Manoj Bajpayee says OTT helps actors sidelined in Bollywood

Mumbai: Actor Manoj Bajpayee believes OTT platforms have created opportunities for actors who struggled to find space in mainstream cinema, allowing them to earn recognition and maintain their livelihoods through substantial roles.

Speaking about the changing landscape of the entertainment industry, Manoj Bajpayee, in an exclusive conversation with IANS, said the impact of streaming platforms got male actors who were previously overlooked by Bollywood also finding opportunities on OTT.

“Look at the actors who could not even get rightly consumed earlier. Male actors could not even get consumed by mainstream cinema. They are getting so much respect on OTT,” he said. “And their lifestyle is maintained. They are finding some kind of comfort in their life because of all those roles that they have been getting,” he added.

‘As a keen observer of the situation, I would say that with OTT, things have been very, very frequent,” he said. On the professional front, Manoj Bajpayee has earned immense acclaim for portraying complex, unconventional characters throughout his career. From Bhiku Mhatre, the volatile gangster in Satya, and Sardar Khan in Gangs of Wasseypur to Professor Ramchandra Siras in Aligarh and the ageing police constable in Bhonsle, he has consistently chosen roles that challenge conventional ideas of a mainstream hero.

On OTT, his portrayal of intelligence officer Srikant Tiwari in The Family Man further showcased his ability to balance action and humour. He was recently seen in Gajab Raat, a suspense thriller starring Divya Dutta, in which he essays the role of a police officer. Produced by Neeraj Pandey and directed by Ritesh Shah, the film premiered on Netflix on October 23, 2026.