Over the past one year, the word OTT has stolen the spotlight. With genre-breaking content available for viewing, several streaming platforms came as a relief for viewers amid the pandemic. They offered a break from saas-bahu and unbelievable supernatural shows that were ruling the television scene. And, with shooting halted, OTT didn't miss the chance to hook the viewers to their latest streams. Amid all this, people got to discover new talent. Several actors and actresses didn't miss the chance to claim a place in the spotlight by jumping on the OTT wagon.
Following up on the 'OTT Queens' study earlier this year, the Indian Institute of Human Brands (IIHB) recently released its 'OTT Badshahs' survey. Ruling the list are actors Pankaj Tripathi, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Pratik Gandhi taking the top three spots respectively.
Pankaj Tripathi's stellar performances stand out amongst the top-runners. “He has style and panache. At the same time he has maturity and gravitas. His choice of roles too is well-curated and carefully calibrated to show the enormous range of his histrionic skills. For now, Pankaj Tripathi is the undoubted King of Kings in OTT today,” says Dr Sandeep Goyal, Chief Mentor of the Indian Institute of Human Brands (IIHB).
The web series Scam 1992 made Pratik Gandhi an overnight sensation. Pratik, who has been a theatre actor for almost 15 years, emerged as one of the breakout stars of 2020. “Pratik Gandhi is talent that has climbed the ranks faster. It helped that he was already a well-reputed actor of Gujarati theatre. Also, his Harshad Mehta role was a masterly display of many emotions that ranged from exuberance to arrogance; then dejection to defeat. Pratik Gandhi has a long road of potential success and fame ahead of him,” adds Dr Goyal.
Nawazuddin and Rajkummar Rao are no surprises in the top rungs. But, what catches ones attention is Amit Sadh ranking above Bollywood biggies like Vicky Kaushal, Saif Ali Khan, Manoj Bajpayee and Anil Kapoor.
OTT has also given the career of the likes of Bobby Deol, Abhishek Bachchan, Arshad Warsi, Vivek Oberoi, Jimmy Sheirgill a new boost. And the Bollywood influx continues with Ajay Devgn taking the OTT plunge as well.
“OTT still is seen to as a compromise compared to the big screen by Bollywood. But with the pandemic keeping cinemas shuttered, OTT may become a default option, unavoidable if you have to remain current and relevant,” Dr Goyal explains.
The male actors on OTT were analysed over 33 attributes. When only the top 10 key drivers (out of the 33 parameters) of OTT are taken into account, Nawazuddin Siddiqui narrowly noses ahead of the entire pack. The rankings don’t change significantly but Saif Ali Khan and Manoj Bajpayee do jump the queue somewhat. Abhishek Bachchan and Arshad Warsi do also improve their standings when selective top parameters alone become the criteria for selection. Scores for Kunal Kemmu, Rajeev Khandelwal and Prateik Babbar are weak. They either need better roles or they could get knocked off the elite list in the near future. Strangely, Vicky Kaushal is far lower in the rankings than expected. “He will need to invest more time and energy to OTT if he has to seen as a leader of the pack in this domain,” says the IIHB survey, which was conducted in May-June this year.
Of the 33 attributes, confidence scored highest as the lead attribute for OTT actors by far. “Confidence is not just the manner in which you carry yourself; it is really the innate inner strength that you portray in every role you essay. Does it come out of sheer experience? Or is it something an actor is born with? Or is it just a state of mind? In the OTT business, this confidence is what separates the men from the boys," the survey report states.
Interestingly, 'unconventional' ranks pretty high amongst the lead attributes in the OTT domain as well. Research shows that 'unconventional' is not just a personal trait, but also the choice of roles that actors opt for, and then maximise in their performance. Which is why it is closely linked to the next highest ranked attribute, 'versatility'. Getting type-cast or stereotyped can become a serious liability over time because themes and viewer choices can change over a time continuum, and if a stereotype is no longer in favour, then that could become career-limiting.
