The Hindi film stars have become medium-agonistic. They are no longer hesitating about doing a web series, contrary to their prior belief. Known for their big-scale theatrical outings, these actors are now maintaining a fine balance between an OTT series and films meant for a big-screen release. Ajay Devgn, Saif Ali Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Shahid Kapoor, and Manoj Bajpayee, among others, are already wielding both mediums, while actresses like Madhuri Dixit, Raveena Tandon, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, and Shefali Shah have also successfully proved their mettle with their web shows. Coming next year, Kajol, Sonakshi Sinha, Juhi Chawla, and Kareena Kapoor Khan are set to foray into the OTT space with stories that are intriguing and unconventional to their big-screen aura. And now, there’s one more addition to the list of actresses imbibing the digital medium.
Peepingmoon.com has exclusively learned that Ileana D’Cruz is making her web series debut. The Rustom actress has signed Applause Entertainment’s next female-led show, which will be directed by The Fame Game's Karishma Kohli. The yet-untitled project is said to be the adaptation of an internationally acclaimed BBC show and will see Ileana stepping into a zone she hasn’t attempted before. "It’s a highly engaging concept that brings in the essence of realism in fiction. Ileana is extremely excited about this show, not only because it’s a great story but also because it marks her first project in the lead role. She has played love interests for Shahid Kapoor, Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn, Abhishek Bachchan, and Arjun Kapoor in films, and while they were successful at the box office, Ileana was rarely acknowledged for her work. This web series gives her a golden opportunity to grow and prove her mettle as a performer, and she is all geared up for the challenge," an industry source told us, adding that the show goes on floor next month.
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Applause Entertainment produces this series in association with BBC Studios India, continuing their successful partnership to develop and produce Indian versions of acclaimed BBC formats. They have successfully adapted global hits like Criminal Justice, The Office, Guilt and Luther for Indian audiences and are also working on the adaptation of the 2013 crime-thriller series, The Fall, under the direction of Nagesh Kukunoor. The Ileana D’Cruz starrer is the latest addition to the Sameer Nair-led company, which has already made 16 foreign show adaptations so far. The streaming platform for this new project is not locked yet. Applause Entertainment typically commissions a show, shoots, edits, and post-produces it, and then approaches OTTs with a finished product, and they are expected to follow this same model for this new show as well.
Meanwhile, Ileana D’Cruz has two films lined up for release this year. While Tera Kya Hoga Lovely with Randeep Hooda explores India’s obsession with fair skin, the tentatively titled Lovers is a romantic-comedy, co-starring Vidya Balan, Pratik Gandhi, and Sendhil Ramamurthy. It’s also an Applause Entertainment production and is expected to be released directly on OTT later this year.
