Playing a boxer had long been on Pulkit Samrat’s wishlist. The actor has manifested it this year with Glory, which marks his first OTT series as the leading man. “It’s a dream character for me,” he tells mid-day.

Created by Karan Anshuman and Karmanya Ahuja, the Netflix sports thriller revolves around a renowned boxing coach and his two estranged sons, whose Olympic dreams collide with secrets and revenge. Samrat stars alongside Divyenndu and Suvinder Vicky. Revealing that the shoot wrapped in mid-2025, the actor shares that being part of the universe was physically taxing. “The process has been intense, yet addictive,” he smiles.

Taxing as they may be, Samrat believes roles like these are essential to push creativity. He reasons, “Otherwise, it all turns into formulas. Everyone starts saying, ‘Oh, this is the formula, this works, and it’s all that sells.’ That’s not why we became actors. It’s necessary to get out of your comfort zone to see growth. You have to say, ‘Okay, let’s give the audience something they haven’t experienced before’.”