Abhishek in 'never seen before' avatar in 'Breathe 2'

Actor Abhishek Bachchan's foray into the digital space with "Breathe 2" could be a game-changer for his career, if one goes by the word of the web series' makers.

One last schedule of shoot for the show is left for this month, said Vikram Malhotra, Founder and CEO, Abundantia Entertainment, which produces the thriller for Amazon Prime Video.

"I have always loved Abhishek Bachchan's work and truly believe that he is a one-of-a-kind artist. It's so exciting that he's making his digital debut with 'Breathe 2' and I am thrilled with seeing the value that's he's adding to our show.

"I can promise you this - Abhishek Bachchan is in a never-seen-before avatar in our show," Malhotra told IANS in an interview.

The first season of the crime drama featured R. Madhavan. Season 2 is likely to come out early next year, depending on Amazon Prime Video's plans.

Abundantia Entertainment, which has been in the entertainment business since five years, is also producing the big-ticket tentatively titled "The End", which will mark superstar Akshay Kumar's debut in the digital world, apart from adapting the book "Men Who Killed Gandhi".

On the film front, there are a variety of projects in the pipeline. These include the official remake of the Hollywood film "Begin Again", the remake of the Malayalam film "Angamali Diaries" and the biopic of sports icon Pullela Gopichand, and more.

"There hasn't been a better time to tell stories than today. Demand for content is buzzing across platforms and the audience has truly begun to value high-quality stories across mediums," Malhotra said.

What defines the platform for a story?

"We foremost focus on stories and storytelling. Everything else comes later. We choose platforms for stories and not the other way round. The idea is to maximise the reach and potential of each story and that helps decide which platforms works best," Malhotra said.

As the dynamics of the cinema industry are undergoing change with fresh viewer patterns, what is it that will drive viewers to theatres?

"Viewer patterns and preferences are changing for the overall betterment and growth of our industry for the long-term. And unlike the West, in India, all of this is going to be additive - incremental.

"High quality stories that entertain, enrich and provide value for money and time experiences will continue to drive fans to theatres," he said.

--IANS

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