Our weekly recommendation for shows and films to watch on OTT platforms in India this week is largely filled with thrillers. It is a genre that is universally popular for ages. There is also comedy and action with a big star like Akshay Kumar thrown in the mix. This should make for fun weekend watching ahead of the Diwali.
Our picks include a Hindi series on cop-criminals encounters (Mum Bhai), a Hindi psycho thriller series (Welcome Home), a Telugu thriller (Gatham), a gritty woman empowerment tale in Telugu (Miss India) and a massy comedy-action-ghostly tale that has Akshay Kumar in the lead (Laxmii Bomb).
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Mum Bhai
Director: Akshay Choubey
Cast: Angad Bedi, Sikandar Kher, Priyank Sharma, Sandeepa Dhar and Samar Khan
Synopsis: This is a crime thriller that pits a hardened cop against the thugs of the Mumbai's notorious underworld. The web series, apart from offering gritty action sequences, also poses the moral quandary that the police force has to face while tackling notorious criminals. The villains have no rules to follow, but the policemen have to operate from within the boundaries of law. The larger underlying theme of the interestingly titled 'Mum Bhai' is fascinating and should make for interesting viewing. The cop character that Angad Bedi plays is said to inspired from real-life cop Daya Nayak, the controversial encounter specialist.
Language: Hindi
Platform: Alt Balaji/Zee5
Release date: Nov 6, 2020.
Welcome Home
Director: Pushkar Mahabal
Cast: Kashmira Irani, Swarda Thigale, Tina Bhatiya
Synopsis: This is said to be a psycho-thriller that revolves around two girls who are with the census department. Their decision to check out that house in the middle of nowhere is what unravels this entire story. Jointly produced by the well-known actor Paresh Rawal, the series comes with a lot of expectations as SonyLIV is on a high following the remarkable success of Scam: 1992 series. The platform is hoping to continue its success with this horror thriller.
Language: Hindi
Platform: SonyLIV
Release date: Nov 6, 2020.
Gatham
Director: Kiran Reddy
Cast: Bhargava Poludasu, Rakesh Galebhe, Poojitha Kuraparthi
Synopsis: This is reportedly an independent project by a group of Indian origin film buffs in the United States, this is another psychological thriller. The word of mouth is that the film is engaging and smart. The story though is on known lines: A person forgets his past after waking up from a coma. His struggles to know about himself lead him to unravel several unexpected and horrifying adventures. But the film from the enterprising relative amateurs has plenty of passion and poise.
Platform: Amazon Prime Video
Language: Telugu
Release date: Nov 5, 2020.
Miss India
Director: Narendra Nath
Cast: Keerthy Suresh, Rajendra Prasad, Jagapathi Babu, Naresh, Nadhiya, Naveen Chandra
Synopsis: This the second direct digital release for Keerthy Suresh after ‘Penguin’. The story is about a girl who comes to India (from the US) and tries to create a business enterprise for herself under the brand name 'Miss India'. As a woman in the big corporate world, she is up against many challenges, professional and sexist. How she overcomes them and wins the battle is the broad contour of the story. This is a typical Telugu movie with a large cast.
Language: Telugu
Platform: Netflix India
Release date: Nov 5, 2020.
Laxmii Bomb
Director: Raghava Lawrence
Cast: Akshay Kumar, Kiara Advani
Synopsis: Down South in Tamil Nadu, the film Kanchana, which combined comedy and horror, became a huge success, so much so it had two more sequels. The film's hero and director Raghava Lawrence has taken the main story to Hindi. While the hero is Akshay Kumar, Raghava Lawrence himself is directing the Hindi version. The film has run into some controversy that has led the film's name changed from the Laxmmi Bomb to the equally bizarre Laxmii Bomb. But action, dance, and comedy are right up Akshay Kumar's alley, and this film has them aplenty. So this Diwali release should be fun for his fans.
Language: Hindi
Platform: Disney+ Hotstar
Release date: November 9, 2020.
All in all, this week has been one of commercial entertainers. As the IPL veers comes to a close and festival time peaks in India, mass movies would fit the mood of the occasion.
