Ananya Panday, Bhumi Pednekar, Varun Dhawan, Samatha Ruth Prabhu among other Bollywood A-listers heading new shows

Gone are the days when streaming shows were associated with actors who were not getting enough work in films. It is now a matter of pride to be a part of a web series, and even more so to headline it. Prime Video’s new shows have a number of biggies and A-listers from Bollywood who will be seen making the most of the long format space. Here’s a look at a few of them:

Ananya Panday

Karan Johar, who launched Ananya Panday with his film Student of the Year, is once again backing the actress in a show titled Call Me Bae. His production company Dharmatic Entertainment Pvt Ltd is producing the Hindi show where Bae sees himself downsized from heiress to hustler. Now she must rely on her street smarts and style. The series is directed by Collin D'Cunha and the cast includes Vir Das, Gurfateh Pirzada, Varun Sood, Lisa Mishra, and Mini Mathur among others.

Varun Dhawan and Samantha Ruth Prabhu

A year after being introduced to the Citadel universe via Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Richard Madden, the Indian instalment of the universe titled Citadel: Honey Bunny will see Varun Dhawan and Samantha Ruth Prabhu take on the genre. The gritty spy action thriller with a heartwarming love story is set against the vibrant tapestry of the '90s in the show directed by Raj and DK.

Tamannaah Bhatia

Bhatia stars in the show Daring Partners along with Diana Penty as best friends who embark on a daring journey as partners in an alcohol start-up. The series unfolds their audacious journey, where they challenge norms, bend rules, and ‘craft’ their destiny within a male-dominated industry. The show is produced by Karan Johar’s Dharmatic Entertainment Pvt Ltd and also stars Jaaved Jaaferi.

Bhumi Pednekar

The Bhakshak actress stars in the show Daldal as Mumbai’s newly-appointed DCP Rita Ferreira, a woman haunted by the guilt of her past and dealing with the demons of her present. She must embark on an investigation of a series of murders that puts her on a collision course with a cold-blooded serial killer, even as she has to save her life from falling apart. Produced by Abundantia Entertainment, the show is directed by Amrit Raj Gupta.

Daldal.

Vijay Varma

OTT veteran Vijay Varma plays the protagonist in Nagraj Manjule-directed Matka King. In this fictional tale set in 1960s Mumbai, an enterprising cotton trader who craves legitimacy and respect starts a new gambling game dubbed ‘Matka’, which takes the city by storm and democratises a terrain previously reserved for the rich and elite. The show is produced by Roy Kapur Films.

Deepali Singh is a Mumbai-based freelance journalist who writes on movies, shows, music, art, and food. Twitter: @DeepaliSingh05

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