OTTplay Awards 2022: Know Your Winners: Harshvardhan Rane wins Best Actor In A Negative Role (Film)

Harshvardhan Rane has deservedly won the Best Actor In A Negative Role (Film) award at the recently held OTTplay Awards 2022. He took the trophy home for his role in Haseen Dillruba. Harshvardhan played the second lead in the film but his role became game-changing in the movie. Ironically, Harshvardhan revealed that Kanika Dhillon wrote the role as a grey shade and tried to convince him by stating the same thing – that Neel Tripathi from Haseen Dillruba is not a negative shade and shouldn’t even look like it.

Directed by Vinil Matthew, Haseen Dillruba starred Vikrant Massey and Taapsee Pannu in the lead roles. Here’s everything you need to know about Haseen Dillruba, Harshvardhan Rane and what writer Kanika Dhillon had in mind while writing his role, as revealed by Harshvardhan himself while accepting the trophy on stage…

About the winner

Ironically, before Haseen Dillruba, Harshvardhan was always recognized as a lover. His role as Inder in his Bollywood debut film Sanam Teri Kasam is what got the actor recognized in the Hindi film industry. The character – a heart-broken lover - has become iconic, especially among the gen z. In the film, his lover Saraswati aka Saru (played by Mawra Hocane) dies from meningioma (brain tumour). Everything that the couple went through, only to be separated by fate, has connected well with people.

Now, Harshvardhan’s Neel Tripathi has been making the right kind of noises. Seen as Rani Kashyap’s lover Neel – after she is married to his cousin Rishabh Saxena – Harshvardhan played the perfect antagonist in their story (and likely a hero in his story with her, by saving her and letting her go). He received the OTTplay Award from Shamita Shetty for his role in Haseen Dillruba.

Accolades

At the OTTplay Awards and Conclave 2022, Haseen Dillruba made a hattrick after it won as many as three awards. While Harshvardhan Rane won the award for best actor in a negative role, Taapsee Pannu bagged best actor female in popular choice (film). Kanika Dhillon also took home the award for best dialogues in a film. Clearly, the movie deserved all the awards, considering it was also one of the most viewed films on Netflix in 2021.

Know Harshvardhan Rane a little better

Fun fact: Harshvardhan Rane actually made his debut in the glamour industry with the uber-popular Television show Left Right Left.

The actor actually grew into Bollywood after working in the South Indian Film Industry for six long years. He made his debut in the Telugu film Thakita Thakita. His second movie Naa Ishtam (also Telugu), released two years later in 2012. Ever since, Harshvardhan has been unstoppable. He has worked in at least one project a year (except 2019 – between JP Dutta’s Paltan release and shooting for Taish opposite Pulkit Samrat and Kirti Kharbanda).

In fact, Harshvardhan has often switched between Hindi and Telugu films. The actor’s last Telugu release was Kavacham in 2018.

A heartfelt gratitude, straight from the winner's heart

Recalling his journey in the South Indian film industry while receiving the award at OTTplay Awards 2022 and simultaneously thanking all other South Indian celebrities present in the room, Harshvardhan said, “I actually started down South so I would like to take this lovely opportunity to thank everyone who gave me work in South. Whatever I am today, is because of all of you. Thank you so much.”

Writer Kanika Dhillon had told Harshvardhan that his character Neel Tripathi is grey and he should not look negative. Thus, when receiving the award, Harshvardhan recalled what she said and in a way, he dedicated his award to her.

“Kanika ma’am aap jeet gaye. Unhone mujhe bola tha Harsh it’s not negative but it’s very unique. It should not look negative no matter what,” Harshvardhan said, teasing Kanika. He then went on to ask her to take his photo on stage so they have a memory to cherish and laugh over.

“This is my first award, so thank you,” Harshvardhan uttered, before leaving the stage. The film was also Harshvardhan’s first Netflix film.

Upcoming films/web series/project

Harshvardhan has not officially revealed his next project. However, various reports suggest that the actor has three Hindi films and one Telugu movie in the pipeline. He is a part of director Kushal Nandy’s film co-starring Sanjeeda Sheikh. The movie is reportedly titled Kun Faya Kun.

Samar Iqbal’s Tara vs Bilal reportedly features him opposite Broken But Beautiful 3 actress Sonia Rathee. Apart from that, Harshvardhan has reportedly collaborated with actor Meezaan Jaaferi for the movie Miranda Boys. The two kickstarted the Sanjay Gupta directorial in Goa early this year.

Harshvardhan might also be a part of the Telugu film Brundavanamadi Andaridi, although there were reports of him walking out of the project. The lead actress is yet to be confirmed for the movie too.