OTTplay Awards 2023: Rishi wins Best Actor in Negative Role for web series 'Shaitan'
Rishi won his maiden OTTplay Award for his compelling performance as Bali in the Telugu web series Shaitan
Oct 29, 2023
Rishi on the set of his web series debut, Shaitan
Rishi delivered a rather compelling performance in his OTT debut 'Shaitaan' earlier this year and fittingly, he took home the 'Best Actor in a Negative Role - Serie' honour at the OTTplay Awards 2023.
The 35-year-old actor was presented with the award at the event which was held in Mumbai on October 29, 2023, with some of the biggest names of the Indian cinema and OTT space in attendance.
"Shaitan is my first web series. And this is going to be really special. This award truly belongs to writer-director Mahi V Raghav, who created Shaitan and Baali. Mahi sir, thank you so much. This is for you," said Rishi in his victory speech, while thanking the entire creative team, cast and crew behind the hit web series.
"I lost my grandfather recently I dedicate this award to him. If there is one person who truly believed in me and my dreams, it's my brother Suryavanshi. Bhai, thank you so much. I'd like to thank OTTplay for recognizing my work and giving me this award. This definitely gives a lot of energy and motivation to keep entertaining the audience," he added.
This is Rishi's maiden OTTplay Award which he won for the role of Bali in the Telugu crime thriller web series Shaitan. Co-written and directed by Mahi V Raghav, Shaitan is centred around Bali and a set of intriguing characters that are embroiled in a life of crime and violence.
The cast of the series, which debuted on June 15, 2023, on Disney+ Hotstar, also includes Shelly Kishore, Jaffer Sadiq, Deviyani Sharma, Kamakshi Bhaskarla, Lena, Manikandan K and others.
As the central character, Rishi was able to break the mould that was slowly building around him and reveal the depth & range he boasts. Shaitan also marks his Telugu debut and it seems apparent now that he is willing to juggle between the Kannada and Telugu film industries to accommodate all the exciting opportunities. Very recently, he divulged that he would be working with actors Faria Abdullah and Thiruveer on an untitled Telugu project that has been described as a period romance drama.
Also Read: Rishi: Entertainer or thriller, my focus is on delivering what’s been promised to audiences
Coming to the OTTplay Awards 2023, the second edition of the awards show saw several talented names in the Indian streaming space convene for an evening of recognition. Aside from Rishi, the winners' list includes filmmakers Raj & DK, Mahesh Narayanan and Hansal Mehta, among others, along with actors Rajkumar Rao, Sanya Malhotra, Vikrant Massey, Aparshakti Khurana, Wamiqa Gabbi and Kannada's own Rakshit Shetty.
OTTplay Awards 2023 was presented by Danube Properties alongside Dabur Chyawanprash and driven by Volkswagen, with Colors Infinity being the telecast partner.
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