Daily Times

The actor becomes the latest Bollywood talent to star in an original series, following the likes of Saif Ali Khan in Netflix’s ‘Sacred Games’.

Amazon India’s second season of its original series, Breathe, will see Bollywood star Abhishek Bachchan take the lead.

The first season of the show, which bowed in January, starred South Indian actor R. Madhavan as a desperate father who goes to any length to save his son suffering from a lung disease. The show also starred Amit Sadh, who will return in the second season.

Produced by Abundantia Entertainment, Breathe was Amazon’s second Indian original after cricket drama Inside Edge, which streamed worldwide last July.

The son of Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek (who is married to actress, and former Miss World, Aishwarya Rai) recently starred in Anurag Kashyap’s romantic drama, Manmarziyaan, which premiered at the Toronto festival.

Breathe will continue to be directed by Mayank Sharma, who will also serve as the show’s writer — along with Bhavani Iyer, Vikram Tuli and Arshad Syed. A release date has not yet been revealed.

“While I am very excited to enter the world of digital content, it is important that, creatively, the material must excite me as much or more,” Bachchan told The Hollywood Reporter, adding that he was attracted to the show’s storyline, though he didn’t share any further details.

As the battle between digital platforms intensifies in the growing Indian market, Bollywood A-listers are regularly featuring in original series. Netflix’s first Indian original, Sacred Games, was toplined by actor Saif Ali Khan, who is also returning in the second season which is currently in production. Similarly, actor Emraan Hashmi will feature in Netflix’s upcoming spy thriller series, Bard of Blood, which is being co-produced with Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s banner, Red Chillies Entertainment. Meanwhile, actress Shilpa Shetty hosted Amazon’s dating show, Hear Me Love Me.

Published in Daily Times, December 15^th 2018.