The OTT space in 2018 has seen great content that was branched into varied interesting genres. Intriguing thrillers to engaging family drama to stories with oodles of romance and s*x has kept the audience busy sampling various OTT platforms.
With high-class series being made, the demand to cast natural and feel-good actors has been at a high.
The year 2018 saw many amazing performances coming from actors and actresses in the web space. If you have missed reading our list of actresses who have created an impact, you can get to read it IWMBuzz.
We now move ahead to list the names of the actors who have crossed the bar, and have entertained viewers with their top-notch flawless performances in roles that have challenged them like never before.
We can clearly say that the year gone by has seen a good mix of experienced and versatile actors from the film and TV circuit, reinstating the fact that they are good enough to give the youngsters a run for their money (read: talent).
Get ready and brace yourself to read the list here.
Arunoday Singh: ALTBalaji’s series Apharan Sabka Katega has been one of the last series to launch before the year 2018 came to an end. But what an impact the series and its lead actors Arunoday Singh and Nidhi Singh have had on the viewers! While Nidhi has already featured in our Top 10 list, here is Arunoday bagging his chance to steal the limelight. It will not be an understatement if we say that Arunoday is the soul of the series. He has portrayed his larger-than-life character with elan. His dialogue delivery and sheer power in his approach and mannerisms attracts viewers to love him more.
Annu Kapoor: He’s the ‘Grand Old Man’ when it comes to his acting credentials. He needs no introduction and must say, we were bowled by his stupendous portrayal in ALTBalaji’s series Home that talks about the gutsy way in which underdogs steal the limelight and achieve whatever they work hard for. This gripping tale of grit and determination saw Annu Kapoor essay the role of Hemaansh Sethi, who is at times shown vulnerable and helpless, but gains his confidence to fight back against the people in power. His restrained, yet emotion-packed performance certainly puts him in the elite group.
Dhruv Sehgal: Dhruv had his task cut out as he juggled between two roles of being an actor as well as writer of Little Things 2, the series of Dice Media that streamed on Netflix. While the writer in him gave viewers a heart-warming story, the actor in him was tremendous too. Dhruv is a natural actor and he was cutely adorable to watch. His chemistry with Mithila Palkar was awesome, and we lack words to explain how cute and endearing they looked as a couple. This is why Mithila and Dhruv no doubt have won a place in our Top 10 list. We look forward to seeing Dhruv grow in talent as an actor.
Kunaal Roy Kapur: The best thing about Eros Now’s Sidehero is the casting of Kunaal Roy Kapur. We have mentioned this fact in our review and we still maintain the same. Amazing work by Kunaal considering that he was on spot with his comic tuning and emotions in the series. The way in which Kunaal engaged in self-mockery and came out with a story line that had impeccable humour was amazing. He deserves all the praise that he has bagged for this role of being the sidehero trying his best to make his place in the top list. With this role, you have made it to the top, Kunaal!!
R. Madhavan: Known for his humorous roles and impeccable comic timing, Madhavan took a huge risk of choosing a role that did not suit his image. But how well did he carry himself in the role of the cold-blooded murderer who goes to the extent of killing innocents in order to save his son. His acting was measured, refined and even brought terror in the scenes where he puts no second thought in his mind before ending a life brutally. A star act, this, that puts Madhavan in the elite list.
Pankaj Tripathi: Kaleen Bhaiyya was huge and the character was the driving force in the Amazon Prime series, Mirzapur. Tripathi is terrorizing in his role, at the same time has delivered a very restrained performance. Pankaj Tripathi, who is a National School of Drama artist, comes into his own when put in a challenging role and this is what happened here in Mirzapur. The character of Kaleen Bhaiyya comes across as a powerful force in itself and Tripathi has excelled in the character.
Ronit Roy: He’s class-personified in whatever he does. And the same implies to Ronit Roy’s super-successful role for ALTBalaji’s Kehne Ko Humsafar Hain. Playing the man torn between the loyalty of his wife, love for his children and the love and magic he sees in the eyes of the other woman, Ronit has given a restrained and mature performance. He has varied emotions to portray and he has succeeded in keeping his portrayal very natural. In a complicated role as this, it is very tough to maintain and stay within the thin line between justifying the character amidst all his erring moves, and going all out in his attempt to live a life with the other woman by dumping his wife. And how incredibly well has Ronit stayed within the limitations of his character… A job well done, which surely puts him in the top rank for the year.
Saif Ali Khan: Saif Ali Khan put in a lot of hard work into getting his role of the cop Sartaj Singh right, in Netflix’ hard-hitting drama Sacred Games. As the man who struggles to push himself through the system’s high-handedness, Saif has given this character life and soul. And for a person who is strong in action, to give such a strong performance speaks volumes about his acting credentials. He deserves to be in our top list for this hugely popular character.
Saqib Saleem: Without Saqib’s presence in it, the fabulously woven series, Rangbaaz, on ZEE5 would not have been the same. Giving life to the UP criminal Shree Prakash Shukla, Saqib has given an outstanding performance, going through the varied graphs in the man’s life. From being a happy-go-lucky guy to a dreadful criminal, Saqib has given his best to the role and show. Huge credit for the success of Rangbaaz has to be given to Saqib and his performance.
Vishesh Bansal: Yeh Meri Family, the TVF family saga with oodles of emotions attached, that takes us to the era of the 90’s has been one of the best web-series that we have had in the year 2018. Vishesh Bansal, in the role of Harshu, took the audience by surprise when he rendered this flawless performance. The kid was entertaining to the core, and his charm, good looks and awesome screen presence was indeed one of the factors for Yeh Meri Family doing really well. He certainly deserves a place in our top 10 list…
Well, it is very hard to hand-pick a few actors when there are so many who deserve applause and appreciation for their outstanding performances.
And holding on to the thought of appreciating good talent, we at IWMBuzz.com will want to list out a few male actors who deserve Special Mention for their portrayals in the web space in the year 2018.
Amol Parashar: The youngster has had a good year in 2018 with two varied characters to portray. In Home, the ALTBalaji series, he plays the son who narrates the tale from his own perspective. The series, which beautifully captures the essence and importance of home, had Amol playing the angry, rebellious, yet loving and charming lad who ultimately takes it upon himself to get his parents their home. His performance was compelling and perfect. Amol also gave a good performance in the Viu series, It Happened in Hong Kong.
Divyendu Sharma: Divyendu, as the young heir of Kaleen Bhaiya in Mirzapur, has given a commendable performance. His character Munna is deadly and is gruesome to the core. And Divyendu succeeded in rendering a flawless and naturally-flowing performance.
Purab Kohli: As the sassy Angad Shergill, Purab Kohli is outstanding. The role has been written very well, and Purab has taken the onus of making it his own. A superlative performance is what we can say!
Shishir Sharma: In our review of Dice Media’s What the Folks Season 2, we had mentioned about Shirish Sharma and Renuka Shahane’s inclusion being the best move. And we still stand by that. Renuka Shahane featured in our Top 10 list for actresses, and Shishir Sharma gets a Special Mention for his awesome and touching performance in the character of Kiran Solanki. Effortless is the only word we can use to describe the performance of this versatile actor in the series. He’s at complete ease while playing the role and we had a ball watching him and Renuka together!
Vikram Bhatt: Who says a man who calls the shots behind the camera cannot make for a good actor? Defying all odds, here is Creator, Director and Film-maker, Vikram Bhatt, proving his credentials as an actor in front of the camera. He’s had two stellar performances in the year 2018. In Untouchables, Vikram Bhatt played the role of the intensely brooding lawyer, Akash Arya, who takes it upon himself to save the young Natasha Narang from the murder charge that she has been implicated in. His performance here was top-class. A scene that still lingers in our mind is from the jail sequence wherein he instils courage and confidence into the diffident Natasha. Vikram Bhatt came back in the role of Arjun Vashisht in Zindabaad, wherein he played the ex-RAW agent who turns into a one-man army to eradicate terror. Yet again a performance worth a mention!
Well, here is the list of actors who engaged us with their realistic and entertaining performances.
We will see you again soon with yet another interesting read in our year ender feature