gurgaon. He also played a jovial and rather clueless boss in the Indian adaptation of the popular American sitcom, The Office. This month, he is celebrating the release of an OTT series, Sunflower and the much-awaited film Sherni. In the former, which is a dark crime comedy, he plays a rather mercurial, short-tempered character and in Sherni, he portrays a rather unimaginative spouse who believes his wife’s government job is a ‘recession-proof’ meal ticket for life. Chadda is emerging as an actor who can effortlessly adapt to cinematic and OTT narratives without missing a beat.
Radhika Apte
From someone who made her debut in 2005 with a fleeting appearance in a now-forgotten film, Vaah! Life Ho Toh Aisi!, Radhika has grown enormously to become the unofficial queen of OTT productions and an acclaimed film actor, be it in commercial hits like Badlapur and Andhadhun or an independent film like Raat Akeli Hai. Many credit her with changing the scope and span of female performances in OTT shows. Her ability to exude both charisma and earthy simplicity has seen her churn out flawless performances in titles as diverse as Manjhi – The Mountain Man, Parched, Phobia, Pad Man, Lust Stories, Bazaar, A Call To Spy, Stories by Rabindranath Tagore, Ghoul, and Sacred games. Along the way, she has scooped up various awards and also garnered critical and popular appreciation.
Sayani Gupta
This graduate from the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), is truly a new-age star whose unconventional choices have resulted in a very interesting creative journey. Sayani made her debut in 2012 in Second Marriage Dot Com but her breakout role was as the visually-challenged love interest of Kalki Koechlin in Shonali Bose’s acclaimed film, Margarita With A Straw. She gave another noticeable performance, as part of the ensemble cast, in Leena Yadav’s Parched. In Anubhav Sinha’s, Article 15, her wrenching histrionics gave the film much of its truthfulness. In films like Axone, Jolly LLB 2, Fan, and Baar Baar Dekho, her presence was unmistakable and each performance was different from the other. She also went on to command stardom in the OTT hit Four more shots please!. Sayani has demonstrated time and again that, as an actor, she will never let herself be boxed in a specific genre or format.
Vikrant Massey
Vikrant’s journey has been chequered and spans diverse platforms. Starting with the 2004 television series, Kahaan Hoon Main, he tried his best to adapt to the entertainment trends of the day by working in shows like Dharam Veer, Balika Vadhu, Baba Aiso Varr Dhoondo, and Qubool Hai. His debut film appearance in Lootera (2014), and then a role in Dil Dhadakne Do (2015) showed us a glimpse of the actor who has more potential than he has been given credit for. With 2017's critically acclaimed film A Death In The Gunj, he showed what an accomplished actor he really is and even won a Filmfare Award nomination in the category of Best Actor – Critics. In the OTT space, he has carved a niche for himself with success stories like Mirzapur, Criminal Justice and in the second seasons of Broken But Beautiful. And bigger film roles are also coming his way, including the lead role opposite Deepika Padukone in Chhapaak (2020) and a starring role in the recent Ginni Weds Sunny, opposite Yami Gautam.
Jaideep Ahlawat
For this FTII graduate, the success of his idol, Irrfan Khan, was a beacon in the dark years he spent struggling for meaty roles. In 2008, Jaideep made his debut in a short film Narmeen and went on to play many small parts till his role as Shahid Khan in Gangs of Wasseypur (2012) and as Khalid Mir in Raazi (2017) got him some much-deserved attention. But stardom and a Filmfare award came with the Anushka Sharma-produced web series Paatal Lok. This performance truly heralded his arrival as a star who could lead a show as its protagonist. Even in an anthology like Ajeeb Daastaans, he stood out for his portrayal of a gay man who is unable to embrace his sexuality openly. Today he is being offered diverse roles in OTT productions as well as films. Even as Jaideep treads a path that was painstakingly carved by predecessors like Irrfan and Manoj Bajpayee, there is no doubt that he has already created a success story that is uniquely his own.