Web shows have rightfully taken over the position once held by saas-bahu dramas. Now, in most Indian households, families sit down together to binge-watch series either on laptops, phones or smart TVs. As the demand is high, popular actors are now considering the medium to reach out to their fans and provide wholesome entertainment. 

Bollywood actors are spearheading shows and are giving their best. In 2021, we saw some amazing web shows headlined by incredible performers. Be it Manoj Bajpayee breathing life into Srikant Tiwari in The Family Man 2, Sidharth Shukla charming the audience with his charismatic screen presence in Broken But Beautiful 3, Parambrata Chattopadhyay's natural acting in Aranyak or Sharib Hashmi lighting up the screen as JK in The Family Man 2, these actors made the year memorable.

Sidharth Shukla (Broken But Beautiful 3: May)

Sidharth Shukla made his web debut in Broken But Beautiful 3. But nobody ever knew that it would be his last project. The actor nailed it as Agastya Rao, a hot-headed theatre director for whom love was a 'glamourised four-letter word for self-inflicted pain’. He portrayed the evolution of the character masterfully and made a place for himself in the hearts of the audience. He injected shades of grey in Agastya. One cannot forget his charismatic presence and charm. 

Manoj Bajpayee (The Family Man 2: June)

Manoj Bajpayee returned as Raj & DK's Family Man in the sequel of Amazon Prime Video's most popular series. As Srikant Tiwari, Manoj proved that he is not just a ‘minimum guy’ but a masterclass in acting. The actor got into the skin of the character and convincingly played the role of a spy who has to balance his personal and professional life to maintain harmony. He dealt with an almost broken marriage, rebellious children while cracking a deadly mission. Right from his comic timing, camaraderie with JK, arguments with Suchi to face-off with Raji, we couldn't take our eyes off him.  

Sharib Hashmi (The Family Man 2: June)

Let's admit that JK Talpade from The Family Man 2 exclusively belongs to Sharib Hashmi. The actor has put his blood and sweat to make the character an instant hit among the audience and critics. In the second season of the web show, Sharib was phenomenal and made us crack up with his hilarious one-liners and banters with Manoj Bajpayee. He lit up the screen with his presence and we all rooted for him. Indeed, he was the Watson to Manoj's Sherlock Holmes. 

Mohit Raina (Mumbai Diaries 26/11: September)

In an ensemble cast, Mohit Raina stood out as Dr Kaushik Oberoi. The actor, who put his talent to display in the daily soap Devon Ke Dev...Mahadev and his debut film Uri: The Surgical Strike, once again proved his mettle in Mumbai Diaries 26/11. Mohit played the role of a headstrong and impulsive doctor. He was exceptional and held attention with his screen presence. 

Kay Kay Menon (Special Ops 1.5: The Himmat Story- November)

Nobody better than Kay Kay Menon can pull off a role like Himmat Singh. In Neeraj Pandey's Special Ops 1.5: The Himmat Story, the actor showed impulsiveness and impetuousness of the character in his younger days. He highlighted Himmat's journey to wisdom convincingly and set the benchmark high.   

Ravi Dubey (Matsya Kaand: November)

Ravi Dubey headlined Matsya Kaand with Ravi Kishan. In the titular role, the actor did complete justice with his performance and portrayed Matsya Thada with conviction. He sported multiple looks and each one was pulled off with ease. He made sure that the character arc of Matsya felt realistic and impactful. 

Parambrata Chattopadhyay (Aranyak: December)

Parambrata Chattopadhyay is a gift to Indian cinema. In Aranyak, the Bengali actor stepped into the shoes of Angad Mallik, a cop who is battling his inner demons while solving a murder mystery. Parambrata once again showed why he is a natural performer and a deserving actor. Headlining Aranyak with Raveena, the actor added much depth to the story and pulled off the role effortlessly.