Vicky Kaushal, Manoj Bajpayee to Abhishek Banerjee: Mainstream Actors Who’ve Tapped into Indie Shades

In recent years, Hindi cinema has undergone a noteworthy shift. Actors who are known for their mainstream appeal and range of serving hits after hits have also contributed significantly to Indie projects, those that carry fine recall value, and have etched a space in the hearts of the audience.

Vicky Kaushal, for starters, established his range through the cult classic and his debut film, Masaan. Released in 2015, this independent drama film saw Kaushal in his raw best as Deepak Kumar, a young man who works at the cremation ghats and studies to become a civil engineer in Varanasi. The actor disappeared behind the role with such conviction, not even once letting it show that it’s his debut film. Over a decade after its release, “_Ye saala dukh kaahe khatam nahi hota bey?_” continues to remain an all-time classic dialogue among his fans.

Manoj Bajpayee’s Sardar Khan from the iconic film Gangs of Wasseypur continues to remain the standard – of edgy character and of Indie films too. The film also roared at the box office, emerging as a commercial hit. For an indie creation, Gangs of Wasseypur created a sharp pivot in the mainstream space.

The list continues with Abhishek Banerjee, who has added weight to his filmography with the classic horror-comedy hit, Stree. The actor’s comical portrayal of Janaa is much-loved among the fans, especially for his spontaneity and innocence. Recently, he made an offbeat addition to his filmography with Stolen, a survival thriller that explores themes of social divide in rural India. Critics and audiences widely praised Banerjee’s conviction, with many calling it the best portrayal of his career.

Rajkummar Rao, known for making selective choices of films and plastering blockbuster all over them, surprised audiences with Newton. The actor’s portrayal is widely regarded as one of the most detailed and classic displays of acting in contemporary cinema. Films like Newton and Trapped firmly place Rajkummar in the league of actors who can balance mainstream and indie picks. Next, Sohum Shah flipped the script with the cult folk horror, Tumbbad. It made the right noise by opening the Venice International Film Festival, and placed Sohum Shah as an out-of-the-box actor who dared to bring this unexpected creation to the fore.

With such amazing line up of projects, these actors have created a league of their own, attracting cinephiles for films that are rooted, new and more than the drama. These actor’s haven’t just tapped into their indie shades, but have gone beyond the ordinary!