It is going to be a fun-filled weekend in India as Diwali has arrived. Arguably the biggest pan-Indian festival, it is usually time for the family to come together and watch movies. Deepavali releases are a huge tradition in this country. As theatres are not fully open in India now, Deepavali releases are on streaming platforms. And that is why this week's recommendations for shows on Indian OTT platforms are mix of entertainment and sentiments.
We have Maa Vintha Gaadha Vinuma, a Telugu romantic comedy, Ludo, that is four stories with an ensemble cast, Chhalaang from a hit director-actor combo, Soorarai Pottru, a story around an aviation pioneer in India and Mookuthi Amman, a fun-ride that also has an important social message involving God and religion.
It is sure to make for great watching around the festival period.
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Maa Vintha Gaadha Vinuma
Director: Aditya Mandala
Cast: Sidhu Jonnalagadda, Seerat Kapoor, Tanikella Bharani, Pragathi, Lakshmi Manchu, Shishir Sharma, Jaya Prakash, Rajeswari Nair
Synopsis: This is the second straight release on the OTT platform for Sidhu Jonnalagadda, who was last seen in Krishna and His Leela on Netflix. As it happens, Maa Vintha Gaadha Vinuma is also a romantic entertainer with a lot of fun bunged into the story. Though originally meant for theaterical release, the film, with its accent on humour, love and levity is tailor-made for watching with the family in screens within homes. Siddhu Jonnalagadda is also the writer and creative producer for the movie. It is the love story between a Tamil girl and a Telugu guy. Should be fun.
Language: Telugu
Platform: Aha
Release date: November 13, 2020.
Chhalaang
Director: Hansal Mehta
Cast: Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Nushrratt Bharuccha, Satish Kaushik, Saurabh Shukla, Baljinder Kaur
Synopsis: In our book, any movie that features Rajkummar Rao and Saurabh Shukla in the cast deserves to be watched just for their acting alone, irrespective of the story or its treatment. They are brilliant and bring to their acting rare sense of believability and an understated humour. Also, this is director Hansal Mehta's fifth movie with Rajkummar Rao, and their joint efforts include the remarkable Shahid and Aligarh. Chhalaang is a film about an aimless drifter finding a purpose in life. It could be the story of many of us.
Language: Hindi
Platform: Amazon Prime
Release date: November 12, 2020.
Ludo
Director: Anurag Basu
Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Rajkummar Rao, Pankaj Tripathi, Aditya Roy Kapur, Rohit Suresh Saraf, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Sanya Malhotra, Pearle Maaney, Inayat Verma
Synopsis: Look at the ensemble cast of the movie. Abhishek Bachchan, Rajkummar Rao, Pankaj Tripathi, Aditya Roy Kapoor, Sanya Malhotra...this is practically among the best collection of artists in India now. And Anurag Basu is seasoned enough to come up with material that would do justice to the acting talents that he has at his disposal.
The film is broadly four different stories that eventually converge to offer a climactic twist. The Ludo is a reference to the game of dice which could be a metaphor for life itself with its ups and downs.
Language: Hindi
Platform: Netflix
Release date: November 12, 2020.
Soorarai Pottru
Director: Sudha Gongara
Cast: Suriya, Aparna Balamurali, Paresh Rawal, Urvashi
Synopsis: The story is based on the real-life incidents behind Captain G R Gopinath, the man behind India's first budget airline Air Deccan, which began with a flourish but folded after it was taken over by Kingfisher Airlines that also eventually shut down. But the story is about the excruciating trials and tribulations that Gopinath went through in the run up to starting the airline. It is the quintessential triumph of the underdog. A man chasing an impossible dream and making it a reality overcoming enormous odds. Sudha Gonghara, the director, had won rave reviews for her previous work on a stentorian boxing coach, Irudhi Sutru (Saala Khadoos in Hindi). In this film, the acting of Suriya and Aparna Balamurali is something to look forward to.
Language: Tamil
Platform: Amazon Prime
Release date: Nov 11, 2020.
Mookuthi Amman
Directors: R J Balaji and N J Saravanan
Cast: Nayanthara, RJ Balaji, Urvashi, Moulee
Synopsis: RJ Balaji has won a name for himself as a comedian, and then as a hero in the hugely successful LKG. He is known for his non-stop chatter aimed at your funny bone. As his LKG showed, he knows how to tell a serious tale with humour and flair. Mookuthi Amman is not your regular movie on a Goddess. It has lot of social undertones, and is loosely PK kind of movie. But with 'lady superstar' Nayanthara and RJ Balaji himself in the leads, this should be one heck of a fun ride.
Language: Tamil
Platform: Disney+ Hotstar
Release date: November 14, 2020.
Folks, have a safe and fun-filled Diwali. And enjoy the films, they should add to the fun and festivities.
