Exclusive: Sangeeth Shobhan - The next big thing in the Telugu OTT space?

As proclaimed by many, the OTTs may not have exactly destroyed the star culture in the entertainment industry but it's undeniable that they are serving as a platform for next-stars to emerge and showcase their mettle. Do you remember chubby child actor Sangeeth Shobhan, (younger brother of Santosh Shobhan) who played a young school-going cricket player in Mohana Krishna Indraganti's Golconda High School? The boy, the younger son of late director Shobhan, is now a man in his 20s, eager than ever to make his presence felt in the entertainment industry. He has a slew of OTT projects lining up for release later this year.

For the uninitiated, Sangeeth has already made his acting debut as an adult with the Netflix anthology Pitta Kathalu in the segment xLife. In xLife, directed by Nag Ashwin, he was cast in the role of Neel (the guy who's trapped by the techno-giant Vik). Though the anthology garnered mixed responses, Sangeeth did make his presence felt in his brief screen time. Now, he's set to be seen in two OTT projects to stream on aha and ZEE5 in the coming months. From what we hear, he is here to surprise everyone with his performances, particularly his comic timing and spontaneity

aha had recently acquired the Telugu adaptation of Beauty and The Baker which stars Sangeeth Shobhan in a key role. He shares screen-space with his brother Santosh Shobhan in the show and interestingly, also plays his on-screen sibling. Going by comments heard from the early previews of the show, the word is out that Sangeeth is an extremely natural performer with immense potential. Sangeeth is cast in the role of a carefree youngster whose parents run a small-time bakery store in Hyderabad. He speaks in the Telangana slang throughout the show and it reportedly gave him ample screen space to prove his range as an actor.

The ZEE5 show that Sangeeth stars in, has him playing the lead role and is bankrolled by a big name in the Telugu industry. A source to close the makers of the ZEE5 show also adds, "Audiences are in for a complete surprise package. He's a terrific actor with tremendous on-screen energy. I'm sure he will go a long way." This is turning out to be a great time for both the Shobhan brothers, who're carving their niche in the industry. Santhosh Shobhan's latest release was Ek Mini Katha and he'll be seen in multiple OTT and feature film projects in the coming months, of which a couple of them are directed by Maruthi and Nandini Reddy. OTT has proved to be a big win for both Sangeeth and Shobhan in taking their careers forward.

Also read: Exclusive: Telugu adaptation of Beauty and The Baker finds a new home