Suniel Shetty's new role is likely to leave his fans excited; and it's not for a film

Suniel Shetty began learning martial arts by watching videos of American stars

Suniel Shetty began learning martial arts by watching videos of American stars. He was keen to get the kicks and punches right, considering the number of action films he did earlier in his career. Now, Shetty has come a full circle. He has been appointed the honorary patron of the Mixed Martial Arts India. In his new role, he will aim to make the sport popular in the country. “I am thrilled as the association is affiliated to the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation,” says Shetty.

These days, Suniel Shetty is binge-watching Rust Valley Restorers, admittedly enamoured by the Netflix offering. Soon, he will be on the other side of the table - the actor is poised to foray into digital entertainment, and has greenlit two projects. Buzz in the trade indicates that the two series, in keeping with Shetty's macho image, will be stylised actioners. "He will headline a cop-underworld saga that is high on stunts; the other show is a thriller drama. The projects, apparently lined up for Disney+Hotstar and Netflix, are expected to go on floors soon," says a trade source.

On his part, the actor says that he has long been toying with the idea of exploring digital entertainment. "In the past, I was offered many web series that I turned down. But now, I have given my nod to two shows. Both are backed by top production houses, and I am waiting for them to make the announcement."

If Abhishek Bachchan, Saif Ali Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui have made their presence felt in the OTT world, Akshay Kumar and Hrithik Roshan are set to take the plunge. Ask him why he waited so long to test the waters, and Shetty says, "I wanted to make sure that the platforms are right. I was clear that I want to play the lead, and the script has to be powerful. I enjoy the genre of action; stories of armed forces and underworld appeal to me. In fact, I have noticed that dark content works on the web. I loved Breathe: Into The Shadows, Special Ops and Paatal Lok. Some Indian series are far better than the international ones."

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