Bollywood actor Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, who is scheduled to star in the new web series 'Bloody Brothers' alongside longtime buddy actor Jaideep Ahlawat feels the age of streaming has revitalised the two-hero tale genre.
Citing examples of films like 'Andaz', 'Deewar' and 'Sholay', Ayyub said these movies worked at the box office but things changed gradually when solo hero films started becoming a trend.
"Now, it has changed where there is just a hero and there are people around him, like a brother or sister or a friend. In OTT, the trend is coming and we hope it comes back in cinema too. But then the idea of a hero is also different, the biggest star is the hero... There is corruption in that sense and we hope it changes," the actor said.
Rightly so, the streamers have been praised for giving opportunity for creative people across the board such as actors, writers, directors, and creators.
'Sacred Game', 'Mirzapur', 'Made In Heaven', 'Human', and 'Rocket Boys' are some of the popular web shows that have two or more actors headlining the project.
'Bloody Brothers' is a six-part series which is directed by Shaad Ali of 'Bunty Aur Babli' fame.
The ZEE5 show revolves around the lives of two brothers -- the elder brother Jaggi, who enjoys a wealthy and perfect life, while the younger one Daljeet struggles to survive running a vintage bookshop-cum-cafe.
"Their life spins out of control when a tragic accident occurs and distrust starts enveloping their lives, creating a rift between them and everyone around," as per the official synopsis.
Ayyub, 38, plays the role of the introvert Daljeet, who he described as someone who has lived under his brother's shadow.
The National School of Drama graduate said the best part about the upcoming show was getting the chance to finally work with Ahlawat, whom he has known for 12 years.
"We have been close friends. When the show happened, we made calls to each other and were excited to begin shooting. We were looking to work together where we have more scenes together after 'Raees'.
"This show relies on the bonding between two brothers since we both knew each other, we did not have to meet each other to work on the chemistry. We knew it will be there as we share great chemistry in real life. Interestingly, in 'Bloody Brothers' these two do not share that good chemistry," he said.
The series, slated to premiere on March 18, is the actor's first project since the 2021 Prime Video series 'Tandav', which courted controversy soon after its release with multiple FIRs being filed in various parts of India, calls for boycotts, by Hindu fundamentalist organisations and BJP leaders.
At the centre of the row was a scene featuring Ayyub in the role of a college student named Shiva, who is playing the role of Hindu god Mahadeva (another name for Lord Shiva) in a stage play and was speaking about freedom.
Many people on social media alleged the scene hurt their religious sentiments and eventually the streamer had to issue an unconditional apology and remove the purported objectionable sequences.
The actor, who is married to actor Rasika Agashe, said it was a "disturbing" time as it took him some days to take stock of the situation.
"There was so much support. I don't kneel down to bullies. It was like okay, let them do what they want to, but then suddenly when so many things were happening, it was shocking. And I was unable to understand what was happening and why. It took four-five days for me to understand the situation.
"For my family also, those days were a bit strenuous. We had not told our daughter what was happening but she also sensed that something was happening as parents were looking worried. It was disturbing."
Ayyub will next be seen in a film directed by Ali Abbas Zafar and a web series with Hansal Mehta.
Produced by Applause Entertainment in association with BBC Studios India, 'Bloody Brothers' also stars Satish Kaushik, Mugdha Godse, Tina Desai, Shruti Seth, Maya Alagh, and Jitendra Joshi.
[With Inputs From PTI]
