Based on ex-spy Amar Bhushan’s espionage thriller ‘Escape to Nowhere’, Vishal Bhardwaj’s much-awaited film ‘Khufiya’ has a formidable star cast that includes Tabu, Ali Fazal, Wamiqa Gabbi and Ashish Vidyarthi.
From ‘The Family Man’ hitmakers Raj Nidimoru and Krishna D.K. unspooling the small-town dark comedy ‘Guns & Gulabs’ set in the 1990s, starring Dulquer Salmaan and Rajkummar Rao, to a soup-slurping Manoj Bajpayee in ‘Soup’, to Nayanthara’s fairytale wedding and the uncle-nephew duo Venkatesh and Rana Daggubati uniting on screen as father and son in ‘Rana Naidu’, Netflix unveiled quite a formidable lineup for its Indian subscribers at a global fan event on Saturday.
Presented by comedian Zakir Khan and popular actress Prajakta Koli, Tudum India showcased the series and films lined up for release in the coming weeks and months. These included:
Monica, O My Darling
With a title that pays tribute to the unforgettable R.D. Burman-Asha Bhosale number picturised on a unctuous Helen (‘Piya Tu Ab to Aja’ from ‘Caravan’, 1971), the Vasant Bala-directed neo-noir movie with Huma Qureshi and Rajkummar Rao is a whodunit that wades through lust, blackmail, betrayal, blood, and “some robots crushing human skulls”.
Rana Naidu
Uncle-nephew duo Venkatesh and Rana Daggubati appear as father and son in the series ‘Rana Naidu’, which is set in Mumbai. The story is about a fixer who does the dirty work for the city’s most powerful people, but the drama unfolds when his father is unexpectedly released from prison, setting off a chain of events that could change everything. The series also features Surveen Chawla, Sushant Singh, Abhishek Banerjee, Suchitra Pillai, Gaurav Chopra and Ashish Vidyarthi.
Khufiya
Based on ex-spy Amar Bhushan’s espionage thriller ‘Escape to Nowhere’, Vishal Bhardwaj’s much-awaited film ‘Khufiya’ has a formidable star cast that includes Tabu, Ali Fazal, Wamiqa Gabbi and Ashish Vidyarthi.
Class
The show follows a sudden change in dynamics at the upscale Hampton International, when three new students from starkly different backgrounds enroll for a new term and shake up the status quo. The high-school drama, which may seem like an Indian version of ‘Euphoria’, stars Gurfateh Pirzada, Anjali Sivaraman, Ayesha Kanga, Cyaawal Singh, Chintan Rach, Chayan Chopra, Madhyama Segal, Moses Koul, Naina Bhan, Piyush Khati and Zeyn Shaw.
Scoop
Based on ‘Behind The Bars In Byculla: My Days In Prison’, a book by journalist Jigna Vora, who was charged with abetting the daylight murder of a crime journalist that shook Mumbai, ‘Scoop’ traces the journey of Jagruti Pathak, a fictional character based on the writer. An ambitious crime journalist, Jagruti’s world comes crashing down when she’s charged with the murder of a fellow journalist, and the truth is quietly buried as she waits out a trial. Directed by Hansal Mehta, ‘Scoop’ will see Karishma Tanna, Mohammad Zeeshan Ayyub, Harman Baweja, Deven Bhojani, Tannishtha Chatterjee, Tejasvini Kolhapure, Shikha Talsania, Tanmay Dhanania and Inayat Sood in key roles.
Qala
Haunting, powerful and also rich with excellent music, Qala, set in the 1930s and late 1940s, is the story of the young eponymous playback singer. It’s about her tragic past and how it catches up with her, causing her to unravel at the peak of her hard-won success. Directed by Anvitaa Dutt, ‘Qala’ stars Triptii Dimri, Swastika Mukherjee, Babil Khan and Amit Sial.
Kathal
Of course, not all true crime involves murder. A light-hearted film based on a true incident, it starts with a local politician’s prized jackfruits (kathal) going missing. The bizarre case falls into the lap of a young and earnest police officer, played by Sanya Malhotra. ‘Kathal’ marks the directorial debut of Yashowardhan Mishra.
Soup
Billed as “a one-of-a-kind thriller” directed by Abhishek Chaubey, ‘Soup’ follows chef Swathi Shetty as she cooks up a master plan to replace her husband with her lover. But when a bumbling local inspector and a squad of villainous meddlers get involved, her plans could go cold before she knows it. ‘Soup’ stars Manoj Bajpayee, Konkona Sensharma, and South Indian actors Nasser, Sayaji Shinde and Lal.
CAT
After ‘Jogi’, here’s a web series that takes viewers back to the days of militancy in Punjab and its aftermath. ‘CAT’ is about a former civilian informant, played by Randeep Hooda, who is forced to become one again to save the life of his brother, which forces him to come to terms with his dark past. Bringing together a powerful trio, ‘CAT’ has been directed by Balwinder Singh Janjua, Rupinder Chahal and Jimmy Singh.
Chor Nikal Ke Bhaga
Starring Yami Gautam, Sunny Kaushal and Sharad Kelkar, this adrenaline-loaded film is about a flight attendant and her business partner on a mission to steal diamonds and free themselves from the clutches of a loan shark. At 40,000 feet in the air, the heist goes horribly wrong and turns into a hostage situation. Chaos ensues.
Nayanthara: Beyond the Fairy Tale
There’s nothing fictional about this one. This special is about one of the most intensely private but wildly popular superstars, Nayanthara, who recently got married in a fairytale wedding to filmmaker Vignesh Shivan. It gives viewers an all-access peek into their lives, marriage and beyond. Ace filmmaker Gautam Vasudevan dons the role of director for the special.
Guns & Gulaabs
Directed by Raj & DK, it’s a genre-bending dark comedy set in a small town in the 1090s. It promises to deliver a heady mix of “love, crime and a ton of mid-’90s nostalgia”. ‘Guns & Gulaabs’ stars Dulquer Salman, Rajkummar Rao, Adarsh Gourav, TJ Bhanu and Gulshan Devaiah.