With outings such as Bandish Bandits and Khakee: The Bengal Chapter to his credit, Ritwik Bhowmik has emerged as a popular face in the OTT space. The actor admits that he has been able to find a foothold despite not meeting the requirements for the ‘quintessential’ hero. And the credit for that, he says, “goes to the makers of my projects.”

Ritwik elaborates, “They placed their trust in me, irrespective of my social media following or the fact that I don’t look like the quintessential leading man. So far, I have been navigating well because I have been able to meet makers who only care about whether I fit the part or not.”

However, with popularity on social media almost becoming a pre-requisite for bagging projects, especially among the younger generation of actors, does he feel any pressure to succumb to norms? “I am an anomaly. I am not very active on Instagram, but fortunately, quite active as an actor. That just shows it’s not relevant everywhere,” he responds.

Though he has the image of the ‘guy next door’, Khakee allowed him to break the mould by playing a gangster. The 32-year-old shares, “It’s human nature to be fascinated by whatever we don’t understand. Whenever the audience perceives me in a certain way after a project, I break that image in the next project. I have been blessed to be able to do that. I feel, jis din main samajh mein aa gaya [logon ko], uss din main ek button ban jaunga.”

Explaining his analogy, Ritwik shares, “Every actor in the industry is a button on the remote of a television. After a certain point, every actor gets associated with a signature genre — for example, (Shah Rukh) Khan sahab for romance and Akshay (Kumar) sir for comedy. In that sense, all of us become a button after a certain point.”

He adds, “Having said that, I am looking forward to becoming a button, as that is stardom. When you become a star, you represent a narrative and become an image. I’ll be glad to be an image, but until that happens, I want to be an actor.”

When Ritwik Bhowmik and Shreya Chaudhry commenced working on the second season of Bandish Bandits two years ago, they were tasked with meeting one requirement—live up to the expectations of the audience after the success of the first edition. Considering the response to the recently released second edition, one may say with some credibility that the duo did succeed.

Ask Chaudhry if returning to the show for another edition posed a challenge, and she responds in the affirmative. “Like my character, it felt like Shreya too was starting afresh. Just as [my character] Tamanna goes to a music school in the season, I did too,” she says, alluding to the extensive music workshops that all actors attended so that they could add authenticity to their portrayals. “We had lessons in singing, and [learnt several] instruments,” she says.

For Chaudhry, however, lessons didn’t culminate when the workshops ended. Teaming up with her co-star Divya Dutta implied that Chaudhry got the opportunity to enhance her craft by simply watching the senior actor in action.

“Like her character Nandini, she is also someone who doesn’t judge anyone. While rehearsing [together] she would give me cues. For scenes involving the two of us, she would perform even if the camera wasn’t on her. This helped me.”

Chaudhry’s co-star Bhowmik appears to share her gratitude when reflecting on the opportunities that have come his way. The newcomer’s life changed after the release of season one, which was his first mainstream show as a leading man. In the last four years, he has featured in several shows, including Modern Love—Mumbai, and Jehanabad—Of Love and War. However, he minces no words when admitting that despite the acclaim he received after Bandish Bandits, he didn’t have the privilege to decline offers that didn’t appease him.

“The projects that I chose [to do] after Bandish Bandits were those that I needed to do, because I needed work. I don’t come from privilege, and didn’t have the chance to sit back at home and wait for the next big thing. I wanted to keep working and make ends meet,” the actor shares, matter-of-factly.

While several stars are well aware of the kind of cinema they wish to be part of, Bhowmik says he wouldn’t take a decision just yet. “I haven’t told myself that I want to only be part of a certain kind of project. Perhaps, four or five years down the line, I will be able to do that. At this moment, I would [not] restrict myself.”

The fact that actors are still uncertain about the kind of cinema that will work in an era impacted by the OTT boom implies that artistes like him have the chance to experiment abundantly before picking a path.

“From the biggest stars to newcomers, everybody is confused. Nobody can tell us with certainty that something will work. Since childhood, I have just wanted to be seen on screen, be it [the big] screen or television. Of course, I would love to be part of the movies. But I am excited at the moment. There was a four-year-old boy who wanted to be a hero. That boy has been so happy in the last four years that I don’t want him to be bothered by these questions,” he signs off.

Crafting a world filled with love and music takes time. That probably explains why creator-director Anand Tiwari took four years to return with the second season of Bandish Bandits. Tell him that the gap between the two instalments of the Prime Video series was quite long, and he says it was intentional. “We took exactly the time that we took to make season one. We wanted to do it with as much responsibility as we did in season one. Bandish is a unique [narrative] because the story is of musicians, by musicians and for musicians. It gets consumed by everyone because we relate to the inter-personal dynamics, their dysfunctionality, loss, love and insecurities,” he begins.

Starring Ritwik Bhowmik and Shreya Chaudhry, Bandish Bandits became a hit upon its première in 2020 as it told the story of two rising musicians and their love despite their differing ideologies. While the romance between the two leads formed the crux of the first season, Tiwari says in the second edition, he has focused on the quiet love triangle playing out between Atul Kulkarni, Rajesh Tailang and Sheeba Chaddha’s characters.

“We keenly saw how the audience responded to their love story [in the first edition] because we wanted to take that journey forward. It’s a mature telling of love that is very much alive on three sides. Radhe [Bhowmik] and Tamanna [Chaudhry] are [grappling with] what love means to them, and whether their love is more important than their love for their art. For the mature characters, these conversations are out of the window, and love means very different things to them. So, as writers, it was a great opportunity.”

It has been a significant year for Tiwari, who directed his first big-screen offering, Bad Newz. The Vicky Kaushal and Triptii Dimri-starrer failed to make waves at the box office, but the director is happy with its performance.

“It did very well at the Indian box office. Internationally, it is Vicky’s biggest film, and got him his biggest weekend. So, I am full of gratitude. As producers, we also understood what box office meant because until then we had only worked on OTT. It was a big litmus test. We came in wanting to do cinema. I am a millennial. I didn’t have OTT [growing up]. So, cinema was the language of expression for me,” he smiles.

The romantic comedy has boosted Tiwari’s confidence to tell more stories for the big screen. The director says, “Bad Newz has given us such a nitro boost that we’ll keep making movies. We are developing something for the big screen.”

Badhaai Ho transformed the course of Gajraj Rao’s career. Ever since, the actor has been impressing us with his immense talent. He now stars alongside Madhuri Dixit in Anand Tiwari’s film Maja Ma, which is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video. In a candid chat, he talks about his journey, the zone of cinema he belongs to, and his motivation to work in Maja Ma — Madhuri Dixit. Excerpts:

It’s a family drama and though the colours and spirit have a Gujarati vibe, it isn’t stereotypical or language-centric. The name Madhuri Dixit was enough for me to do this film. The greatest motivation was her presence in the film. Unko itna dekha hua hai, unko itna admire karte hai, so to be able to work with her and be offered an important part alongside her was a big deal for me. I am from Delhi, and since the time I was doing theatre there, I remember flocking to cinemas to watch her movies like Hum Aapke Hain Koun and Prahaar. I feel Madhuri ji’s journey is reminiscent of Rekha ji as both were able to strike a fine balance between stylized commercial cinema and hard-hitting films (like Mrityudand). The way they smoothly switched their persona for different kinds of cinema was admirable.

I never thought it was possible. When Anand Tiwari first offered the role to me, I thought it must be some part, but when I read the script, I figured it was Madhuri ji’s husband’s role! My friends in the US couldn’t believe it. They called to ask, “Gajju, are you sure that you have been paired alongside Madhuri Dixit as her husband? You are her hero!” I told them it’s not a hero-heroine story. It’s a family story. I don’t belong to the Shah Rukh Khan, Anil Kapoor hero zone. You need a certain talent and traits for those roles, and I don’t have it. I can act a little, and I am glad I got this part. I come from a theatre background, and the universe I belonged to only permitted me to admire someone like her from a distance.

Agar aap gully cricket khelte ho with a tennis ball, and someone tells you, ‘Gajraj, now you get to play a proper match with Sachin Tendulkar at the Wankhede Stadium’, this was that feeling. Madhuri ji is to films what Tendulkar is to cricket. They both have excelled in their craft. The experience of working with her and being around her for promotions surpassed my expectations. When she enters a set, she ceases to be Madhuri Dixit. On set, she was Pallavi Patel (her character in Maja Ma). She is aligned with her character on and off the camera.

Event films, like Baahubali, demand larger-than-life characters because they are made on a certain scale. I like what Tom Cruise, Shah Rukh Khan or Tiger Shroff bring to the table. You need that hero-like charisma for these big-ticket entertainers, and we need such stories, too, because they are aspirational. Aap hero ko filmon se hata nahi sakte because real life mein hero bahut kam hote hai. Like a parallel universe, two kinds of cinema can co-exist. Amitabh Bachchan ruled as a superstar, but at the same time, there was also Amol Palekar who the common man could identify with. Rekha ji did potboilers, but also did Umrao Jaan. There is space for both kinds of cinema.

OTT has democratized things because there is no Friday pressure. Theatres need big faces for big openings. Audience shaayad Gajraj Rao, Ritwik Bhowmik, ya Srishti Shrivastava ke naam pe theatre mein nahi jayegi. Niche audience aayegi, but most may not turn up. So, theatres need actors who are talented and have certain stardom. OTT doesn’t have those restrictions, so you can tell a story freely. You can cast actors strictly on the basis of their acting calibre and not stardom. The script is the new hero on the web because people have the power of a remote. It’s a golden period for actors and technicians. Look at Raveena Tandon, Sushmita Sen and Juhi Chawla…they are doing such good work on OTT. Maybe it was difficult to write relevant parts for them in commercial cinema due to box office demands. Good writers are now in demand because they have that freedom.

The bonding and interaction between the family members in the film — Madhuri ji, Ritwik and Srishti (who play out children) and me is incredible. There was warmth, love and laughter on set. No one rushed home once the shoot was over. We played antakshari and dumb charades, and huge credit goes to MD for bringing that energy on set. With other stars, their entourage can be overwhelming, but her team is like a fly on the wall. They’d quietly sit in the corner. Unlike many successful stars, she doesn’t wear her superstar status on her sleeve. Working with her felt like a beautiful dream.

Time stands still when it comes to Madhuri Dixit. Even today, she makes you go dhak-dhak each time she appears on the screen, her latest being, Maja Ma. Ahead of the premiere of the film on October 6 on Prime Video, the beautiful actress talks about what piqued her interest in the story, her desire to push the envelope with every project, and how the OTT boom has changed the game for actors. Excerpts…

The film is set in a colourful festive season with the quintessential Indian wedding as the backdrop. It’s a story of a perfectly imperfect family, centred around Pallavi Patel, who is a doting mother and a perfect wife. She is someone the community looks up to, but somewhere she begins to lose her identity as can be seen in the trailer. She says, ‘Main ek maa hoon, ek biwi hoon, lekin uske alaawa bhi mera wajood hai’. It’s a beautiful, warm, and funny film, but with a message told in a simple and non-preachy manner.

The entire cast bonded like a family on the first day itself and the love reflects in the film. Even though there were emotional scenes, we enjoyed each other’s company. There was a lot of appreciation for each other and Gajraj ji especially. He is also a director with a string of commercials to his credit. I remember once after I completed a scene, I was confused about whether I got it right. I wanted to ask Anand (the director), but he was busy on the phone. Gajraj ji saw my face, came up to me, and said, ‘Bohot achha tha’. So, his attention to detail is admirable and his comic timing is terrific. One look at his face and you want to laugh. It was so difficult to keep a straight face while enacting certain scenes with him. I literally had to sing a sad song in my head or else, I would have burst out laughing!

We also have these bright young actors (Ritwik Bhowmik, Barkha Singh and Srishti Shrivastava) who are so good. Of course, Anand (Tiwari, the director), who is also an actor, producer Amritpal Singh Bindra, and the Leo Media Collective team make everything on the set so easy and comfortable. It was a cohesive unit. We shot during COVID, but we made sure to protect each other.

It’s very important to talk about love and relationships with friends, your husband and your family without feeling uncomfortable. It’s important to keep an open dialogue because without that, it is difficult to maintain joy and relationships in family or in life. Communication is important for any relationship to thrive.

By taking up challenging roles and going with my gut. I played a different character in my first web series, which dropped earlier this year. It’s the same with Maja Ma. I have to challenge myself with every role I select. That’s what I am trying to do. When you take on something challenging, it keeps you on your toes and pushes you to walk that extra mile. I also love exploring different art forms other than acting and dancing. I tried singing because I love it. What’s important to me basically is to be serious about my craft, but have fun while I am at it as well.

Dance for me is like breathing. It’s a very spiritual thing. Even now, if I want to work out, I dance, so it’s an extremely important part of my life. It makes me feel happy and connected with the universe. Everybody should try dancing, it changes not only your body but mind, soul... everything! There is a lot of beauty in it and there is a lot of joy you get from it.

Absolutely. You have a series being carried by actresses at the centre of it. I would say that life imitates art and art imitates life. There are all kinds of people and not just youngsters who make up society and life. There are many age groups that have stories to be told and that’s what is happening on OTT. Brilliant actors, who were struggling to find their place in cinema, are getting to show their talent on the web because there is space for everyday people and relatable characters. That’s the one thing I find really great about OTT is that everyone is getting to showcase their talent, which is amazing.

Talent has always been important. Talent nahi hoga toh how can you even make it on screen? You had to be talented, but you had to be a star as well. If you think about it, cinema was the only source of entertainment at that time. We didn’t have so many channels and OTT platforms. Today, there are stars everywhere, be it on Instagram, Twitter, OTT, or TV. If you are a star today, you have to manage your social media as well. Back then, stars had to have a certain mysteriousness around them. But today, they want to know all about you. So, things have changed and you have to adapt to changing times.

In the entertainment industry, it’s widely believed that your first project chooses you, and you choose thereafter. If that is indeed true, what happens to an actor whose first series is a huge hit? That’s what we begin our conversation with, when we get on a call with Ritwik Bhowmik. The actor, who burst on the scene last year with the delightful Bandish Bandits, will soon be seen in Sony LIV’s upcoming show, Whistleblower. “During the one-year gap, [I was oscillating] between being confused and excited at the same time. It took me some time to find a role I’d fall in love with. The last one year taught me to be patient,” says the actor.

The show was an easy choice for Bhowmik. The series is told from the eyes of his character Dr Sanket, a bratty final year medical student who turns into a whistleblower of the flawed system that has turned education bodies into money-making machines. “Bandish released in August [2020], and I signed this in January 2021. I kept getting told you must be feeling the pressure [of landing the second project]. I had to ask myself, ‘Yaar, tu pressure kyun nahi le raha hai?’ But what people don’t realise is that as actors, we can only go with our instincts. We aren’t writers and creators who make projects happen. Whistleblower landed from nowhere. It was a powerful script, and in one read, I knew I had to do it. It is poles apart from Bandish Bandits. People who meet me call me Radhe because they know my character. With this series, I have to break the image of Radhe.”

However, a vital concern about the Manoj Pillai-created series is its timing. Over the past one-and-a-half years of the pandemic, doctors all around the world have displayed their unfailing commitment and sense of duty. Isn’t a story that discusses the corruption of the medical system ill-timed in the present day? 

“The series is set in 2012-13. Also, it doesn’t bring down the importance of the community in any way. The pandemic showed us how we need to give them strength. Our show delves into the period when people in the fraternity realised that there are hindrances that prevent [deserving] people from getting into medical colleges. We’re trying to tackle the issue of fake doctors, and how it affected the medical community at large. We’re discussing the malpractices and corruption of the past.”

We can’t help but sneak in a question about the next season of Bandish Bandits. Bhowmik’s voice chokes, as he says, “The loss of Ajay sir [Sharma, editor] and Amit sir [Mistry, actor] hit us hard. I can’t think of the show without them; they were irreplaceable for the series. Earlier, I wouldn’t understand the term, ‘The show must go on’. But now I do. I know we will make another season [soon].”

The new season of The Family Man has been a resounding success with critics and audiences alike, in India and across the world. Another big win for Amazon Prime Video after their popular sequels, such as Four More Shots Please! Mirzapur, Comicstaan and Inside Edge. We spoke to Aparna Purohit, Head of India Originals at Amazon Prime Video, about how content is king today. Excerpts:

Our key tenet is to back a good story when we see one — a story that is unique, inspiring and intensely local. When green-lighting a project, we bet on the authenticity of the story and the passion and vision of the creators. Good stories connect and have the potential to transcend all barriers of language and geography. The reason for The Family Man’s success is the fact that it is relatable, yet inspirational. Raj and DK (Raj Nidimoru, Krishna DK), the extraordinary creators of The Family Man, have reimagined the spy-thriller genre by chronicling the dual life of a middle-class family man who also happens to be an exceptional agent. Or, as Manoj Bajpayee aptly puts it, is the James Bond of Chembur! The creators’ quintessentially distinct, independent voice is what sets this story apart. In just two weeks, The Family Man’s new season has become one of the most watched on our streaming service in India.

Successful stories do not flourish in isolation — they come alive with collaboration. Our goal is to help create a community, a creative space for storytellers. My opening gambit to creators is to come to us with their passion projects, stories that might be locked in their closet, ideas that are keeping them up at night. The success of our Originals is the result of our commitment towards nurturing and championing the distinct vision of our creators.

Our strategy has always been to think from the customer-backwards. This is Amazon’s core philosophy across all businesses. We strongly believe that there’s never been a greater appetite for quality content. Audiences have become discerning and have high expectations from what they’re watching. We prioritise distinct storytelling styles and are bringing forth diverse multi-genre stories.

A show builds a community — a sense of belonging and loyalty. The audiences spend a lot of time with the characters and build a relationship with them. These characters start representing the common experiences of people, they become a part of everyday conversations — they truly become part of the pop culture.

For instance, the character of Chellam sir from The Family Man has become a cultural icon overnight and his fandom cuts across demographics. It is important to invest in development — give the creators all the support and tools to build an immersive universe the audiences can relate with.

When we decide to support a project, we ask creators about their long-term vision for the show — we try to understand the universe that they want to create, the layers and nuances of their characters, and their larger vision for the characters across seasons. We invest wholeheartedly to support high-quality writing and casting, because we understand that even a one-off ‘sur’ is enough to break the magic of the world that storytellers so painstakingly create.

We believe that our discerning customers expect every character to be crafted with depth and cast with authenticity, and we continuously support creators in their endeavour to meet this expectation.

Over the past four years, we have been able to nurture and support the birth of a robust creative ecosystem of storytellers, creators, and artistes who trust us and come back to work with us on multiple projects. Currently, we have over 70 projects in development with both established and emerging creative voices. We are working with over 60 different production houses across languages. Many of our partners have multiple projects in development and production. For instance, we are doing several shows with D2R, Abundantia, Excel Entertainment, Emmay Entertainment, Pritish Nandy Communications, OML and Still & Still. We encourage storytellers to bring to life their vision and shoulder the responsibility of helping them take their passion projects to audiences in 240+ countries and territories.

Our undeterred focus is authenticity. We encourage creators and producers to cast for characters — whether it is Mairembam Ronaldo Singh as Cheeni, Jaideep Ahlawat as Hathiram in Paatal Lok, Ritwik Bhowmik as Radhe and Shreya Chaudhary as Tamanna in Bandish Bandits and Samantha Akkineni as Raji. And wouldn’t you agree that there can be no better Srikant Tiwari than Manoj Bajpayee in The Family Man or Kaleen bhaiya than Pankaj Tripathi or Guddu bhaiya than Ali Fazal in Mirzapur? This is liberating and has led to a level playing field for emerging as well as established talent. We are thrilled that some of our bets are starting to pay off. We truly want to be enablers for a prolific creative community and a dynamic creative zeitgeist.

Bandish Bandits is a refreshing break from what Anand Tiwari calls “bhed-chaal” or herd mentality. His 10-part series, after all, focuses on a subject that is truly indigenous yet often ignored in mainstream entertainment — the conflict and confluence of classical sangeet and modern music. As the show is nominated in the Best Series and Best Romance/Comedy categories of the upcoming mid-day and Radio City Hitlist OTT Awards, the creator-director is proud that it launched two new talents, Ritwik Bhowmik and Shreya Chaudhry.

“The credit goes to Amazon Prime Video officials, who never pressured us to cast known faces. We had a detailed audition process through which Ritwik and Shreya earned their parts. Today, they are two of the most sought-after actors,” says Tiwari.

As he developed the musical romance with long-time collaborator Amritpal Bindra, Tiwari wanted to maintain a purist approach to the subject. Enter Shankar-Ehsaan- Loy, who not only composed the show’s score but also gave insights into the world of Indian music. “We had spoken to music experts when we wrote the bible. But when we went to Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy, they helped us add nuance to the script. Many scenes were rewritten after our music sessions with them. In episode four, Radhe [Bhowmik’s character] is being trained by Pandit ji [Naseeruddin Shah] and by Tamanna [Chaudhary] in dramatically different ways. That scene was changed once Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy decided the beats that Pandit ji and Tamanna would teach him. Music supervisor Akshat Parikh too guided us with details.”

Currently developing the script for its second season, the writer-creator says he will be mindful of the use of expletives. “If our audience includes grandparents as well as grandchildren, we want to be economical in our use of abusive language. In our show’s universe, few characters use cuss words — Radhe’s friend and Arghya [Tamanna’s manager]. But I will try to refrain from that as well.”

- Bandish Bandits has been nominated in the Best Series category. The other nominees are:  

- Asur (Voot Select)

- Paatal Lok (Amazon Prime Video)

- Panchayat (Amazon Prime Video)

- Scam 1992 (Sony LIV)

- The Forgotten Army (Amazon Prime Video)

- Log on to www.hitlistottawards.com to cast your vote.

- You can also vote via SMS. Send HITLIST <space> category name <space> your choice (a/b/c as on the website) to 57575.

- Voting lines close on February 9.

- Anand Tiwari was Naseeruddin Shah’s student in theatre and even featured in a play by Motley