From amplifying SOS requests, to taking care of his family and resuming work, 2021 was a year that saw Swwapnil Joshi do multiple things. Like everyone, the actor, too, had his share of highs and lows. So, how would he sum up 2021?

He says, “Personally, I went through the same things as everyone else — anxiety, lows — because the future was uncertain. Already a year had gone by since the Coronavirus pandemic in 2020 and no one knew what else would be in store. The year was extremely tiring, hectic and unnerving. My kids are 5 and 3 years old; we couldn’t explain to them what was happening, why there was a lockdown, why they couldn’t go down to play. The good thing was that all of us at home stayed healthy. Plus, I got time to bond with the kids because I was home. Professionally, it was very different. MX Player’s Samantar 2 became a hit, I was also doing Chala Hawa Yeu Dya, then Bali released. I think barring being on stage, I did everything else this year. To sum up, I think 2021 was a roller coaster filled with mixed emotions.”

Talking about venturing into the OTT space, Swapnil adds, “The OTT space was going to be dominant in a few years, but the pandemic sped up the process as everyone started consuming content at home. Global avenues opened and viewers, including me, got a variety of content to choose from. For makers, it opened a treasure trove. There were stories that were not fit for the traditional platforms; they couldn’t be turned into TV serials that went on for 600-700 episodes, nor could they be adapted into plays or movies. OTT platforms gave ample scope and freedom for such stories to be turned into web shows.”

The actor is hopeful that 2022 will be better than the previous two years. He says, “I hope we say goodbye to the COVID-19 pandemic this year. There’s always the hanging sword of new variants and spike in cases which I genuinely pray we bid adieu to in 2022 at least. On the work front, two films that I had shot earlier will be released. I will start working on two web series, and I want to do either a play or a limited-episode serial on TV. I have turned entrepreneur and my new venture will launch soon. Let’s see how things shape up and what 2022 has in store. ”