Divyenndu is a happy man. Not only has he been lauded for his performance in Mirzapur season 2, it has led to him getting the recognition that maybe eluded him in films. Ask him if he feels the same and the actor says he, in fact, doesn’t believe this. “The OTT world is more fearless and democratic. Our ultimate aim is not numbers, but to be on par with shows from around the world like Narcos. Mirzapur’s also been widely appreciated. There’s only merit on this platform, it’s a much happier space for every artiste,” he says.

But what is it about Bollywood that makes it a less happy space than OTT? The 37-year-old explains, “There is perception, but only a few celebs will work.”

He continues, “It’s not that each and every artiste is a hit, so we have a very low success ratio. People liked Pyaar ka Punchnama (2011) in which I made my debut. Then, I did films such as Toilet - Ek Prem Katha (2017). We think we understand film business, but the reality is we don’t. We need to tap more talents.”

As Munna Bhaiya in Mirzapur, the actor got a chance to show his menacing side, far from his goody-good roles in Toilet and Batti Gul Meter Chalu (2018). But the love that he got for his negative shade is something he wasn’t prepared for.

“It feels very overwhelming, I’m very thankful for all the affection people have given me. You can’t ask for more. It’s so emotional this time around than the last season. People have told me ‘we can’t imagine season three without you (his character is shown to have died in the last episode), why did you do that’. It’s so real, they’re thanking me for giving them Munna. It is way too sweet,” Divyenndu shares.