Not the lead, yet character roles shine in the limelight

On OTT, while content is king, often there are characters which stay with you long after you have finished bingeing on your favourite show. And it’s not necessarily the lead character. Sharib Hashmi in The Family Man (TFM), Rasika Dugal in Mirzapur, Namit Das in Aarya and Chandan Roy Sanyal in Aashram are some examples of actors, who have proved their mettle in digital shows, despite not essaying the protagonists role. We have seen a number of actors play such roles and stand out, at times get even more appreciation and attention than the lead.

Das, who played Jawahar in Aarya, is glad that the show shattered some ideas that people had about him as an actor. He says, “The emergence of newer stories and different kinds of plots has led to the lines between the lead protagonist and supporting cast blurring. The OTT format has more space to explore unlike films, which allows creators to indulge in other characters in their multi-episode story. The Indian film format often focuses on one character, which is why we have the image of the “hero” and “role” of the supporting cast, which broke up with OTT, which allows characters to flourish.”

He cites the example of Bandish Bandits, which is essentially a love story, but how director Anand Tiwari brought out the other plots which made it an interesting story. He explains, “The most complicated reveal was that Naseeruddin Shah sir’s character. Look at TFM, which has so many interesting characters. Though Manoj Bajpayee ji’s is the lead but it would get boring to only focus about his character. In the show, the supporting cast has importance, and chance to show their potential. In such shows, other parts are well etched so actors have something to do, which helps the story as it get multi layers.”

Sanyal has impressed everyone with his acting prowess but in Aashram and the recent anthology, Ray, he shone brighter. The actor doesn’t believe in the idea of character actors. He says, either you are an actor or you are not. He adds, “Everyone is part of the story- lead or not and each character is important. We started treating the lead as important and the other characters as subsidiary but that has changed now. Everyone is driven by narrative and acting prowess of actors. Whenever I have acted, including small parts, I have given my best and come out shining in the limelight.”

Having mostly played lead parts, Maanvi Gagroo has had her share of supporting characters too, including Pitchers. She regards it to the ensemble cast most shows have. “There could be a face of the show but the other characters are equally important. In a two-hour film, the director has to focus on the lead character while on OTT, characters can be developed as there are multi-episodes to show their graph and story. Web shows have to be constantly engaging as audiences might switch off if it isn’t. There is so much competition and low-attention span. Makers want good actors to hold the interest of the viewers.” For Gagroo, characters of Sunil Grover and Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub in Tandav, Aadhya Anand in Bombay Begums, Neil Bhoopalam in Four More Shots were quite memorable.

Akshay Oberoi, who has played lead roles in shows such as It’s Not That Simple, Bar Code, Flesh and High has also essayed supporting roles in The Test Case, Selection Day, and Illegal feels, that storylines still have lead characters but it is no longer just about the most popular face getting the best part. “As OTT is merit-based, people are cast authentically and based on role. That’s why we’re seeing many talented actors from across the country. When I play non-lead roles, I have different way of looking at things. For me, learning from each role and growing as an actor matters more. I have learnt a lot by working in many projects where I was working with really talented people.”

Crediting the pandemic for enabling this shift of power, the actors feel unanimously that now it is all about talent. Gagroo shares that content has to be engaging as the competition is not just Indian, including regional language but international too. “Makers have to do better as the audience is brutal and have many options.” Sanyal feels, “It is an open field. Anyone who is talented and is good at what one does can be part of a great story and great story telling.” Oberoi chimes in saying “there’s nothing more fresh than real Indian stories on OTT, casting authentic actors in great parts- it is a great time. It is a gold rush!”