Harman Baweja-Bobby Deol: Actors who had second innings with OTT
The advent of OTT hasn't been a boon only for the filmmakers and the audience, but also for actors. When OTT's popularity was on the rise, many stars took a shift and tried their hands at it. The result? Only success and stardom. Though they have tasted success with films, here are actors who gained more popularity because of web series.
Harman Baweja
Harman Baweja made his acting debut alongside Priyanka Chopra Jonas in Love Story 2050 which was released in 2008. He did a few more films after that but he shot to fame only after his recent release and OTT debut, Scoop. The Hansal Mehta series, led by Karishma Tanna, featured him as JCP Harshvardhan Shroff. Since its release, Baweja has been earning praise.
Bobby Deol
Having done films such as Soldier, Barsaat, Gupt, and more, Bobby Deol did explore different shades of a hero since his debut in 1995. He has delivered many top-grossing films in the past, too. But, with OTT, Deol's popularity grew to new heights. He received critical appreciation for his performances in Class of '83 and Aashram, both of which were released in 2020.
Pankaj Tripathi
One of the finest actors in Hindi cinema today, Pankaj Tripathi had a humble start to his career. But his skills and hard work are what made him a popular name among the audiences. He, however, gained a major share of fame due to Mirzapur, Sacred Games, and Criminal Justice. He tasted overnight stardom after these series, especially Mirzapur.
Sharib Hashmi
Sharib Hashmi's Filmistaan won many international awards at film festivals. It was also the Best Feature Film at 2012's National Film Awards. But there was also a dull phase in his career after Filmistaan. However, he truly believes that his second innings (in acting) started due to OTT. He shot to fame with The Family Man and also received praise for Scam 1992.
Divyenndu
Divyenndu shot to fame with Luv Ranjan's 2011 movie Pyaar Ka Punchnama in which he played the role of Liquid. It was his acting debut which also won him an award. He continued to do many films and web series since then. After gaining popularity as Liquid, Divyenndu became a rage, receiving more love and admiration than Munna Bhaiyaa in Mirzapur.