Riteish Deshmukh is on a roll. The actor, director, producer, entrepreneur and host wears many hats and after the success of his film, Ved (2022), it’s clear that there’s nothing he can’t do. Interestingly, his digital debut with the web show Pill on Jio Cinema got an impressive 4.5/5 average viewer rating and 8.2/10 on IMDb. It was praised for the performances, especially Deshmukh’s histrionics, as he brought depth to the narrative.
Rajkumar Gupta, the director of Pill, is all praise for the actor. He says, “While working with Riteish, I was impressed by how he builds the character in his mind, and then transforms it while performing. Despite being in the industry for so many years, with many successful films to his credit, he doesn’t take his success for granted. He is dedicated and disciplined.”
Proving his versatility, Deshmukh took on two vastly different characters, each showcasing his range as a performer. While his character in the horror-comedy film Kakuda exudes exceptional energy, his role in Pill embodies a calm, composed demeanour of a common man.
On associating with Deshmukh on his third project, after Faster Fene (2017) and Mauli (2018), Kakuda director Aditya Sarpotdar says, “I have been lucky to work with Riteish. He is a passionate artiste, who is dedicated to cinema. I am happy that he is taking on roles that showcase his range as an actor.”
To top it all, Deshmukh took the baton to host the new season of Bigg Boss Marathi, which has earned great ratings and reviews. Alok Jain, President – General Entertainment, Viacom18, says, “Riteish’s electrifying transition from the silver screen to hosting Bigg Boss Marathi is a testament to his passion and enthusiasm. With every episode, he captivates the audience, bringing an unparalleled energy that sets the show on fire. Coupled with his gripping performance in the OTT series Pill, Riteish’s versatility truly knows no bounds.” He created history with record-breaking TRP ratings, peaking at 3.2 over the weekend — a first for the Marathi franchise.
After the three well-received projects, the audience is awaiting his upcoming film Raid 2, where Deshmukh plays the antagonist and his highly anticipated directorial outing Raja Shivaji.
