A few seasoned actors have recently made powerful comebacks through the OTT series, while others who never left the space have delivered another outstanding performance.
The digital platforms, in some way or another, revealed a fresh side to these well-known actors. There are, however, a few movies that showed their potential long before OTT, but went unnoticed.
Here are some underappreciated films starring the same actors from the past that you should add to your watchlist:
1. Srikant from The Family Man is notorious for lying all the time, whereas Samar Pratap Singh, a police officer, from Shool is transferred to a different city for his honesty.
But what these two projects have in common is Manoj Bajpayee’s exceptional performance.
2. If you absolutely loved Raveena Tandon‘s portrayal of a fierce police officer in Aranyak, you must see her as a strong mother in Daman.
Daman did stand out in a slew of dramas from the 90s, that Tandon mostly ended up starring in.
3. If Abhishek Bachchan’s portrayal of a complex character in Breathe: Into the Shadows surprised you, you should check out the actor’s early work in Yuva.
After that, we can all reflect on how long his potential went untapped.
4. If you loved seeing Arshad Warsi take part in a cat-and-mouse chase to catch a serial killer in Asur, you need to see him do the same in the true-crime movie Shehar.
And while Circuit deserves to be a crowd favourite, there has always been more to Warsi than just being the comical sidekick.
5. If you’re tired of seeing Ajay Devgn play another cop on screen, skip Rudra and instead, watch Rituparno Ghosh’s masterpiece Raincoat.
Devgn’s performance as Manoj in the Raincoat is unlike anything else he’s ever done.
6. Sushmita Sen was lauded for portraying a feisty woman and a powerful mother in the web series Aarya. If you liked her as Aarya, we’re sure you’ll love her movie Samay, which is still underappreciated.
7. Kunal Khemu pulled off a really challenging role as Silsila in Madhur Bhandarkar’s Traffic Signal, long before the audience noticed his potential in a series like Abhay.
8. If you noticed Saif Ali Khan as an ‘actor’ and not a ‘star’ after Sacred Games, you must see his outstanding yet overlooked performance in Being Cyrus.
Also, skip Tandav and watch Omkara instead if you want to witness Saif play a character on the wrong side of the law but on the right side of powerful performances.
9. If you still can’t get over R. Madhavan’s hauntingly terrible series Decoupled, you should watch the actor in an actual scary film 13B.
At the very least, the former film will leave you with fewer nightmares than Decoupled.
10. Konkona Sen Sharma, who rarely disappoints with her acting, is still best known for her mainstream works, such as the latest Mumbai Diaries. However, if you want to see her lead a cinematic masterpiece, you cannot miss out on 15 Park Avenue.
11. If you were impressed by Kalki‘s acting prowess in the brief roles she played in projects like Made In Heaven, you must see her dominating the scenes even in the presence of Naseeruddin Shah in Waiting.
12. Abhay Deol, like JL50, has given plenty of brilliant movies, which shows how underappreciated he is. But the actor’s performance in Manorama Six Feet Under is at the top of the list.
13. If Shefali Shah‘s impressive performance among a stellar star cast captivated you in Human, watch Mira Nair’s Monsoon Wedding.
In the latter film, Shah portrays a somewhat vulnerable character, a sexual assault survivor, in an empowering light.
14. If you enjoyed the duo of Kaleen bhaiya, a lethal gangster, and his troublesome son in the series Mirzapur, you should watch Pankaj Tripathi headlining the sinister thriller Gurgaon.
Let us know if you know of any other actors who should be on the list in the comments area below.