The third edition of the Bollywood Hungama OTT India Fest and India Entertainment Awards is all set to take place on December 3 and 4 in Mumbai. Those two days will celebrate some of the biggest names from the Indian OTT space, many of whom would gather under the same roof.
Before that happens, here’s looking back at 7 faces who owned OTT in 2025:
Jaideep Ahlawat
In his role in Paatal Lok Season 2, Jaideep Ahlawat brought a deeply conflicted, haunted cop to life, one who carries the weight of institutional failure, personal loss and moral frustration. His portrayal was noted for the layered nuance — anger simmering beneath control, vulnerability peeking through toughness — which lifted a gritty streaming narrative into something memorable.
Kajol
Making a mark in the digital space through The Trial Season 2, Kajol embraced a character that required her to sink into ambiguity and internal conflict — moving away from the more assured star-persona to someone unhinged, vulnerable yet defiant. Her willingness to adapt to OTT storytelling and anchor a show upon her shoulders earned attention for its mature craft.
Manoj Bajpayee
In a streaming thriller Despatch about investigative journalism and corporate corruption, Bajpayee delivered a performance that felt lived in: the weary investigator, the man caught between bureaucracy and truth, quiet but explosive when provoked. Critics and viewers alike pointed to the calm power of his acting as the pillar around which the film worked.
Sunny Kaushal
Breaking away from lighter or more conventional roles, Kaushal embraced complexity in the streaming film Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba, where his character navigates jealousy, manipulation and moral fall-outs. The turn was remarked upon for how it allowed him to explore a darker shade, proving he’s ready to take on off-beat, riskier work in the OTT space.
Jyotika
Known more for regional work, Jyotika’s venture into Hindi OTT with Dabba Cartel was noteworthy — she played a woman whose calm surface hides deep fissures of loyalty, ambition and survival. Her performance stood out precisely because of its restraint: she didn’t oversell emotion, she earned it, which made her part of a strong ensemble very impactful.
Abhishek Banerjee
In the film Stolen, Banerjee anchored a story of kidnapping, faith and class divide with rawness. The tension in his portrayal, the moral ambiguity he embodied, and the transformation the character goes through were all pointed to as high-points of the movie and a signal of his growing heft in OTT cinema.
Zahan Kapoor
In the gritty prison-drama series Black Warrant, Zahan Kapoor impressed many with his portrayal of a young officer in the brutal environment of Tihar Jail. Viewers and reviewers alike noted how he held his own in a high-intensity ensemble, bringing a grounded voice to a character thrust into chaos and moral test.
The Bollywood Hungama OTT India Fest and India Entertainment Awards is presented by SleepZ by Raymond, co-powered by Fima, Carlo Frattini, and Amante in association with Helios, Style Partner Rare Rabbit, Lovestory Patner Truly Madly, Stylish Furniture Partner Uraban Ladder, with healthcare partner HCG, skincare partner Fixferma, Spirituality partner Satvik, conversation partner Bevzilla, gourmet dessert partner Smoor, nutrition partner The Naturik Co., radio partner Radio City and celebration partner Heineken Silver.
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