When talent and patience triumphed

It was not a case of instant stardom for these actors, but rather one of perseverance. They endured the struggle of facing auditions, rejections and taking on whatever came their way, and patiently awaited their turn. They were the proverbial outsiders, with no filmy surname, no Godfather and no connections that got them access to the corridors of Bollywood power.

The OTT came as a boon, and though many thought it would upend the star system, it did not! As the digital space got crowded with stars and more stars, these actors showed themselves willing to take risks — after all, what was there to lose? And the gamble paid off!

Five names stood out. They pulled crowds into theatres, won top viewership for their OTT shows, and, finally, their talent got its due.

Meet our Fabulous Five

Vikrant Massey tops the list. An actor who has showcased his versatility time and again across platforms, from Death In The Gunj to Criminal Justice and Haseen Dilruba, he proved yet again that his talent could not be ignored with 12th Fail.

Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s moving narrative of a man who wins against all odds appealed to the critics as well as the masses. Vikrant’s emotive performance won him applause. Like the film’s tagline, he has to constantly tell himself ‘I will never give up.’ There have been moments of self-doubt but one recalibrates on a day-to-day basis. The struggle continues every day, it is not that money, success and fame can take that away from you,” he says.

Triptii’s Laila Majnu co-star Avinash Tiwary too is enjoying his spot in the limelight. After a few blink-and-you-miss-it parts, his role as the local goon, Chandan Mahato, in Neeraj Pande’s Khakee, The Bihar Chapter made the audience sit up and take notice. Putting good effort into playing the baddie served him well, as he landed the lead role of Dara Kadri, inspired by Dawood Ibrahim in Mumbai Meri Jaan. “It has been the most fruitful experience I have had as an actor. It was the first time in my career I felt shaky with all the praise!” he says.

Vedang Raina emerged as the scene stealer amongst The Archies squad. The 23-year-old model-turned-actor has aced the popularity quotient, given his good looks and charm. His effortless performance as the 17-year-old Reggie who believes in freedom of speech and the power of the pen displays his unwavering confidence as an actor. Netizens hailed him as the young Ranveer Singh. The youngster will be next seen playing Alia Bhatt’s brother in Jigra.

Wamiqa Gabbi was the lovelorn courtesan who turned into an ambitious actor who leaves no stone unturned in getting what she wants in Jubilee. In the spy thriller Khufiya, she is the unassuming wife and mother who is caught in a dilemma. In both her performances, Wamiqa proved she is a natural on screen. The actor, who made her debut with Jab We Met, is a known name in Punjabi films. Though she had an all-too-brief role in 83, it was Jubilee which got her recognition on Hindi screens.

Triptii Dimri is being hailed as the new National Crush, and all it took was literally 3 minutes of screen time in Sandeep Vanga Reddy’s Animal for her to catapult to fame. The actor who made her debut five years ago in Laila Majnu, had confessed that she would go to theatres just to buy a ticket to add to her earlier films’ negligible collections.

She was praised for her performances in Anvita Dutt’s Bulbul and Qala, but playing Zoya in Animal really turned the tide. Her uninhibited performance and intimate scenes may have raised eyebrows, but she silenced trolls, telling them not to confuse the character with the actor. As her Instagram following jumped by 2 million, she admits that it all seems very new to her. Tipped to play the lead in Animal Park 2.