Suniel Shetty’s debut in the OTT space has marked a new beginning for the actor in showbiz. From the gritty Thalaivan in Dharavi Bank to the macho ACP Vikram Chauhan in Hunter, he has made everyone sit up and take notice of his performances and high fitness level.

Talking about his new innings, he says, “Well, not just a new inning, but this phase has been all about new platforms, learnings and beginnings. Dharavi Bank helped me bring that thairaav in my performance. There had to be a lot of play with my eyes. As for Hunter Tootega Nahi Todega, it was a challenge as I was doing hardcore action after a long time. I cut down on body fat and went lean because I had never done bare-body shots like these.”

Hunter has won him a lot of attention for his style and swag. From the start of his career, he has made his mark as an action hero, however, now he has a different take on the genre. “I am slower, but smarter now. So, I hit and react. I hit and my eyes ask, ‘Will you survive to take another punch?’ So that attitude and swag are new,” he says.

With the reality show Kumite 1 — Warrior Hunt, which revolves around Mixed Martial Arts, as a host, Suniel connected with the contestants. He says, “With this project, I wanted to show that I am fit enough to fight in the ring and was giving an opportunity to talent across India to come into the ring and fight. I have been a fighter myself and got into films because of my ability to do action.”

Elaborating on how he wants to steer his career, he shares, “I want to do movies, OTT shows and comedy, but I also want to do something that will make a difference to other people’s life. I want to set an example by looking a certain way in my 60s and want the people of my age group to follow suit.”

We hear that the actor has a number of exciting projects lined up and is all set to wow the audience with some stellar performances, action and swag.

In a career spanning three decades, Sonali Kulkarni has worked on myriad scripts with some of the best in the business. However, the National Award-winning actor still has a bucket list to fulfil.

“It is my dream to work with Zoya Akhtar; she is a talented storyteller,” she tells us. “Zoya was my casting director when I worked in Dil Chahta Hai (2001). She was Farhan’s (Akhtar, director of the film) assistant director. The way she has grown as a professional, the kind of cinema she is making and the voice that she has created as a director, are all fascinating. Her thought process is the kind that I am attracted to,” adds Kulkarni, who was seen in the web show Dharavi Bank, co-starring Suniel Shetty and Vivek Oberoi.

Her recent project, she says, is a special one for many reasons. The actor, who plays the chief minister of Maharashtra, explains: “The world of Dharavi is shown as a male-dominated one, with not many female characters. It is basically a story of a dedicated police officer and a powerful man who is the messiah of Dharavi. But, it is my character that gives these two larger-than-life personalities a tough time.”

Being a Mumbaikar, Kulkarni was quite well-versed with the area, but during the shoot, had her fair share of realisations. “The show is written from a very real space. It is about how the people of Dharavi risk their lives every single day to keep Mumbai alive. The spirit of the people, their resilience and the hard work they do, even though they live in suffocating conditions, and how they carry a sense of dignity that they earn through their work — everything was fascinating,” she shares.

Actor Suniel Shetty still has all the swag, spark and style! And fans got to witness the same in Dharavi Bank, the actor’s recently released gangster drama series, which also marked his web debut. The 61-year-old made it loud and clear that age is indeed just a number. “Age has got nothing to do with anything. I have the best work of my life happening now, and that is because I have accepted my age. I say it openly: I am 61. My daughter (actor) Athiya keeps saying, ‘Why do you talk about your age?’ To which I say, ‘Maybe because I am that age!’ Then she counters, ‘You don’t look 61!’ and I reply, ‘That doesn’t matter,” shares Shetty.

The actor further informs us that, in fact, for his most recent project, prosthetics were required to make him appear older: “My son (actor) Ahaan told me, ‘Papa, do you realise they had to do that to make you appear older for your character?’ That was a really nice point. Probably for the first time in history, people had done prosthetics for a 61-year-old man to look 61.”

Ask him what kind of changes he has been witnessing since it’s a bit of a different world now with Gen Z, OTT and social media, considering he has been here for several decades now, and Shetty elaborates: “What was exciting for me in Dharavi was that it was a 22-year-old who wrote the dialogues, which one would expect stalwarts like Rajat Aroraa to write. Then, it was a 23-year-old who did the makeup. Probably, if I were one of the superstars, I’d have asked for the best art directors and prosthetics from Hollywood. But I was on the back foot and said they are young and will work hard. [It is nice that] these kids are getting opportunities.”

Actor Suniel Shetty is returning to the screen in a full-fledged role in an upcoming OTT series Dharavi Bank, which will also mark his web debut. However, the question that arises is, why has his work in Hindi films been far and few in the last five to six years?

Turns out, the actor was on sabbatical since 2017, after the death of his father, Veerapa Shetty. He tells us, “I didn’t work for three to four years. I had taken a long sabbatical, and after that came the pandemic. I did try my hand at films down South, that was me testing the waters. I was nervous, whether I had forgotten acting. It felt like going to school again.”

He describes that phase of his life as “tough times”. “Because of the kind of work I had done before, something was not appreciated... I didn’t know where I stood, as far as the audience goes. But now, I’ve realised that it’s about what our last outing was. If you deliver good content, they love you. If you do not, they forget you easily,” he says.

Shetty, 61, has been in the industry for several years now, during which he has seen his share of highs and lows. Isn’t he already used to the unpredictability? “Kind of,” he says, adding, “But, I can’t say I know all about it or I have mastered it. You see the uncertainty even now. We all believe we are doing great work, but what eventually comes on celluloid is what it is.”

Shetty admits that he had made some wrong choices, which led to his decision of taking a break. “I chose wrong films, took up bad roles... You blank out at that stage. But, after my father died and the pandemic [happened], it dawned on me that I know my job, I just made wrong choices,” he says, adding that even when it came to choosing his web project, he put a lot of thought into it:

“I was sent the synopsis. The first thing I said was, I will not play a cop. They said, ‘No, we want you to play another role’. [Only] then I agreed.”

Vivek Anand Oberoi has been shooting for his web series, Dharavi Bank, since last November. While the makers conducted the first stint at Film City in Goregaon, director Samit Kakkad then took the drama to Dharavi, where a chunk of the show is set. With Oberoi, Suniel Shetty and Sonali Kulkarni filming in the Dharavi slums until last week, locals used to flock in to witness the shoot.

Filming in live locations usually leads to crowd management concerns. Oberoi, however, was pleased to see how the locals ensured that the team had a smooth shoot. On several occasions, after the day’s shoot, they invited the actor to their homes. “When people welcome you with open arms into their homes, you feel special. The people of Dharavi have made me feel that from the first day of the shoot,” says the actor, touched by their generous spirit. He reveals they would often bring home-cooked food for him.

“They would invite me to share their food, bring cold water from their matka, or put an old table fan to help me beat the heat. One of the potters, whose family has been in the business for generations, gifted me diyas for my home. She refused to take money despite my insistence. Their homes might be little, but their hearts are huge.”

It is heard that Oberoi has taken on the responsibility of financing the education of five underprivileged girls from the area. A source says, “On learning that the girls were considering dropping out of school due to financial constraints, he decided to sponsor their education.”

Vivek Anand Oberoi may have donned the uniform of a cop for cinema on multiple occasions over his 20-year career. However, he has noticed a difference in the way both he and filmmakers perceive the role. “I’ve observed police officers and realised that while they are heroes, they are also human beings with feelings and needs, and ones who can also feel weak, at times. As years have passed, I have noticed that the way cop-roles are written, has dramatically changed. Narratives have come closer to reality,” says the actor, who plays the part in the upcoming web-series, Dharavi Bank.

As a righteous police officer in Samit Kakkad’s show, he will lock horns with Suniel Shetty’s character. Oberoi sought help from his friends in the police force to prep for the part. “They’ve been a pillar of strength and have helped me prepare for films like Shootout At Lokhandwala and Company. When I am set to play one of them on screen, I know I have to do it responsibly. My endeavour is to bring out the person behind the profession.” 

While the uniform, he says, plays a crucial role in enabling an actor to become the part, he had to be mindful of staying in character when he wasn’t wearing one. “Even if you don’t wear the uniform, you have to remember that the guy you’re playing is a cop. That can make things tougher,” he signs off.