Since there is no box office pressure on OTT, actors are willing to experiment with roles, as well as open to performing with greater sincerity.
Deepa Gahlot picks the 10 Best Male Performances of 2025 in original OTT films.
Boman Irani, The Mehta Boys
Where to watch: Netflix
In Boman Irani's directorial debut, he plays a father, who, after many years, has to connect with his estranged son after his wife's death.
He plays a stubborn man coming to terms with a situation he was never prepared for.
Avinash Tiwary, The Mehta Boys
Where to watch: Netflix
Avinash had to match the polished ease with which Boman plays his father, and his performance as the exasperated son forced to spend time with his cranky father is effective because it is straightforward.
Pratik Gandhi, Dhoom Dhaam
Where to watch: Netflix
Pratik seems incapable of giving a bad or indifferent performance. In this comedy, he plays a prissy newlywed, whose life is upended after a run-in with gangsters and is forced to go on the run with his devil-may-care wife (Yami Gautam).
Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Costao
Where to watch: Z5
Nawaz plays a man, devoted to duty, at the cost of his own life and family. It could have been a one-note performance, but the actor softens the sharp edges to make the man more human.
Abhishek Banerjee, Stolen
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
Abhishek plays the practical corporate type, but when his younger brother drags him into the search for a kidnapped baby, his survival instincts come to the fore.
Shubham Vardhan, Stolen
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
Shubham plays a city dweller who has not lost his ideals. Even when common sense tells him he ought not to get involved, he throws himself into a hell of rural violence, and drags his brother along.
Manoj Bajpayee, Inspector Zende
Where to watch: Netflix
Not one of Manoj Bajpayee's best, but still, he plays the single-minded cop on the hunt for a fugitive serial killer with a dash of humour.
John Abraham, Tehran
Where to watch: Netflix
Not usually appreciated for his acting, John brings an untrammeled rage and focus to a cop who won't back down even when all the odds are against him.
Zain Khan Durrani, Songs Of Paradise
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
In this period drama set in Kashmir, Zain plays a charming poet, who encourages the career ambition of his wife, a singer (Saba Azad).
Manav Kaul, Baramulla
Where to watch: Netflix
A cop thrown into an inexplicable mystery of missing kids in a Kashmiri town, and supernatural goings-on in the house he has moved into with his family, Manav plays a quiet strength and dignity to the role.
Photographs curated by Satish Bodas/Rediff
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