Stars taking the digital plunge

EAGERLY AWAITED WEB SERIES HEADLINED BY BIG-SCREEN NAMES

by ASJAD NAZIR

INDIAN film stars, including Manoj Bajpayee, Emraan Hashmi, Bobby Deol, Pooja Bhatt, Saif Ali Khan, Rajkummar Rao, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Abhishek Bachchan, Vivek Oberoi, Sushmita Sen, Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal, have made the move to acting in web serials. Now many more cinema stars are set to follow in their footsteps in hotly anticipated serials.

With that in mind, Eastern Eye looks ahead to web series debuts of popular big-screen stars and what to expect.

Shahid Kapoor: Director duo Raj & DK followed up a mixed bag of Bollywood films with hugely successful web series The Family Man, starring Manoj Bajpayee. They will follow that up with an as yet untitled Amazon Prime thriller series starring Shahid Kapoor, which is shrouded in secrecy, but has a huge budget behind it. South Indian superstar Vijay Sethupati plays a parallel lead in the hotly anticipated serial, which is expected to have big action sequences and could lead to further series.

Madhuri Dixit: Legendary Bollywood actress Madhuri Dixit still has plenty of star power and will show that off in new Karan Johar produced Netflix serial Finding Anamika. The suspense series directed by Karishma Kohli and Bejoy Nambiar reportedly revolves around a global superstar, who suddenly goes missing and triggers a frantic search. The series, which is expected to have a number of twists, also stars Sanjay Kapoor, Manav Kaul, Lakshvir Saran, Suhasini Muley and Muskkaan Jaferi.

Sonakshi Sinha: After making a name for herself in high-profile films, Sonakshi Sinha makes her debut in new Amazon Prime web series Fallen, which is masterminded by Bollywood director Reema Kagti. She plays a police officer in the series, which also stars Vijay Varma, Gulshan Deviah and Sohum Shah. The story reportedly based around real life events revolves around a female police officer on the trail of a cunning fraudster.

Ajay Devgn: After starring in a huge number of films across 30 years, the actor will make his web debut with Rudra – The Edge Of Darkness on Hotstar. The detective drama is an Indian remake of British crime series Luther, with Devgn taking on the role originally played by Idris Elba. A high-profile film actress is expected to be added to the cast.

Juhi Chawla: The 1990s Bollywood superstar will headline new Amazon Prime series Hush Hush, which is reportedly a female-centric thriller. The drama serial, masterminded by Bollywood filmmaker Tanuja Chandra, will also mark the online debut of big-screen stars Soha Ali Khan and Ayesha Jhulka. Acclaimed actresses Karishma Tanna, Kritika Kamra and Sahana Goswami will also play pivotal roles in the serial made by a mostly female crew.

Raveena Tandon: The popular actress will make her digital debut with new Netflix supernatural crime thriller Aranyak. She plays a tough police officer struggling to balance her personal and professional life, while investigating the disappearance of a teenage tourist. The Vinay Vyakul-directed drama has been described as a mysterious, intriguing story based in Himachal, about a bloodthirsty, serial killing entity in the forest. The cast also includes Parambrata Chatterjee, Ashutosh Rana, Zakir Hussain and Megna Malik.

Akshay Kumar: The hardworking actor will make his streaming site debut in Amazon Prime thriller series The End. The plotline is being kept under wraps, but it is widely known the series will feature huge stunts and eye-catching action sequences. With Akshay signing so many films, there could be a delay in this project.

(STR_AFP via Getty Images)

Akshaye Khanna: The talented Bollywood star has been massively picky about projects in the past decade and looks like he has embraced the web space in a big way. The actor plays the lead role in ZEE5 army drama serial State of Seige: Temple Attack. He will also star opposite Raveena Tandon on global thriller series Legacy, which revolves around two fierce rivals battling it out.

Samantha Akkineni: The south Indian megastar isn’t from Bollywood, but definitely deserves a mention. One of the biggest names in Indian cinema will be making her web series debut in the second season of hit Amazon Prime show The Family Man this summer and stars opposite Manoj Bajpayee. This could lead to her branching out with further projects away from south Indian cinema.

Hrithik Roshan: There have been multiple rumours the Bollywood heartthrob was being lined up for a starring role in the Indian version of popular British series The Night Manager, with him taking on the lead role originally played by Tom Hiddleston. With Hrithik being massively in demand in Bollywood and looking to do his first Hollywood film, it will be surprising if this project happens anytime soon.