Two interesting but different anthologies headline our weekly recommendations for weekend viewing on Indian OTT platforms. The two anthologies are in Hindi and Tamil. Unpaused in Hindi on Amazon Prime Video, and Paava Kadhaigal on Netflix India certainly seem a much-watch as the directors, stories and performances carry a lot of promise. Aside from these two anthologies --- which, by the way, as a genre has been picking up steam on OTT platforms --- there is an interesting Telugu love story Guvva Gorinka, and a Malayalam love story dubbed into Telugu Mayanadhi. Then there is also the Hindi thriller series Black Widows. The murder story will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Here is a quick snapshots of the five releases we have handpicked:
- 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
Black Widows
Director: Birsa Dasgupta
Cast: Mona Singh, Swastika Mukherjee, Shamita Shetty, Sharad Kelkar, Parambrata Chattopadhyay, Raima Sen, Sabyasachi Chakraborty, Aamir Ali
Synopsis: Straight off, it is an interesting premise. It looks a cast iron plan on the face of it. Three best friends conspire to kill their respective abusive husbands. But in the bomb blast they think up, only two get killed. One survives, and is out on a revenge mission. There is also a prying sleuth following them hot on their paths. The story has both thrills and oomph to work as a gritty weekend entertainer.
Language: Hindi
Platform: Zee5
Release date: December 18, 2020.
Paava Kadhaigal
Directors: Sudha Kongara, Gautham Menon, Vetrimaaran and Vignesh Shivan
Cast: Kalki Koechlin, Anjali, Sai Pallavi, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Prakash Raj, Simran, Kalidas Jayaram, Bhavani Sre, Shanthnu Bhagyaraj
Synopsis: Paava Kadhaigal means sin stories. This four-stories anthology is being handled by Sudha Kongara, Gautham Menon, Vetrimaaran and Vignesh Shivan --- among the top names in Tamil film industry. The four stories deal with pride, honour, and sin, and how they impact complex relationships of love. A lot of expectation is riding on this offering as it is Netflix India's maiden venture in South India in terms of original web content. Should be a cracker of a collection this.
Language: Tamil
Platform: Netflix India
Release date: December 18, 2020.
Guvva Gorinka
Director: Mohan Bammidi
Cast: Satya Dev, Priya Lal, Priyadarshi, Rahul Ramakrishna, Chaitanya
Synopsis: Guvva Gorinka has been lying in the cans for nearly two years. In that sense, the film may be slightly dated. But romance movies have no real time limit. This movie is about a man and woman always fighting with each other, having totally different interests and approaches in life, end up falling in love. As a trope, it is nothing new. But the treatment is said to be youthful and engaging. Small budget films are making the most out of the market that streaming platforms now offer. Guvva Gorinka is one such film.
Language: Telugu
Platform: Amazon Prime Video
Release date: December 17, 2020.
Unpaused
Directors: Raj & DK, Nikkhil Advani, Tannishtha Chatterjee, Nitya Mehra and Avinash Arun
Cast: Lillette Dubey, Rinku Rajguru, Saiyami Kher, Gulshan Devaiyah, Komal Chhabria, Richa Chadha, Ishwak Singh, Sumeet Vyas, Ratna Pathak Shah, Shardul Bhardwaj, Abhishek Banerjee, Geetika Vidya Ohlyan and Palash Prajapati
Synopsis: This is an anthology of five different stories. The stories were shot during the lockdown. And like Putham Pudhu Kaalai in Tamil earlier, the theme of the stories is also said to be lockdown. The stories are upbeat, quirky but enjoyably so, and offer hope. Not surprisingly, the stories tackle the lockdown themes of isolation, loneliness, and of course, resilience. The cast is stellar, so the acting can be counted to be top-notch.
Language: Hindi
Platform: Amazon Prime Video
Release date: Dec 17, 2020.
Mayanadhi
Director: Aashiq Abu
Cast: Tovino Thomas, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Leona Lishoy, Harish Uthaman
Synopsis: As it is the case with many releases on the Aha platform, Mayanadhi is the dubbed Telugu version of the Malayalam hit from 2017. It is a sensitive love story between a criminal on the run and an aspiring actress. It is a story that shows us loss, hope, trust, passion, happiness, sadness, dignity, uncertainty, mystery. In short, it has everything that makes life a maya. The emotions are real, the portrayals are believable. This is what made us admire Mayanadhi in Malayalam. True emotions are beyond language. Hence in Telugu too it will be no less impactful.
Language: Telugu
Platform: Aha
Release date: December 18, 2020.
With India-Australia Test match, and five different offerings on OTT platforms, your weekend viewing may look hectic. But a packed schedule is better than having nothing to watch. So, happy viewing!
