The trailer of Maska Studio Season 2 has created immense buzz across social media, with audiences eagerly awaiting the series' release. Much of the excitement has centred around television host Ratan Pratap, who is making his acting debut as the lead. As someone who has carved his own path in the entertainment industry without a conventional acting background, Ratan has emerged as one of the few outsider talents to generate this level of anticipation for a debut performance.
Written and directed by Abhinandan Sridhar, the short-format web series marks Ratan's first lead role on the OTT platform.
Ratan will be seen as Hoshang, a practical yet demanding brand lead whose constantly evolving creative briefs give rise to a string of humorous situations within the agency. Opening up about casting Ratan, Abhinandan Sridhar revealed that the actor was always his first choice for the role. Sharing his excitement about the collaboration, Ratan said he has long admired Sridhar's work. Reflecting on his transition from TV hosting to acting, Ratan admitted that the experience was more challenging than he had expected. Ratan is paired opposite actor and influencer Chrisann Pereira who will portray Sanju on screen. Other cast members include Shreevar Chhotaria as Manish, Agrima Goyal as Richa and Ajinkya Singh as Ashi.
"When I started writing Hoshang, I could only imagine Ratan in the role. The character was written keeping him in mind, and I'm glad he agreed to be a part of the project. It was a wonderful experience working with him," he said.
"I've enjoyed watching Abhinandan's shows over the years. His writing is sharp and he understands what audiences enjoy. As a director, he was extremely supportive and guided me throughout the journey. I'm happy to have worked with him," he shared.
"Hosting has become second nature after doing it for so many years, whether on television or at live events. Acting, however, is a completely different craft. You need to focus on your dialogue delivery, emotions and camera awareness all at once. This project made me realise how demanding acting truly is," he said.