Shahid Kapoor to make digital debut as big stars take to the web
Kapoor is the latest Bollywood name to have reconciled to the growing popularity of the web even as several stars and studios remained wary of direct-to-digital releases during the covid-19 pandemic last year
NEW DELHI : Actor Shahid Kapoor will make his digital debut in a web series on Amazon Prime Video, joining other big Bollywood names who are slowly taking to the medium with its growing popularity. The untitled drama thriller will be created by Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK, known for Amazon’s The Family Man and Hindi films such as Go Goa Gone.
“At Amazon Prime Video, we take pride in being home to some of the best talent and storytellers from India and across the world. Shahid Kapoor is an incredibly gifted actor and we are excited to have him join the Prime Video family with a brand-new exciting collaboration with Raj and DK," Vijay Subramaniam, director and head, content, Amazon Prime Video, India said in a statement.
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To be sure, Kapoor is the latest Bollywood name to have reconciled to the growing popularity of the web even as several stars and studios remained wary of direct-to-digital releases during the covid-19 pandemic last year.
According to reports by web portal LetsOTTGlobal, Ajay Devgn may reprise the role of Idris Elba in the remake of British television series Luther for Disney+ Hotstar which would see the actor play a brilliant murder detective. Meanwhile, Disney is also in talks with Hrithik Roshan for a remake of Tom Hiddleston’s crime drama The Night Manager while Akshay Kumar had already confirmed an action show titled The End for Amazon Prime Video earlier.
Media experts say the viewership of several streaming platforms is now inching towards a few million subscribers in India and has made it easy for them to make the kind of investment these stars look at. The production budget is linked to user growth. A top-grade web show in India can now look at budgets of ₹60-80 crore, on par with what is usually spent on feature films with compensation for A-list male stars falling around ₹15 crore.
Moreover, the four to five million subscribers that platforms have added to the overall OTT ecosystem over the past few months has given them scale and made sure that stars look at them as avenues that will only help their brand image, not dilute it. The foray made by top stars to digital platforms stems from their desire to stay relevant and connected with the youth and be part of disruptive stories, experts say.
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