As always, our weekend picks on Indian streaming platforms for viewing were tough. It is always difficult to decide what to skip as in the Indian context there can be many choices between languages. This week we have opted for an interesting web series and four movies (two in Telugu and one in Hindi and Malayalam). Once again, we've been broad in our selection because we want our options to appeal to a wide range of viewers. There is an offer for each type of viewer. So here is our list of deals on Indian OTT platforms this week:
JL50
Director: Shailender Vyas Starring: Abhay Deol, Piyush Mishra, Ritika Anand and Pankaj Kapur Synopsis: A web series with such a stellar cast is recommended for this fact alone. And to add to that, JL 50 is a sci-fi series, something that is not so usual in Indian history. Another cool item that was originally made as a movie and has now been made into a web series. The story is a typical, time-tested time travel, but the trick also comes from the idea of Indian mythology. And it's a seductive combination. Science is a mythology to some. Mythology is a science to some. When these two elements meet, the resulting product is sure to be enchanting. Language: Hindi Platform: SonyLIV Release date: September 4, 2020.
Maniyarayile Ashokan
Director: Shamzu Zayba Cast: Jacob Gregory, Anupama Parameswaran, Krishna Sankar, Shine Tom Chacko, Sudheesh, Sreelakshmi Synopsis: As one of the leading Malayalam actors, Dulquer Salmaan, who has shown great talent for picking up interesting scripts in his own career , invest your money in a movie, it will be talked about. Maniyarayile Ashokan was released three days ago and received positive feedback. It is a story about an ordinary person's dream of having a beautiful wife. But he is mired in an inferiority complex. It is a daily life elevated by the realism and humor for which Malayalam cinema has rightly become famous. Language: Malayalam Platform: Netflix Release date: August 31, 2020.
Chat Chat
Director: Shiv Hare Cast: Lydian Nadhaswaram, Amitriyaan, Sachin Chaudhary, Yash Rane, Tamanna Dipak, Aayesha Vindhara Synopsis: When Lydian Nadhaswaram, a young Indian pianist who won CBS's The World's Best talent show, was chosen to play the actor main feature of this Hindi movie, it was always going to be a theme song. Added to that is the fact that double Oscar winner AR Rahman is presenting this film. Lydian, by the way, learned music at Chennai's Rahman Conservatory. Atkan Chatkan tells of a boy who wants to become a musician. How homeless youths overcome obstacles is the backbone of the story. Well-known percussionist "Drums" Sivamani provided the film's music. Language: Hindi Platform: Zee5 Release date: September 5, 2020.
Nenu Na Neshtam
Director: Srinivas Thimmaiah Cast: Shivraj KR Pete, Samyukta Hornad, Govinde Gowda, Rockline Sudhakar Synopsis: This film is a dubbed version of the eminently adorable Kannada Naanu film Matthu Gunda released earlier this year. In short, it is a warm relationship for a rickshaw driver to come into contact with a dog he meets by accident. It is a warm story of life and has been described as one of the best Kannada films on the relationship between humans and animals. The interesting highlight is the dog (a Labrador retriever) dubbed his own "voice" for the film. Language: Telugu Platform: Aha Release date: September 4, 2020.
V
Director: Mohana Krishna Indraganti Starring: Nani, Sudheer Babu, Jagapathi Babu, Nivetha Thomas, Aditi Rao Hydari Synopsis: One of the biggest releases in the south, it was designed for theaters but comes out on Amazon Prime. This is the 25th film in the career of the young and impressive Nani, and she would play a character with negative undertones, a first for her career. Sudheer plays an IPS officer, and the game of cat and mouse between him and Nani may just be the highlight of this exciting action thriller. A cop chasing a dangerous criminal is a genre that will never go out of style. Platform: Amazon Prime Language: Telugu Release date: September 5, 2020. The mix for this week's viewing is again interesting because there is variety. Romance, humor, action, science fiction, feelings. That's the beauty when you choose offers in multiple languages. It will definitely make your weekend worthwhile.