Crazy casting, crazier pairing: How OTT is heralding a bold new chapter

India Today

26-04-2025

'Jewel Thief', which was released on Netflix on April 25, had been on the radar for Indian movie buffs for a very good reason - a song from the film titled 'Jaadu'. While everything seemed like a regular song and dance routine, Jaideep Ahlawat's smooth moves made everyone go 'Ah La La'! His acting prowess is known, but the audience still did not see this coming. Moreover, how can that same man playing the relatable Hathi Ram Choudhary, who would hold his knee in pain when jumping or chasing goons in 'Paatal Lok', become this smooth criminal anyway? advertisementActors are expected to be chameleons. The quicker they can shift personas on screen, the more impressive their craft. Yet in mainstream cinema, actors often find themselves pigeonholed—either boxed into certain roles or overlooked altogether. Ahlawat has been part of the big screen ecosystem for years, delivering solid performances in films like 'Raazi' and 'Rockstar', albeit from the sidelines. Few even remember him as Janardhan, Ranbir Kapoor's elder brother in 'Rockstar', or the sharp intelligence officer in 'Raazi'.However, with OTT and the reduced risk of 'numbers', Ahlawat took the centre-stage not only as Rajan or Haathi Ram Choudhary but also as shy school teacher Naren Vyas in 'Jaane Jaan' or Maharaj Jadunath in 'Maharaj'. What's better - the bunch of people we saw him with and his unlikely chemistry with Ishwak Singh, Vijay Varma, and now Saif Ali Khan. What's best - Ahlawat isn't the only beneficiary. In fact, his trajectory is emblematic of a larger shift that's allowing actors to experiment, stretch their range, and surprise audiences.advertisement
On this week's cinematic Saturday, let's look into some of the crazy casting and even crazier on-screen pairing on OTT that's helping actors bring out their best.EXPECT THE UNEXPECTEDTraditional cinema continues to operate under the tyranny of box office returns—a flawed but persistent yardstick of success. This results in formulaic casting and less creative risk-taking.Post-Covid, audiences began expressing fatigue with cookie-cutter narratives. Enter OTT, with its genre diversity and willingness to back offbeat casting. With no opening weekend pressure, storytellers found space to take bold leaps—and audiences were more than ready for it.And that's probably why Jaideep Ahlawat, who one would not even cast in a lead role, is now gliding on the screen. Speaking about it, Ahlawat told India Today Digital, "Expect nahi kar rahe the toh achi baat hai. Badhiya hai ek naya kuch karne ko mila, logon ko naya dekhne ko mila (If the audience was not expecting, that's good. It's good too that I got to do something new and the audience got to see something new). So, it's good. It feels good as an actor because you get to experiment and it is also reaching the audience." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Netflix India (@netflix_in)He credited OTT with enabling more layered scripts and longer-form storytelling that allow actors like him to go deeper.Ahlawat is just one of the many actors who has been able to showcase his range, thanks to OTT. The audience was equally surprised to see their favourite Arnav Singh Raizada aka Barun Sobti as Nikhil Nair in 'Asur'. More surprising was his performance as Amarpal Garundi in 'Kohhra'. The same can be said for Paramvir Singh Cheema, who impressed all with 'Sapne vs Everyone' and then donned a completely different look for 'The Black Warrant'. Even Zahaan Kapoor was a revelation in the Netflix series, with his diction to body language being perfect for the role, yet starkly different from what he did in his debut film 'Faraaz'. Vijay Varma has also been able to switch from villainous to suave from 'She' to 'IC 814' effortlessly.The shift isn't exactly new. Remember the surprise when Saif Ali Khan starred in 'Sacred Games', or Manoj Bajpayee in 'The Family Man'? Ali Fazal's switch in 'Mirzapur' was just as eyebrow-raising. OTT has simply amplified and accelerated this movement.advertisementTrade analyst Ramesh Bala, weighing in on how OTT has been showing actors in a different light, told us, "Theatrical systems or the movie studios have a bad habit of limiting artists after a certain age. If a female artist gets married, they will not give her a lead chance, or they'll put her in a supporting role or, after a certain age, they'll bracket or stereotype the artist."However, OTT broadens the horizon for stars.UNUSUAL PAIRING, UNPRECEDENTED MAGICNo project is truly a solo performance. While leads draw the spotlight, it's the ensemble—and often, the most unexpected pairings—that create lasting impact.Ten years ago, who could have imagined Shabana Azmi sharing screen space with Jyotika? Or Shaheer Sheikh and Vijay Varma portraying abusive partners to Kriti Sanon and Alia Bhatt respectively? Or even Bengali icons Jeet and Prosenjit appearing together in a Hindi-language series?Even more intriguing - directors like Jahnu Barua and Nagesh Kukunoor stepping in front of the camera, joined by singer-turned-actor Prashant Tamang playing a sharpshooter in 'Pataal Lok 2'. These combinations would've been unthinkable in a conventional theatrical setup.That's precisely where casting directors step in.advertisementCASTING DIRECTORS - THE GAME-CHANGERS"To us, casting isn't just filling roles — it's shaping emotional architecture. It's about finding voices that echo long after the screen fades to black," says Anmol Ahuja, Founder, Casting Bay. They have been credited for the casting in projects like 'Paatal Lok', 'Qala', 'Kohhra', 'Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankein', 'Rana Naidu', 'Tribhuwan Mishra: CA Topper', 'Guns and Gulaabs', among others.Anmol Ahuja calls the casting journey "incredibly fulfilling". Sharing a few examples, he mentioned, "In 'Kohrra', Suvinder Vicky's portrayal of Balbir Singh wasn't just a powerful performance — it was genre-defining. The way the audience responded to him, especially those unfamiliar with his past work, was a reminder of why taking casting risks matters. We consciously blended local Punjabi talent into a national format, trusting emotion and authenticity over recognisability. It's a reminder that good storytelling always transcends language."He added, "In 'Darlings', casting Vijay Varma — who was already well-regarded in indie and regional spaces — in a role that completely flipped audience expectations was intentional. He brought depth and unpredictability to a character that could have otherwise fallen into clich.In 'Guns and Gulaabs', we drew from a range of actors across languages and genres and placed them in a completely new aesthetic world — retro, pulpy, comedic. It allowed us to reimagine how regional identities could mix into a larger, stylised narrative."advertisementNikita Grover, a part of Casting Bay and responsible for the casting of 'Paatal Lok 2', had spoken about the challenges of casting in an interview with The Print. 'People don't understand how important the casting department is. We are one of the first departments who start working and we work till the end. If some actor cannot give dates, we have to figure it out, beginning to end of the show," said Grover.The OTT revolution hasn't just changed how we consume content—it's revolutionised who gets to tell the story and how they tell it. Actors once relegated to the margins are now leading the charge, backed by a new generation of casting directors who value skill, depth, and daring over typecasting.As audiences, we no longer just expect the unexpected—we demand it. And in that space between surprise and satisfaction lies the future of storytelling in India.Must Watch