Here’s a sneak peek into OTT performances that had us hooked through 2022
Mona
An informant who will go to any lengths to save his family; a super-cop who wants to brings a real difference in society; an ambitious doctor lording over a depraved world of pharmaceutical testing; a revenge-seeking mother or a jilted wife — year 2022 kept viewers hooked with stellar performances. Here’s looking back at the actors who left an impression amongst the din of copious content that made it to digital platforms.
Gurnam Singh aka CAT
Talented actor Randeep Hooda headlined Punjabi web series CAT and melted into the titular part with incredible prowess as well as credible relatability. The way he ties his turban or rolls out chappatis for his younger brother or slowly and surreptitiously, like a cat, finds his way into the drug mafia, the actor in him shines in every frame with restraint, ease and remarkable Punjabi diction.
Khakee is the colour
The transformation of the rather chocolaty Karan Tacker into an earnest cop, Amit Lodha, is incredible in Neeraj Pandey’s Khakee. While people have loved him in Special Ops, it’s in Khakee that his moustached look, fit physique and acting skills won the audience. This real life story is inspiring.
If Karan impresses, even more exciting is Avinash Tiwary’s raw and rustic gangster act in the same show. Chandan Mahto is a character far removed from Tiwary’s previous acts or cool real-life persona. Spending time with truck drivers in Jharkhand, where the series was shot, Tiwary put up a fine performance as Chandanva who rises to power as dreaded bandit Chandan Mahto aka Chandan bhaiya.
Delhi Crime raises the bar
Already an actor to reckon with, it was with Delhi Crime that Shefali Shah established her mettle. She not only reprised her role of DCP Vartika Chaturvedi in Delhi Crime Season 2, but also impressed as Dr Gauri Nath in medical drama Human, which was based around drug testing. She sure seems to be raising the bar with each performance.
Meek to merciless Mai
A bright young girl’s life is snuffed out right in front of her mother and she is out to avenge it. The series Mai belongs to Sakshi Tanwar, an actor who needs no introduction. The demure, coy, caring Sheel Chaudhary turns into an avenging super-mom, cold and caring in flashes, breaking through not just the medical scam mafia but also the Special Police Force (SPF). Sakshi sure shines in the titular role.
All about Modern Love
An anthology Modern Love Mumbai offers many shades of love, from taboo to the grand institution of marriage. Amongst a bevy of stars, a Kashmiri girl cycling down a flyover in Mumbai becomes a symbol of freedom. Fatima Sana Sheikh is a breath of fresh air as the Kashmiri girl Lalzari, jilted by her husband after years of marriage. She is a delight to watch as she finds love in her self and emancipation in Mumbai — both when she is pining for her husband and more so when she learns to live life on her own terms sans him.
The Rocket Boys rock
A glowing tribute to India’s scientific luminaries—Homi J. Bhabha and Vikram Sarabhai—Rocket Boys belongs to its actors. Jim Sarbh possesses that uncanny dare, bordering on chutzpah, to play the upfront and sincere Bhabha. Ishwak Singh as Vikram Sarabhai appears reticent and resolute at once, replicating the understated and bookish demeanour as the ‘Father of the Indian Space Programme’ in Rocket Boys. If Sarbh is full of verve as Bhabha, Ishwak is understated, serving as the perfect foil to him.
Shining sequels
The sequels carried on the legacy established in their first seasons. Be it Jitendra Kumar aka Abhishek Tripathi taking on the role of Sachiv ji in Panchayat 2; Arunoday Singh as daring cop Rudra Rudra Srivastava in Apaharan 2; Naveen Kasturia as Victor in Breathe: Into The Shadows 2 or all-entertaining Mishra family — Jameel, Geetanjali, Vaibhav, and Harsh as Santosh, Shanti, Anand and Aman, respectively, in Gullak 3 breathe life into the show, keeping it relevant in 2022!
