It's going to be a long weekend as the Christmas holiday telescopes into Saturday and Sunday. It is the time when the entire family is gathered together and having a blast. And what better way to ring in the fun and festivities than catching a movie/series or two with the entire household. Thanks to the OTT platforms, catching new releases together without having to move out is made easy.
This week, there are a clutch of new arrivals on streaming platforms in India that should make for interesting viewing. The accent is on comedy and thrillers --- these two always work in family situations.
Let us check them out:
- Year in review: In 2020, OTT platforms came of age in India
- Netflix's StreamFest a big hit - 8 lakh new app downloads in India
- Indian OTT platforms make a beeline for Tamil content
- Amazon Prime Video to globally premiere nine Indian movies
Coolie No 1
Director: David Dhawan
Cast: Varun Dhawan, Sara Ali Khan, Paresh Rawal, Javed jaffrey
Synopsis: This should be interesting. Stay with us carefully. This Coolie No 1 directed by David Dhawan is a remake of the 1991 film Coolie No 1 directed by, er, David Dhawan. Both these films are, of course, are remade versions of a Tamil movie named Chinna Mapillai. Also, there are movies in Telugu and Bhojpuri languages with the title Coolie No 1. They have no connection with this Coolie No 1. Also, Coolie No 1 is perhaps the title with which maximum number of movies have been made in India.
With the title confusion out of our way, we can deal with the story: It is a fun caper with false identity. A poor coolie masquerading as a rich person and winning the hand of the daughter of a wealthy person. Govinda was a riot in the original Hindi movie. Varun Dhawan has a tough act to follow. But an ideal movie for the festival time.
Language: Hindi
Platform: Amazon Prime Video
Release date: December 25, 2020.
AK vs AK
Director: Vikramaditya Motwane
Cast: Anil Kapoor, Anurag Kashyap, Sonam Kapoor, Harshvardhan Kapoor
Synopsis: The title is an obvious take off the on the protagonists Anil Kapoor and Anurag Kashyap. AK clan is further represented in the cast by Sonam Kapoor and Harshvardhan Kapoor, daughter and son of Anil Kapoor.
The film's publicity stunts have been the talk of the town. The story is equally a discussion theme. The comedy-thriller has Anurag Kashyap, the brash film director who kidnaps popular movie star Anil Kapoor’s daughter Sonam Kapoor and films his search for her in real-time to present it as his next blockbuster. It is obviously a meta movie where the leads play the real-life selfs. There is a certain Nolanesque loop within loop to the story. That should keep you engaged, if not entertained.
Language: Hindi
Platform: Netflix India
Release date: December 24, 2020.
Criminal Justice: Behind Closed Doors
Director: Rohan Sippy and Arjun Mukherjee
Cast: Kirti Kulhari, Pankaj Tripathi, Jisshu Sengupta, Adrija Sinha, Anupriya Goenka, Mita Vashisht, Ashish Vidyarthi, Deepti Naval
Synopsis: This is the Season 2 of the highly successful Criminal Justice series released last year (adapted from the British series of the same name.)
The eight-part web series is a mystery thriller with legal ramifications that keeps you hooked right from the start. A man is stabbed right at the start by his wife. The story is essentially about figuring about the whys of the crime. With plenty of court-related sequences, it makes for gripping watch. The acting is top-notch. It is headlined by Pankaj Tripathi. He is on a golden streak and can seemingly do no wrong in his current vein of form. You can watch this just for him as a the defence advocate.
Language: Hindi
Platform: Disney+ Hotstar
Release date: December 24, 2020.
Shoot Out At Alair
Director: Anand Ranga
Cast: Prakash Raj, Teja, Meka Srikanth, Sampthraj
Synopsis: This web series is produced by Telugu star Chiranjeevi’s daughter Sushmitha along with her husband Vishnu Prasad. This crime has the ever dependable Prakash Raj in the lead. This crime thriller is based on real-life events. A man kills a policeman every year on the day of the Mecca Masjid blasts (this happened in Hyderabad). Soon, he is killed in a police 'encounter'. However, after several years, another cop gets killed on the same day. Now, the question is the original criminal still alive. This question will keep you watching right till the end. There is action as well as adventure. Police procedurals are always interesting.
Language: Telugu
Platform: Zee5
Release date: December 25, 2020.
Sandwiched Forever
Director: Rohan Sippy
Cast: Kunaal Roy Kapoor, Aahana Kumra, Atul Kulkarni, Zakir Hussain, Divya Seth Shah, Lubna Salim
Synopsis: This web series is said to be a throw back to the hey days of Doordarshan in the 80s when Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi and Dekh Bhai Dekh ruled the roost. The accent is on easy family-oriented fun and banter.
A a newly married couple with love in their eyes are starting on their lives, but their problem lies elsewhere – their parents. Typically Indian, they are doting, but intrusive. As it happens, the couple's apartment is flanked on both sides by their respective parents' apartments. There is plenty of misunderstanding. because of which there is plenty of even more fun. Simple life situations written and enacted with an eye on comedy and fun. It is ideal for a weekend like this
Language: Hindi
Platform: SonyLiv
Release date: December 25, 2020.
As we said, this is Christmas holiday season. So put your feet up, grab something to eat and drink and start watching the never-ending entertainment on the OTT platforms. You deserve the break at the end of what has been a tough year for all.
