For several established Bollywood actors, the rise of streaming has created opportunities that go beyond simply finding more work. OTT platforms have allowed familiar faces to move away from the roles and images they were traditionally associated with, giving them space to explore darker, more mature and unexpected characters.

Actors such as Saif Ali Khan, Sushmita Sen, Madhuri Dixit Nene, Bobby Deol, Raveena Tandon and Karisma Kapoor have all taken on digital projects that offered a different direction to their careers. In many cases, the roles also gave audiences an opportunity to see these stars in unfamiliar settings.

Saif Ali Khan and the early OTT shift

Saif Ali Khan was among the Bollywood actors who moved into the streaming space early with ‘Sacred Games’. According to several news publications, looking back at the emergence of web series, Khan said the scale of the medium was not something the industry had anticipated.

"One never expected that web series would do so well; with the pandemic, people needed entertainment and this grew I am so glad that we are all getting roles that we never imagined about, there was so much depth to it."

The growth of streaming subsequently created space for actors to take on characters that may not have fit their established film personas.

Sushmita Sen and Madhuri Dixit's departures from familiar images

For Sushmita Sen, ‘Aarya’ presented a shift into a world built around power, vulnerability and survival. The series allowed the actor to explore a considerably darker character-driven space.

Madhuri Dixit Nene's ‘The Fame Game’, meanwhile, used her association with glamour and stardom as part of its premise. The series examined the darker and more unsettling side of celebrity, placing Dixit in a story that contrasted with the public image audiences had long associated with her.

How ‘Aashram’ changed Bobby Deol's career

Bobby Deol's experience with ‘Aashram’ became another example of an established actor finding a new dimension through streaming. When Prakash Jha approached him, Deol initially believed he was being considered for the role of a policeman. Instead, the filmmaker offered him the character of Baba.

"I never imagined OTT would happen for me.

"I told him I had never performed anything like this before. He said, "Just follow the script, don't watch anything and believe in yourself."

The response to the series also surprised Deol, who said the reception was unlike anything he had experienced through his films.

"When I did the series, I was amazed by the reaction. It was something I had never earned all these years, even with my movies."

More avenues for actors

Sunny Deol sees the growth of OTT as a broader expansion of opportunities for performers. According to him, actors now have options beyond the traditional theatrical route.

"A lot of doors have opened now. Earlier we only had cinema, but now we have so many avenues. If a film does not work at the theatres, we have OTT now. We get a chance to do something different. We don't have to always do heavy-duty roles, and we want to portray other roles too

Raveena Tandon and Karisma Kapoor embrace digital roles

Raveena Tandon and Karisma Kapoor are among the other established Bollywood names who found new opportunities on streaming platforms.

Tandon made her digital debut with Netflix's ‘Aranyak’, taking on a role that marked a move away from the kind of screen presence associated with her earlier film career. Kapoor, meanwhile, appeared in ALTBalaji and ZEE5's ‘Mentalhood’, also choosing a character that represented a different phase of her acting journey.

Across these projects, streaming has given established stars room to move beyond their familiar screen identities. Characters that are more mature, unconventional or distant from their earlier roles have allowed them to explore different aspects of their performances and engage with audiences on new terms.