Even as Amazon MX Player yesterday dropped the trailer of the new season of ‘Aashram’, lead actor Bobby Deol said the opportunity to play the anti-hero protagonist Baba Nirala in web series came to him at a time when he believed that he would no longer be offered hero-like roles.

As someone who wanted to try out playing characters of different shades, the actor took up the job which eventually led to a career turnaround for him, kickstarting a second innings in showbiz, a PTI report stated.

Directed by Prakash Jha, ‘Aashram’ revolves around a self-proclaimed godman Baba Nirala (Deol), who leads an illegal empire of fraud, drugs, and preys on young women of his ashram. The first season premiered back in 2020.

“We, as actors, want to play characters, which we are not in real life. As an actor you get an opportunity to be someone else without being that person… I was trying to do different roles.

“I knew I wasn’t going to be offered hero roles anymore. That is why when I accepted this show I did not tell anyone . I was waiting for the show to come and then see their reaction,” Deol told reporters in Mumbai.

The actor was speaking at the trailer of ‘Aashram’ season three-part two, titled ‘Ek Badnaam Aashram’. It will premiere on Amazon MX Player on February 27 even as an Amazon statement on the web series said “the wait is over for fans of India’s most-watched thriller drama”.

Directed by National Award-winner Jha, the series stars Deol and Aaditi Pohankar, backed by a power-packed ensemble cast that includes Darshan Kumaar, Chandan Roy Sanyal, Vikram Kochhar, Tridha Choudhury, Anupriya Goenka, Rajeev Siddhartha and Esha Gupta.

What does the trailer of ‘Ek Badnaam Aashram’ offer? The trailer gives a glimpse into the cracks forming in Baba Nirala’s empire with tensions flaring between close allies, Pammi’s fearless return and Bhopa Swami’s thirst for power. With justice hanging by a thread, the new season promises a power-packed continuation of the thrilling saga, diving deeper into the mind games, shifting alliances, and dark truths that hold the aashram together.

Amogh Dusad, Head of Content, Amazon MX Player, in a statement said, “‘Ek Badnaam Aashram’ is the largest series in India and has created a massive fandom with its unique characters and engaging storyline.”

Jha added, “Every season of ‘Ek Badnaam Aashram’ peels another layer of Baba Nirala’s dark story. The new episodes mark a critical turning point — where the foundations begin to crack, the rules of the game are rewritten, and no one’s safe. It’s a gripping saga of deep-rooted conflicts, betrayal, and relentless pursuit of power that will keep audiences hooked till the very end.”

Amazon MX Player has a strong focus on exclusive original content, especially in Hindi and Indian regional languages like Malayalam, Tamil, Bengali, Punjabi, Bhojpuri and Kannada.