Last week being Pongal and Sankranti, we had plenty of fresh releases on the OTT platforms. And the next week we have the Republic Day, and a few big-ticket movies are making it to the streamers around that time. In the event, most of the new releases on the OTT this week have had their theatrical run before. But still, there is an interesting mix of movies and series on offer.
In Telugu, we have the much talked about Shyam Singha Roy, and still sticking with the same language, we have the always mass masala Balakrishna’s Akhanda. Talking of masala, we have also included in our list, the Badshah of masala movies, Rohit Shetty’s OTT debut — albeit not through a movie — Mission Frontline. The show will also feature actor, director, singer, writer Farhan Akhtar. Then we have the Malayalam woman-son sentimental offering Bhoothakaalam. This is a straight-on-the-OTT release. And we round up the week’s offerings with the anthology Unpaused: Naya Safar, a follow-up to the last year’s Unpaused, which it should be said, was a bit tepid.
As we stick with 5 offerings, a few other new releases are not elaborated in this list. They would be the Tamil films Bachelor (SonyLIV) and Mudhal Nee Mudivum Nee (Zee5), and the Telugu web series Loser – Season 2 (Zee5).
Bhoothakaalam
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Director: Rahul Sadasivan
Cast: Shane Nigam, Revathy, Saiju Kurup, James Eliya, Athira Patel, Abhiram Radhakrishnan
Language: Malayalam
Platform: SonyLIV
Release date: Jan 21, 2021.
Synopsis: Last year, veteran actress Revathy had a Telugu release, Itlu Amma, in which she played a traumatised widowed mom who loses her son under mysterious circumstances. The unpretentious mom then sets out to find the killers of her son and the reason for the murder. Bhoothakaalam may not be a reprise of that film. But the trailer of the film also suggests a psychological ride involving a woman and son. Shane Nigam plays the son. This should be, on the evidence of the trailer, a slow-burn thriller.
Interestingly, the film also marks the debut of him as a music composer. The film was to have a theatrical release. But the resurgent Covid-19 wave has put paid to the plans.
Akhanda
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Director: Boyapati Sreenu
Cast: Nandamuri Balakrishna, Pragya Jaiswal, Jagapathi Babu, Srikanth
Language: Telugu
Platform: Disney+ Hotstar
Release date: January 21, 2022.
Synopsis: Telugu star Balakrishna’s films are unabashedly over the top masala offerings that stretch the limits of our credulity and incredulity alike. Having said that, we must confess that we are fans of Balakrishna movies as they relentlessly cater to his image and play to the gallery in a no-holds-barred manner. It is fun, in a strange sort of way.
Akhanda, which has had a successful theatrical run, promises all those typical Balakrishna fare. It is said to be among his biggest grossers ever. The story revolves around…well, this is a Balakrishna film, nobody bothers about the story. Basically, he takes on the evil guys and finishes them off in the climax. The ride will be exhilarating and pulsating.
Shyam Singha Roy
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Director: Rahul Sankrityan
Cast: Nani, Sai Pallavi, Krithi Shetty, Madonna Sebastian
Language: Telugu
Platform: Netflix
Release date: January 21, 2022.
Synopsis: The is a time-travel story, with the ’70s-era Bengal and contemporary Hyderabad backdrop. Interestingly, the hero Nani plays a double role. He is a young, urban film director and a Bengali social reformer.
The director Rahul Sankrityan seems to like a thing or two about being ‘possessed’. His first movie The End was in the horror genre. In the next Taxiwala, he had a car that seemed to be possessed. In Shyam Singha Roy, the hero is haunted by a past. As Sai Pallavi is in the list, a good song and dance is confirmed. She is cast, unambiguously, as a dancer.
In its theatrical run, the other two women in the film Krithi Shetty and Madonna Sebastian’s performances also received good mention from the audience.
Mission Frontline
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Director: Kunal Kochhar
Cast: Farhan Akhtar, Rohit Shetty
Language: Hindi
Platform: Discovery+
Release date: January 20, 2022.
The Republic Day is around the corner. And to ring in the spirit of the occasion, Farhan Akhtar and Rohit Shetty will be seen in new episodes of Mission Frontline. The series celebrates the valour of the armed forces.
It should be made clear that the two will not be appearing together. The episodes will see Farhan spending a day with the Rashtriya Rifle soldiers and and Rohit with J&K Police’s Special Operations Group in Srinagar.
Farhan summed up his experience, “if I could express the feeling in one word, it would be humbling for me. Back when we were filming Lakshya, we went up close and personal with the lives of our jawans, but stepping into their shoes and experiencing the hardships they go through on-ground is a life-changing experience.”
In the series, Rohit will become a member of a Special Operations Group and experience the life of an Indian Army Soldier. Rohit said: “An experience that I cannot explain even through the best of phrases.”
The show has witnessed actors like Rana Daggubati and Sara Ali Khan in the past.
Unpaused: Naya Safar
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Directors: Nupur Asthana, Ayappa KM, Shikha Makan, Ruchir Arun, Nagraj Manjule
Cast: Shreya Dhanwanthary, Priyanshu Painyuli, Geetanjali Kulkarni, Saqib Saleem, Ashish Verma, Sam Mohan, Neena Kulkarni, Darshana Rajendran
Language: Hindi
Platform: Amazon Prime Video
Release date: January 21, 2022.
Synopsis: Anthologies have become regular in recent times. But they have also been criticised for being patchy and uneven. Many of them have not really worked, offering entertainment in bits and pieces. They have come across, mostly, as disjointed efforts. Unpaused in its first offering last year, featuring 5 stories, was at best middling. The stories revolved around life during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Now the sequel, Unpaused: Naya Safar, is also centered on stories that are a window into how the pandemic has changed us. The five directors and their stories are: Shikha Makan (Gond Ke Laddu), Ruchir Arun (Teen Tigada), Nupur Asthana (The Couple), Ayappa KM (War Room), and Nagraj Manjule (Vaikunth).
In Tamil, we recently had the a sequel to the pandemic lockdown anthology Putham Pudhu Kaalai in Putham Pudhu Kaalai Vidiyaadhaa. It started streaming last week, and has got a mixed response.
Our recommendations from previous weeks
Ye Kaali Kaali Ankhen
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Director: Siddharth Sengupta
Cast: Tahir Raj Bhasin, Saurabh Shukla, Anchal Singh
Language: Hindi
Platform: Netflix
Release date: January 14, 2021
Synopsis: In our annual review of the best of web series that we expect sequels to in 2022, we had listed the unsung Undekhi on SonyLIV. The latest release as a Netflix Original series is by the same director Siddharth Sen Gupta. It has Anchal Singh and the excellent Surya Sharma from the Undekhi starcast playing key roles as well.
The story of obsessive love, as evident from the title (from SRK’s Baazigar) has a man attempting to resist the advances of a woman who pursued her since school. All his efforts to reclaim his life comes to nought as the obsessive lover happens to the local politician’s daughter, who believes a good husband is just a trophy. How his drastic steps pans out for the families is what the series is about.
Catch the trailer here.
Skylab
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Director: Vishvak Khanderao
Cast: Nithya Menen, Satyadev Kancharana, Rahul Ramakrishna
Language: Telugu
Platform: SonyLIV
Release date: January 14, 2021
Synopsis: Back in the late 70s, the there was a global tizzy as the American space station Skylab was on a free fall. There was fear and anxiety everywhere over where the gargantuan object from the space would smash into. Eventuality, it dropped somewhere in Australia without causing any harm to anyone.
But for a few days the world was on an edge. And this film, with the eponymous title, takes up the subject from a remote village in Karimnagar, Telangana. The small village with unpretentious people are ill-prepared for a potential global calamity. This lends itself to easy comedy and fun. Science and a small town is an unlikely combination. Perhaps that is what makes the film tick.
Catch the trailer here.
Raja Vikramarka
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Director: Sri Saripalli
Cast: Kartikeya Gummakonda, Tanya Ravichandran, Pasupathy, Tanikella Bharani, P Sai Kumar
Language: Telugu
Platform: SunNXT
Release date: January 13, 2022.
Synopsis: The Sun network is among the biggest ones in India, with a prominent position in South India. But as an OTT platform it has not managed to create much buzz. Because, its choice of films has left a bit to be desired. Raja Vikramarka is among its big releases for the season. But the film had an average run at the box-office when it was released.
Anyway, this action thriller can be a decent watch for the weekend. The story is about a secret agent who is in love with the daughter of the State’s Home Minister. But she doesn’t know that he is a commando kind. As it happens, the Minister is targeted by the bad elements to settle some old scores. They kidnap the Minister’s daughter. The hero now has to save his lover and also unravel the back story between the villain and the Minister.
Catch the trailer here.
Garuda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana
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Director: Raj B Shetty
Cast: Raj B Shetty, Rishab Shetty
Language: Kannada
Platform: Zee5
Release date: January 13, 2021.
Synopsis: This was probably the best film in Kannada last year. (It released in December). Critics lavished praise on the film for its Korean film-like treatment to an essential Indian story. It is about two friends who rise together but turn bitter enemies resulting in their own downfall and destruction. Set in Mangaluru, the film is a sharp examination of masculinity and brotherhood, destiny and ambition.
Among South Indian films, Kannada has lagged behind the other three. But this film would provide worthy competition to the offerings from Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu film industries. This film also underscores the arrival of the Kannada gangster film genre. And Raj B Shetty, who caught our eye with his previous film Ondu Motteya Kathe, is outstanding in this one, too.
Catch the trailer here.
Putham Pudhu Kaalai Vidiyaadhaa
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Directors: Balaji Mohan, Halitha Shameem, Madhumita, Richard Anthony, Surya Krishna
Cast: Gouri Kishan, TeeJay Arunasalam, Lijomol Jose, Arjun Das, Nadiya Moidu, Joju George, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Nirmal Pillai, Sananth, Dhilip Subbarayan.
Language: Tamil
Platform: Amazon Prime Video
Release date: January 14, 2021.
Synopsis: Last year, we had an anthology of five Tamil shorts filmed during the pandemic with stories about hope and new beginnings. It was titled Putham Pudhu Kaalai. Now we have a sequel of sorts to it titled Putham Pudhu Kaalai Vidiyaadhaa.
This one too has five different stories, and they also deal with the themes of hope, determination, and personal discovery. As with the first one, this anthology has stories helmed by five different directors.
But quite unlike the first one, we have a couple of Malayalam directors and actors in the reckoning here. That would make the offering even more interesting.
The five stories are Balaji Mohan’s Mugakavasa Mutham, Halitha Shameem’s Loners Madhumita’s Mouname Paarvayaai, Richard Anthony’s Nizhal Tharum Idham, and Surya Krishna’s The Mask.
Anthologies have had a chequered run in Tamil so far. But Putham Pudhu Kaalai Vidiyaadhaa hopes to buck the trend.
Catch the trailer here.
Human
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Director: Vipul Amrutlal Shah and Mozez Singh
Cast: Shefali Shah, Seema Biswas, Kirti Kulhari, Ram Kapoor, Mohan Agashe
Language: Hindi
Platform: Disney+ Hotstar
Release date: January 14, 2022.
Synopsis: This 10-episoded web series is about human clinical drug trials, a topic not explored on Indian screens before. This suspense thriller delves into the subject of unethical human trials of banned drug. The National award winning actor Shefali Shah, who plays the role of Dr Gauri Nath heading the Manthan Hospital, is working with her husband Vipul Shah, who is the director of the series, after a long time.
The edgy thriller, which also adroitly mixes emotions, throws up glimpses of the pharmaceutical world and how often business profits override ethics.
Aside from Human, we also have an interesting web series Yeh Kaali Kaali Aankhein, a Hindi web series that is streaming on Netflix from January 14.
Catch the trailer here.
Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui
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Director: Abhishek Kapoor
Cast: Hiphop Ayushmann Khurana, Vaani Kapoor, Kanwaljit Singh
Language: Hindi
Platform: Netflix
Release date: January 7, 2021.
Synopsis: This is the story of a bodybuilder and owner of a struggling gym who hires a Zumba teacher to boost membership and promptly falls in love with her, even as her classes attracts more customers and rakes in more money. The duo get close after an injury to the bodybuilder results in the lady visiting his family where she sees some weird goings-on. As the couple grow closer, the lady reveals that she is a trans woman, which horrifies the guy, who finds it tough to accept.
The movie hit the marquee on December 10 and received mixed reviews with some of the nay-sayers wondering why a trans woman didn’t play the role and why it had to be a woman. However, it was a tailor-made role for Ayushmann Khurana who had a bronzed up physique to play the gym owner. Vaani Kapoor is passable but it is the support cast that truly makes a difference.
The trailer of the film can be seen here.
Anbarivu
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Director: Aswin Ram
Cast: Hiphop Tamizha Adhi, Napoleon, Vidharth, Kashmira Pardeshi, Asha Sharath, Saikumar, Renuka
Language: Tamil
Platform: Disney+ Hotstar
Release date: January 7, 2021.
Synopsis: The thing about Hiphop Tamizha Adhi’s movies is that they are always massy and decidedly formulaic. The songs-fights-sentiments sequences all come in patented profusion. But the young actor knows what he is doing. For, these elements work for him. Most of his previous films have brought in the moolah, so he is understandably loath to change. Anbarivu, going by the trailer, is going to be no different.
It is about two brothers, actually twins, separated at birth, who are raised separately and differently due to family differences and political power play. Can they reunite, and bring together the broken family? Don’t bother answering the question. You know it. The fun is probably in the ride. It is set in Madurai. You also know the elements and emotions that come with it.
The trailer of the film can be seen here.
Humble Politiciann Nograj
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Director: Saad Khan
Cast: Danish Sait, Prakash Belawadi
Language: English
Platform: Voot Select
Release date: January 6, 2022.
Synopsis: Danish Sait, a well-known comic in Karnataka, hit the national prominence during the lockdown as his one-minute videos with a gaggle of idiosyncratic characters, Jaya, Ramamurthy ‘Avarre’ et al, became a big hit. Danish Sait’s strength is his observational ability, and his characters are decidedly real and his depictions have a natural comedic flair. Humble Politician Nogroj is also one of his make-believe characters mined out of Karnataka politics. But take away his tendency to lapse into Kannada patois, Nogroj and his politics is pan-India.
That is why Humble Politician Nogroj, which was a Kannada film in 2018, has now a new and fresh avatar in English as a web series as Humble Politiciann Nogroj.
Danish Sait, in his videos, is an equal opportunity offender, in that he takes potshots at all. The web series is no different. It satirises politicians who exploit the system. For humour to be relevant, it has to throw jabs at current politicians. And Danish Sait is not afraid to that. The only question is can the material that is good enough for short gags be sustained for a long 10-episoded web series.
The trailer of the series can be seen here.
Cubicles – Season 2
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Director: Chaitanya Kumbhakonum
Cast: Badri Chavan, Khushu Baid, Shivankit Singh Parihar, Deepesh Sumitra Jagdish, Sameer Saxena, Abhinav Anand
Language: Hindi
Platform: SonyLIV
Release date: January 7, 2022.
Synopsis: The TVF-helmed first season of Cubicles, released in 2019, was hugely popular. As the title of the series would make it clear, it was about the life and experiences of a corporate employee. It portrayed tale of Piyush, who is into his first job and the changes it brings along.
Considering the success of the series, the second season was inevitable. Now, going by the trailer, Piyush is well-established in his job. But his challenges and problems are different. He has to make himself successful in the rat race. He also has to be one-up on the office politics. The series maintains both a funny as well as an emotional tone to the events. That is what made it tick in the first place.
The trailer of the series can be seen here.
Campus Diaries
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Director: Prem Mistry and Abhishek Yadav
Cast: Harsh Beniwal, Ritvik Sahore, Saloni Gaur, Salonie Patel, Abhinav Sharma, Srishti Ganguli Rindani
Language: Hindi
Platform: MX Player
Release date: January 7, 2022.
Synopsis: College campus stories never really get old. You know the tropes. But there is something to them that make them interesting to watch. Campus Diaries, the web series, hopes to ride on that popular sentiment.
As with all student life tales, this one too is billed as a coming-of-age drama of six students at an university. The trailer seems to suggest that the makers are going beyond the usual fun, love and games of students to focus on some serious issues like ragging, discrimination based on societal biases, unrequited love, drug abuse and toxic relationships that are inevitable in the rites of passage of growing up in an university campus.
The trailer of the series can be seen here.
Varudu Kaavalenu
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Director: Lakshmi Sowjanya
Cast: Naga Shaurya, Ritu Varma, Murali Sharma, Nadhiya, Jayaprakash, Vennela Kishore, Praveen
Language: Telugu
Platform: Zee5
Release date: January 7, 2022.
Synopsis: Breezy romantic entertainers are meant for weekend viewing. And Varudu Kaavalenu is tailor-made in that category. It is the candy floss story of two youngsters with different mindsets falling for each other.
It is an urban rom-com where one person wants to live life on the fast lane, while another prefers it on the laidback path. Then again, as a cinematic story, it is nothing new. But with such movies, the freshness quotient and chemistry between the lead pair is crucial. Naga Shaurya and Ritu Varma, the leads in question, surely look fresh. She plays a strong-headed woman who heads an eco-friendly start-up. And his character is an amiable architect who is back in India after a stint abroad. The stage is set for a romance between two independent and mature persons. But there is an inevitable hitch. And that is the story. The pairing seems organic, and that is why when the film was released in theatres recently it had a decent run.
The trailer of the film can be seen here.
Keshu Ee Veedinte Nadhan
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Direction: Nadirsha
Cast: Dileep, Urvashi, Harishree Ashokan, Kalabhavan Shajon, Harish Kanaran, Jafar Idukki,
Language: Malayalam
Platform: Disney+ Hotstar
Release date: December 31, 2021.
Synopsis: These are strange times for Malayalam actor Dileep, who not long ago was a top star. But in a case of attack on an actress, he is one of the accused. Basically, it is alleged that he is the one who ‘ordered’ the attack that was carried out by a bunch of henchmen. The matter is in court and a verdict is expected soon. Amidst that, his new film is set for release. People are conflicted whether to watch a movie lead by a man accused of orchestrating a heinous sexual attack on a a fellow actress and got that filmed. Or whether to give him the benefit of doubt till the court decides one way or the other. We have decided to feature his film in this column as the court is still to pronounce its verdict.
The film as such will have Dileep in yet another of his face-altering make-up, and coming up with his usual bag of comedy schticks. He and the director Nadirsha are known for their flair for such slapstick larks. Dileep won his spurs as an actor through such roles. The trailer leaves no one in any doubt about the nature of the film. Should be good for weekend laughs.
Catch the film’s trailer here.
Murder at Teesri Manzil 302
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Direction: Navneet Baz Saini
Cast: Irrfan Khan, Ranvir Shorey, Deepal Shaw, Lucky Ali
Language: Hindi
Platform: Zee5
Release date: December 31, 2021.
Synopsis: Irrfan Khan was one actor who left an indelible imprint in whatever role he essayed, no matter how bad the film was. The talented actor passed away last year, and since then some of his unreleased films have been making it to the screens. Murder at Teesri Manzil 302 is one such film.
The thing is it has been lying the cans for over a decade. For various reasons it could not see the light of the day. But now it is set to emerge from its darkness. This thriller, by the looks of the trailer, looks a bit dated. It would be surprising if it did not. For, it was shot as far back as 2007. But aside from the looks and feel, the murder mystery, it is hoped, has the story and structure to stand the test of time. In any case, it has Irrfan, whose acting in any case is timeless.
Catch the film’s trailer here.
Kaaval
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Direction: Nithin Renji Panicker
Cast: Suresh Gopi, Renji Panicker, Rachel David, Evan Anil
Language: Malayalam
Platform: Netflix
Release date: December 27, 2021.
Synopsis: Ranji Panicker as a writer, and Suresh Gopi as an actor, together have been part of several masala potboilers in the 90s and early 2000s. Those movies, unabashedly over the top and mass entertainers, kind of made the career of both the gents. But much water has flown under the bridge since then. Suresh Gopi as an actor has cut down on his outings, while Ranji Panicker, in the meantime, has become an actor in his own right.
The two veterans have come together for a typical potboiler directed by, as it happens, Panicker’s son Nithin Renji Panicker.
The film has had a theatrical release and is already streaming on Netflix. For a masala movie, the pace is a bit slow, but it seems to be a conscious decision of the director who has taken into account the age of the senior pros leading the cast. There is also a small suspenseful twist to the tale, exactly the kind that the films of the duo were famous for in the past.
Catch the film’s trailer here.
Senapthi
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Direction: Pavan Sadineni
Cast: Rajendra Prasad, Naresh Agastya, Gnaneswari Kandregula, Harshavardhan, Keshav Deepak, and Rakendu Mouli
Language: Telugu
Platform: Aha
Release date: December 31, 2021.
Synopsis: Going by the trailer, Senpathi looks to be inspired by the Tamil film 8 Thottakkal, which itself was based on Akira Kurosawa’s Stray Dog. The shadow of which of the two films will linger more on Senpathi would be interesting to watch. The larger plot is about a honest cop accidentally losing his service pistol that ultimately lands into the hands of a man, who goes on a killing spree.
The crime drama marks the OTT debut of actor Rajendra Prasad. Known for his comedic flair, this would be a different kind of challenge for the veteran. He was the one who played the now iconic Quick Gun Murugan character. From flashy gun to losing pistol, Rajendra Prasad’s filmi characters seem to have come a full circle.
Catch the film’s trailer here.
Waah Zindagi
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Direction: Dinesh Yadav
Cast: Sanjay Mishra, Vijay Raaz, Manoj Joshi, Naveen Kasturia, Plabita Borthakur
Language: Hindi
Platform: Zee 5
Release date: December 31, 2021.
Synopsis: Probably keeping in spirit with the choice of films this week, this is another late release. But the story of the movie is topical. It makes a case for Make in India products in the face of dumping of cheap Chinese products. Woven into this situational satire is one man’s dream of becoming a home-grown small entrepreneur to win the heart of his lady love. It is about cute romance, and also about the very few choices being available for a small-time businessman from the hinterlands of the country. The director’s dexterity lies in fusing the diverse strands into one agreeable whole that brings a wry smile to the viewers’ faces. With a cast that includes Sanjay Mishra, Vijay Raaz, Manoj Joshi, things are bound to be ‘relishably’ realistic.
Catch the film’s trailer here.
Bheemante Vazhi
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Director: Ashraf Hamza
Cast: Kunchacko Boban, Jinu Joseph, Megha Thomas, Divya M Nair, Chemban Vinod Jose, Suraj Venjaramoodu
Language: Malayalam
Platform: Amazon Prime Video
Release date: December 30, 2021.
Synopsis: Though we have mentioned only 5 films in the headline, we are adding a 6th one to our list as a year-end surprise bonus. This is a typical unpretentious slow comedy movie that Malayalam cinema has become famous for. The story of the movie revolves around lead man’s almost comical struggle of widening the road of his neighborhood to provide better access to the mainland. It is a story that is situated in Malayalam land, both literally and metaphorically.
Talking of metaphors, the name Bheem is also used in that sense. For, the hero doesn’t bring to the table the fame physical strength of Mahabharatha hero. But he exhibit the same inner resolve of the legendary warrior of our land.
Catch the film’s trailer here.
Happy viewing.
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