Gone are the days when aspiring actors braved all kinds of weather conditions standing outside the swanky offices of production companies, waiting for a break. The filmmakers used to be mobbed by the strugglers for whom appearing on 35 mm was no less an arduous task. But the situation has completely changed today. With the advent of social media, online entertainment sector has boomed like anything. Starting with short films, now the focus has completely shifted to web series.
Now, web series are keenly awaited by the youngsters and the actors featuring in them have become a household name. The outgoing year also witnessed some promising actors who made a mark with their stellar performances. Here’s a look at 7 best performers of 2016.
1. Sumeet Vyas: Last year, he won hearts as Mikesh in The Viral Fever’s Permanent Roommates Season 1. The 33-year-old actor had a prolific year with him earning accolades in the second season of the series. Towards the end of the year, Vyas played Chandan in another TVF series titled Tripling, a web series chronicling a road trip involving siblings. Vyas is known for playing a Pakistani student in Sridevi starrer English Vinglish.
2. Jitendra Kumar: Two years after he played mimicked Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal in TVF’s Bollywood Aam Aadmi Qtiyapa, Jitendra Kumar continues to impress the viewers. This year, the IIT graduate-turned actor left everyone spellbound with episodes like Truth or Dare, How to Train Your Dad: Booking a Cab and A Day With R D Sharma. It is expected that our Jeetu will entertain us in the coming years as well.
3. Mallika Dua: If you are under any kind of misconception that female actors need to be slim and trim, trash your stereotypes or rather leave it to Mallika Dua. She is known for her comic timings on social media videos and has rapidly risen as a stand-up performer. The highest point in her career this year was a video on sexual harassment also featuring Richa Chadha and Vicky Kaushal. Produced by All India Backchod (AIB), it dealt with sexual harassment in Bollywood films through ages. Later in the year, she featured as Nazia in Bindass’ web series The Trip alongside Shweta Tripathi, Sapna Pabbi and Lisa Haydon.
4. Nakuul Mehta: The avid daily soap viewers will recognise him as Shivaay in Ishqbaaz, but Nakuul Mehta’s acting calibre is not limited to television. The 33-year-old actor from Udaipur earned rave reviews with his performance in Arre’s production I Don’t Watch TV. The web series is a satirical take on the lives of popular TV actors.
5. Nimisha Mehta: A lawyer by profession, Nimisha Mehta shot to fame with the title role in web series A.I.S.H.A My Virtual Girlfriend. The show produced by Arre is about a relationship between a man and a woman, who is created through artificial intelligence. The 26-year-old Amdavadi won favourable reviews from the viewers.
6. Mithila Palkar: When opportunity knocks at your door, grab it with your hands. And 23-year-old Mithila Palkar did the same thing. Playing Meera, a spoilt brat in Girl In The City, Palkar’s effortless performance has earned her a lot of praises within a short span of time. We hope 2017 turns out to be a more successful one for her.
7. Maanvi Gagroo: Last year, she was spotted for a good performance in TVF’s Pitchers, a web series on the struggles of four young entrepreneurs. In 2016, Maanvi Gagroo shone with her performance as Chanchal in Tripling, a series about a road trip involving siblings. She shared screen space with Sumeet Vyas and Amol Parashar.
Did we miss anyone else?
