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The Kannada film industry is seeing a growing number of actors making their presence felt in the web series space. With streaming platforms opening up platforms for different formats and stories, actors who have built their careers in cinema are now looking at the digital space as another avenue to explore different characters and longer-form storytelling.
While Sanjana Anand moved from the web series space to the big screen, Kushee Ravi of Dia fame was among the names to attract attention with Ayyana Mane, a web series that brought together family drama, suspense and mystery, and Ayyana Mane 2 is in the making.
Priyanka Upendra is the latest established name to enter the web series space. Having worked across multiple languages, the actor, who has appeared in 50 films such as Kottigobba, Malla, H2O, Shrimathi, Mummy Save Me, and Devaki, to name a few is currently shooting for Corporate Love Story, a 50-episode web series said to be inspired by the popularity of Korean romantic dramas.
Nishvika Naidu is also making her move to streaming with Operation Bangari, which is reportedly based on a real incident. Known for films such as Amma I Love You, Vaastu Prakara, Gentleman and Guru Shishyaru, Nishvika has built a reputation through varied roles in Kannada cinema. She has also caught attention with her appearance in the popular song from Sudeep’s Mark, and has been a judge for a popular reality show. Her move to OTT could give her an opportunity to take on a character that evolves across multiple episodes.
Nagabhushana has already been part of this transition. He teamed up with Srinidhi Bengaluru for Jerax, a web series that featured him in the lead. The project was another indication of how Kannada filmmakers and actors are beginning to look at digital platforms for stories that may not fit neatly into a theatrical format.
The move to OTT is not simply about finding another release platform. For actors, web series offer longer narratives, varied characters and the chance to build a performance across several episodes. For filmmakers, they provide room to tell stories that may not necessarily fit the two-hour theatrical format.
With names such as Sanjana Anand, Kushee Ravi, and the latest names like Priyanka Upendra and Nishvika Naidu moving into the space, Kannada’s digital chapter appears to be getting bigger.
