Rewind 2023: From Shahid Kapoor in 'Farzi' to Kareena Kapoor in 'Jaane Jaan', actors who shone on OTT this year

2023 resurrected Hindi cinema, but it also led to the debuts of some massive movie stars on OTT, giving the viewers equally cathartic impact if not more. There were some impressive debuts and some expectedly explosive performances; here are some of them: Shahid Kapoor- Farzi (Amazon Prime Video IN)

He was once the chocolate boy of the industry who’s now reveling in dark characters. Farzi, directed by Raj and DK, allows Kapoor to blend flamboyance and street-smartness. He was at once a sassy city boy and a rustic thief. He was a boy hopelessly in love but also a man gratified by greed. And season two only promises to explore a lot more shades to his personality. Kareena Kapoor Khan- Jaane Jaan (Netflix)

The dusky town the film has been shot in only adds more mystery to Kareena’s morose life. She’s a single mom with a daughter and her past is back to haunt her. Sujoy Ghosh’s is a middling thriller, but the filmmaker does a fine job of making the actress walk the tightrope of being fragile and ferocious, and yet keeping her intent clandestine till the end. Manoj Bajpayee- _Bandaa_ (Zee5)

Bajpayee’s resurgence is arguably the best in the business. Post Raajneeti (2010), he has been on a roll. The titles to admire are one too many and the latest addition is Bandaa, a courtroom drama inspired by true events. A girl has been wronged, the culprit is a powerful godman, it’s as if Bajpayee, who plays a lawyer, is fighting god itself. Glad he’s doing so since it’s any day a better choice than battling mediocrity, which he actually did between Pinjar (2003) and the aforementioned Prakash Jha thriller. Suvinder Vicky- _ Kohrra (_Netflix)

If there’s a murder, there’s mystery, and if there’s mystery, there’s darkness, and if there’s darkness, there’s dazzle. At least that’s what Suvinder Vicky does with his performance in this solid crime-drama that delves deeper into the psyche of the characters it essays. At its heart is Balbir Singh, the character Vicky embodies that continues to haunt even after the show is over. Anil Kapoor- _The Night Manager_ (Disney Plus Hotstar)

Anil Kapoor is a man from the streets, but he can also pull off swag and style. Shelly is thy name, and he means business. He’s a man of few words before the explosion begins to show as the show progresses. His chemistry with Aditya Roy Kapur is appealing and there’s a sense of seductiveness with which directors Priyanka Ghose and Sandeep Modi shoot the series. Rajshri Deshpande- _Trial By Fire_ (Netflix)

There’s something about tragedy that can change people. Rajshri Deshpande shows how it can, and how it feels to be a victim and not merely a spectator. Trial By Fire has more meanings than one, it’s both literal and metaphorical. A fire mishap ignites fire in her life and it’s a battle for justice and she refuses to give up. It’s the first great performance of 2023. Aditi Rao Hydari- Jubilee (Amazon Prime Video)

An actress of modern times plays an actress of a bygone era in Vikramaditya Motwane’s Jubilee. Of course, the term is primitive for today’s users and connoisseurs but still special to hear. Hydari plays Sumitra Kumari, a lonely wife of a hotshot filmmaker who’s in love with the actor of their next film. His death triggers something in her that forces her to explore shades of dark. It all ends tragically for her, and beautifully for the viewers. Gagan Dev Riar- Scam 2003 (Sony LIV)

Abdul Karim Telgi, played by Gagan Dev, is described differently by different people, from snake to smart to a Khota Sikka. He possesses shades of Gurukant Desai from Mani Ratnam’s 2007’s Guru, there’s charm and cockiness in the way he talks business and introduces himself. For him, there’s no black or white in business, it’s all about profit. And Tushar Hiranandani, who directs the show, and Karan Vyas and Kiran Yadnyopavit, who are the writers, give this ordinary man extraordinarily massy lines. Sample this- Savings account mein confidence jama karke rakha hoon, cash bhi aa jaayega.