Bollywood actress Kriti Sanon has shared a video on social media, where she is seen riding a motorbike. The song Hairat from the 2010 film Anjaana Anjaani plays in the background.
“Four wheels… Move the body…Two wheels…Move the soul.. P.S. I always wanted to ride a bike with this song playing in the background!” Kriti captioned the clip.
The actress is all set to start shooting for the upcoming film Bachchan Pandey starring Akshay Kumar.
She has also finished shooting for her next with actor Rajkummar Rao for Abhishek Jain’s upcoming comedy Second Innings. The film also stars Paresh Rawal and Dimple Kapadia, and is scheduled to release next year.
Kriti’s other upcoming film is Mimi, Laxman Utekar’s film that casts her as a young surrogate mother alongside Pankaj Tripathi, Sai Tamhankar, Manoj Pahwa and Supriya Pathak.
He courted limelight and controversy posing in the nude with then girlfriend Madhu Sapre, wrapped by a python, for a shoe commercial in the nineties, and did much the same again nearly three decades later when he ran in his birthday suit on a Goa beach to celebrate his 55th birthday last month. Milind Soman, model and fitness freak, always lives up to his sex symbol tag with aplomb, and says the definition doesn’t bother him…writes Sugandha Rawal.
“The tag of sex symbol doesn’t bother me. I will tell you why — because, for a man to be regarded as a sex symbol is great. Men are very happy to be regarded as sex symbols because that is something extra for them,” Milind told IANS.
However, he acknowledges the gender disparity in this context. “When a woman is regarded as a sex symbol, it might be everything that she is seen for, which is not a good thing,” he observed.
The actor explained: “That is part of the whole discrimination on the part of the way we see women. Women have been objectified to that extent. Men have not been objectified to that extent that it (being a sex symbol) is all that they stand for.”
The actor feels things are changing for the better.
“I think it is going away. I see it becoming a little bit more equal. The whole thing can’t change at once but different aspects, especially gender equality, will change quicker than other aspects,” he added.
Recently, Milind caused a stir when he posted a nude picture of himself running on the beach on his 55th birthday. While the actor was lauded by many for the viral image, he was booked by South Goa district police for obscenity.
Asked if the reactions and response to his birthday suit picture surprised him, Milind laughed and said: “Nothing surprises me.”
“Okay, on social media, nothing surprises me. I’ve been here for more than 30 years. People’s opinions are important. But what they tell you is how our society is growing, how our values are changing and how our culture is evolving. It doesn’t mean that something is good or bad, or that’s not what it tells me. I can decide what is good or bad, but what it (the reactions) tells me is about society. (Now), more people are getting more exposed, and more people are able to express their ideas. That is interesting — what ideas they come up with and how they change over time,” he added.
Tell him he looks good in the birthday picture, and his response is: “A lot of people who saw it have told me the same thing.”
At the moment, Milind is seen in the role of a eunuch in new web series “Paurashpur”. The series traces the story of a medieval city that is fraught with crime, corruption, abuse of power, misogyny, rape and love. It is set against the backdrop of 18th century India.
“Paurashpur” also features Shilpa Shinde, Kashish Rai, Annu Kapoor, Shaheer Sheikh, Flora Saini, Anant Joshi, Asmita Bakshi, Harshita Kasyap and Sahil Salathia. The show is directed by Sachindra Vats and has premiered on ALTBalaji and Zee5.
When it comes to Hollywood, 2021 is going to be a year of superheroes, reboots and follow-ups on the big screen — and, of course, James Bond.
The Hollywood calendar of the year comes packed with big blockbusters including Scarlett Johansson’s solo superhero outing “Black Widow”, the/-+ Dwayne Johnson adventure “Jungle Cruise”, Marvel’s latest superhero genre addition “Eternals”, Tom Cruise’s new “Top Gun” sequel and Daniel Craig’s final outing as James Bond, “No Time To Die”.
IANS lists the Hollywood releases lined up in 2021 that sure gets us excited:
NO TIME TO DIE
Certainly the most talked-about Hollywood film not to release in 2020, Daniel Craig’s final outing as James Bond is now scheduled to release on April 2 this year. The 25th instalment of the franchise also features Rami Malek as the new Bond villain Safin, and brings back Lea Seydoux as Dr. Madeleine Swann, Ben Whishaw as Q, Ralph Fiennes as M, Naomie Harris as Moneypenny and Jeffrey Wright as CIA agent Felix Leiter. It is directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga.
BLACK WIDOW
Marvel Studios will finally release their solo “Black Widow” film, which aims to give a new twist to women power in the superhero universe. The film will bring back Scarlett Johansson as of Natasha Romanoff and her superhero alter ego Black Widow, as she traces her past to solve the puzzle of her life. The film was slated to release in 2020, but got pushed due to the Covid crisis. Now, it is slated to release on May 7.
FAST & FURIOUS 9
Hollywood stars Vin Diesel and John Cena will give bromance a new spin in the upcoming “Fast & Furious” film, which will be fuelled by the emotion of vengeance. The saga sees the return of Justin Lin as director, who helmed the third, fourth, fifth and sixth chapters of the series. The film also stars Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Jordana Brewster, Nathalie Emmanuel, Helen Mirren and Charlize Theron. It is expected to release in the first quarter of the year.
UNTITLED SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME SEQUEL
The Tom Holland-led film is expected to be a treat for franchise fans. Spider-Man’s new adventure will bring back Benedict Cumberbatch as the sorcerer superhero Doctor Strange and Alfred Molina as the evil Doctor Octopus. Jamie Foxx will reportedly appear as Electro. The upcoming adventure is expected to feature multiple generations of “Spider-Man” actors, with actors from past films in the series reprising their characters. The third “Spider-Man” film is scheduled for a theatrical release on December 17, 2021.
TOP GUN: MAVERICK
At 58, Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise will be back in his popular avatar as Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in “Top Gun: Maverick”, the much-anticipated sequel of the 1986 hit “Top Gun”. The Joseph Kosinski-directed film co-stars Jon Hamm, Jennifer Connelly, Glen Powell, Miles Teller and Jay Ellis. The trailer shows Maverick going back to Naval Fighter Weapons School to teach to the younger generations. It is slated to release on July 2.
JUNGLE CRUISE
Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt go on an action packed ride in the film based on the Disneyland ride of the same name. The Jaume Collet-Serra-directed film is set in the early 20th century, and follows the journey of a riverboat captain (Johnson) and scientist (Blunt) as they go into the jungles to find the Tree of Life. It is slated to release on July 30.
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 7
Tom Cruise returns as Ethan Hunt in “Mission: Impossible 7”, which is helmed by filmmaker Christopher McQuarrie. It is slated to open on November 19, 2021. The spy action thriller also stars Rebecca Ferguson, Ving Rhames, Vanessa Kirby, Simon Pegg, and Hayley Atwell.
DUNE
Denis Villeneuve’s much-hyped sci-fi movie is slated to release on October 1. An official adaptation of Frank Herbert’s classic of the same name, the film will explore themes like politics, religion, and war amid the backdrop of the planet Arrakis, known as Dune. It features Timothee Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgard, Dave Bautista, Charlotte Rampling, Jason Momoa and Javier Bardem.
A QUIET PLACE PART II
The John Krasinski and Emily Blunt-starrer was originally set to hit the big screen last March, but was among numerous Hollywood films delayed owing to Covid. It is now scheduled on April 23 this year. The horror film is a sequel of the 2018 winner “A Quiet Place”, which imagined a post-apocalyptic world where humans fall prey to fast-moving creatures who track their victims by sound.
VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE
Tom Hardy’s much-anticipated “Venom” sequel is also slated to open this year. Andy Serkis has directed the second part of the action fantasy franchise, which sees Hardy take on an alien symbiote again for another adventure. It is expected to release in June.
THE SUICIDE SQUAD
James Gunn’s “The Suicide Squad” is a reboot of the 2016 film “Suicide Squad”, helmed by David Ayer. Margot Robbie, Joel Kinnaman and Viola Davis will reprise the roles they played in the first film. It stars Pete Davidson as Blackguard, John Cena as Peacemaker, Idris Elba as Bloodsport, Alice Braga as Sul Soria among others. It is expected to release in August.
THE KING’S MAN
Slated to open on March 12, the Matthew Vaughn-directorial is a prequel in the “Kingsman” film series. It is loosely based on the comic book series “Kingsman”, created by Dave Gibbons and Mark Millar. The film takes place decades before the first two instalments in the franchise so far — “Kingsman: The Secret Service” (2014) and “Kingsman: The Golden Circle” (2017). It features Ralph Fiennes, Gemma Arterton, Rhys Ifans, Matthew Goode, Daniel Bruhl and Djimon Hounsou.
MORBIUS
The “Spider-Man” spinoff is slated to release on March 19. It stars Jared Leto in the titular role as Michael Morbius, a scientist who turns into a vampire.
THE MATRIX 4
Priyanka Chopra will be joining Keanu Reeves in the next part of “The Matrix”, which is expected to release later this year. The film is produced, co-written and directed by Lana Wachowski, who co-directed and co-wrote three of the previous films with her sister Lilly.
TOM AND JERRY
The live-action/ CG-animated film features the iconic cartoon characters as they go on another fun-filled adventure. The film stars Chloe Grace Moretz and Michael Pena. It is expected to open in the first quarter of the year.
MONSTER HUNTER
Directed by Paul WS Anderson, the film is based on the video game series of the same name. The film stars Milla Jovovich, Tony Jaa, Tip “T. I.” Harris, Meagan Good, Diego Boneta, Josh Helman, Jin Au-Yeung and Ron Perlman. It is expected to release in the first quarter of the year.
FREE GUY
The Ryan Reynolds-led action comedy is about a non-player character in a video game. The Shawn Levy-directed film also stars Jodie Comer, Joe Keery, Lil Rel Howery, Utkarsh Ambudkar and Taika Waititi. It is slated to release on May 21.
SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS
Marvel’s first Asian origin superhero will be introduced this year, with the Destin Daniel Cretton directorial. In the film, Simu Liu stars as the title character with Awkwafina in an unspecified role and Tony Leung playing the iconic comicbook villain known as The Mandarin. It is slated to release on July 9.
ETERNALS
Directed by Chloe Zhao, the film stars Angelina Jolie, Richard Madden, Kit Harington, Gemma Chan, Salma Hayek and Kumail Nanjiani. It is about the super-powered beings, The Celestials, and their villainous adversaries, The Deviants, in a war set millions of years ago. Nanjiani had revealed that his character will have the secret identity of a Bollywood star. It is expected to open on November 5, 2021.
WEST SIDE STORY
Filmmaker Steven Spielberg has reimagined the musical “West Side Story” for the big screen. The classic New York tale tells the story of two lovers — Maria, a Puerto Rican, whose brother Bernardo is the leader of the “Sharks” street gang, and Tony, a former leader of the “Jets”, who battled the Sharks. The film is at the same time a romance and a crime story. It is a story of street gangs, racism, and violence in the shadows of rising skyscrapers. It will open on December 10.
GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE
Jason Reitman’s “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” is a direct sequel set 30 years after “Ghostbusters II”. It follows two children (Mckenna Grace and Finn Wolfhard) and their mother (Carrie Coon) who discover their link to the original gang. It also stars Bill Murray, Sigourney Weaver and Paul Rudd. It is slated to release on June 11.
DEATH ON THE NILE
Director Kenneth Branagh returns with a new Agatha Christie adaptation, after the commercially successful and star-studded 2017 release, “Murder On The Orient Express”. It is about a murder of passion aboard a cruise ship on the Nile. The film casts Gal Gadot, Branagh, Letitia Wright, Armie Hammer, Annette Bening, Sophie Okonedo, Tom Bateman, Emma Mackey, Dawn French, Rose Leslie, Jennifer Saunders, and Russell Brand, along with Indian actor Ali Fazal. It is slated to release on September 17.
Actress Urvashi Rautela has shared a note for her mother on her birthday, saying she is thankful to her for guidance and support.
“I wish my mother a very happy Birthday, Meera Rautela. I would want my mum to know that I am nothing without her but I would achieve the world with her by my side, I love you Mum. With each passing day I am thankful to you, as you have provided me the warmth, guidance, love and your heart,” she shared, adding: “You are someone who would love me unconditionally, whether I am right or wrong in the path of life, no one can replace you. I love you so much mum, wherever I go you will always be there for me. Thank you Maa.”
The actress also took to Instagram to share some moments from the birthday celebrations.
“Every day I wake up, I always have you to thank. I have your guidance, your warmth, your love, and your heart: someone who loves me unconditionally. Right or wrong, you are always my Mom. No one can ever take your place in my heart. I love you forever and ever. No matter where I go or whom I meet, you will always be Number One to me,” she wrote with the pictures.
Urvashi has been working on her first bilingual movie, Mohan Bhardwaj’s “Black Rose”, based on Shakespeare’s “The Merchant Of Venice”. Urvashi plays a pivotal role based on Shylock in the film.
Actor Nagarjuna, with ‘Bangarraju’ and Mahesh Babu’s ‘Sarkaaru Vaari Paata’ are among the other major releases expected in 2022…writes Narendra Puppala.
If the year that ended is any indication, Covid lockdowns and restrictions notwithstanding, the Telugu film industry is here to stay.
Imagine, no less than 182 Telugu movies had either theatrical or OTT releases in 2021! This despite a Covid pandemic that is yet to be understood or tamed effectively.
And with a string of big-ticket flicks in various stages of completion, and due for release in 2022, Tollywood certainly seems on course for further consolidation. 2022 is set to see several releases and quite a few of the established stars back on the silver screen after a short hiatus.
Megastar Chiranjeevi’s ‘Acharya’ is among the most awaited Telugu movies this year. Coming after his last release ‘Saira Narasimha Reddy’ in 2019, there’s a lot of buzz around ‘Acharya’ which also has Chiranjeevi’s son Ram Charan giving him company on screen. In 2022, the megastar will also be busy with two more productions in the form of ‘Godfather’ and ‘Bhola Shankar’.
This year will also see a slew of cinematic offerings from the Chiranjeevi clan. This includes Pawan Kalyan’s ‘Bheemla Nayak’ which appears to be a stylised remake of Malayalam hit ‘Ayyappanum Koshiyum’. The movie also stars Rana of ‘Baahubali’ fame. And then, there are Chiranjeevi nephew Varun Tej’s ‘Ghani’ and ‘F3’ waiting in the wings, for release this year.
Not to forget, the sequel to ‘Pushpa: The Rise’ will go on the floors from March. The hit movie released in December stars Chiranjeevi’s nephew Allu Arjun.
Actor Nagarjuna, with ‘Bangarraju’ and Mahesh Babu’s ‘Sarkaaru Vaari Paata’ are among the other major releases expected in 2022.
2022 will also see ‘Baahubali’ fame Prabhas’ return to the theatres with ‘Radhe Shyam’. The movie is also set for simultaneous release in multilingual versions. And then, the original Telugu version of ‘Kabir Singh’, actor Vijay Devarakonda is expected to set the silver screen on fire with his mixed martial arts movie ‘Liger’. This movie is also being released in several languages.
What has come as good news for the film industry is the eagerness with which movies were lapped up by audiences in 2021. Despite doomsday predictions and restrictions on theatre screenings, Telugu movie releases in the past year have bolstered industry confidence.
‘Pushpa’ director Sukumar says, “It’s heartening to see people returning to theatres. Movie watching is a communal experience. If not, movie theatres should have disappeared in a country like the US. But see people queuing up to see ‘Spiderman’ in theatres!”
In what seems to be a new trend, Tollywood has started actively looking beyond its traditional areas of influence. Although south Indian movies have made a favourable impact on Hindi-speaking audiences down the decades, they were never able to convert into box-office magic. In a way, it was S.S. Rajamouli’s ‘Baahubali’ series that set the stage for presenting Telugu movies to a pan-Indian audience.
Tasting blood, Rajamouli went in with all guns blazing to create his next big screen project ‘RRR’. Apart from lead billboarding with Jr NTR and Ram Charan, Rajamouli roped in Ajay Devgan and Alia Bhatt for the movie. The movie has created a buzz across the country.
Capitalising upon the new-born fascination among audiences for Telugu films and stars, Tollywood producers are also looking at these markets with new eyes. They are no longer content with settling down for revenues generated by selling their movies’ dubbing rights. The focus is now on straight releases in a whole set of languages.
The stupendous success of Allu Arjun-starrer ‘Pushpa: The Rise’ released in five languages – Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam, and Hindi – has underscored the potential for Tollywood releases in non-Telugu markets.
Meanwhile, ‘RRR’ was set to release on January 7, but with Covid rearing its ugly head once again in the form of the Omicron variant, the makers of ‘RRR’ have decided to put off the release for now.
But in a sign of the good times ahead, names like Ram Charan, Jr NTR, Allu Arjun, and Vijay Devarakonda, are no longer unknown beyond the borders of the two Telugu states. In fact, Bollywood seems eager to rub shoulders with their filmy cousins from south of the Vindhyas.
In the face of adversity, the Tollywood industry certainly seems to have hit upon the key to revive itself and build up its fortunes.
While the year 2020 would always be remembered for the havoc the pandemic created for humankind, it also become momentous as it marked several events which brought cheer to life.
From celebrities tying the knots to some getting pregnant and many Bollywood stars venturing into OTT platforms, 2020 saw it all. Let’s rewind and look back at some of those moments that took place in 2020.
Lockdown weddings
Lockdown weddings were a hit in 2020 as many celebrities chose to enter the wedding lock in a private wedding ceremony rather than a star-studded wedding. Actress Kajal Aggarwal married her long-time boyfriend Gautam Kitchlu in a private ceremony in Mumbai. Singers Neha Kakkar and Rohanpreet Singh also tied the knot during this period.
Actor Rana Daggubati married his girlfriend Miheeka Bajaj at an intimate wedding ceremony in Hyderabad. Actor and Bigg Boss 7 winner Gauhar Khan also tied knot with a social media influencer Zaid Darbar in Mumbai. Cricketer Hardik Pandya and Natasa Stankovic also had an intimate wedding during this period.
Celebs announce pregnancy
While some couples spent their days in lockdown baking in the kitchen, others have spent it whipping up a storm. Celebrities around the globe forced into home sheltering have used this time to get pregnant.
Power couple Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli announced the couple’s first pregnancy on social media. Kareena Kapoor Khan and Saif Ali Khan are also expecting their second baby.
Across high seas, supermodel Gigi Hadid and boyfriend Zayn Malik confirmed they were expecting their first child together. Cricketer Hardik Pandya and his wife Natasa Stankovic welcomed their first child during this period.
FASHION, art shows go digital
Major international and Indian fashion events like the New York Fashion Week, London Fashion Week, Milan Fashion Week and Paris Fashion Week and India Fashion Week and Lakme Fashion Week went online and were held in digital format. Deviating from the tried and tested and adapting to a ‘new normal’, these online events were very much appreciated and accepted by consumers as well as the designers. The India Art Festival (IAF), a contemporary art fair, also took the conventional presentation of visual art to a digital platform with ‘Virtual India Art Festival’.
Celebs debut on OTT platforms
The year 2020 saw veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah made his OTT debut with ‘Bandish Bandits’. Actress Sushmita Sen returned to acting after a decade with the web-series ‘Aarya’. Karisma Kapoor too made her digital debut this year with ALT Balaji’s show ‘Mentalhood’. Actress Jacqueline Fernandez was also seen in the show ‘Mrs. Serial Killer’ on Netflix.
Abhishek Bachchan made his OTT debut with crime thriller show ‘Breath: Into The Shadows’ on Amazon Prime Video.
Actress Kareena Kapoor Khan seems to be having a lazy last day of the year. Instagram images she posted on Thursday capture Kareena, son Taimur and actor husband Saif Ali Khan in a cosy mood in bed.
“Ending the year snuggling and cuddling trying to force the boys into a perfect picture… 2020 would not have been possible without the two loves of my life… marching ahead… to new beginnings. Stay safe my friends… Love and hope from us. We love you all…Happy new year,” Kareena wrote as the caption.
Saif and Kareena got married in 2012. She gave birth to their first-born, Taimur, in 2016. Kareena is currently expecting their second baby, and she often shares photographs of her baby bump on social media.
Singer Jassie Gill, who debuted in Hindi cinema with the 2018 film ‘Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi’ says what he can feel via music, he wouldn’t be able to feel as deeply otherwise…writes Siddhi Jain.
“Music has a big role in my life and also during these difficult times, because I am a singer. What I can feel via music, I don’t think I’d be able to feel otherwise. Not just this time, music is also your feel-good companion during happiness and all other emotions,” Gill, 32, told IANSlife.
Gill, who was a mentor on the digital-only musical reality show Smule iDiva ‘1, 2, 3… Riyaaz’ recently featured in “Saath Saath Mein”, an original music video that also featured the show’s winners and co-mentors Lisa Mishra and Kusha Kapila.
Iterating that the show must go on, the Punjabi pop heartthrob says that he made a lot of music during lockdown and launched his own YouTube channel to “release the voice of my heart – whether it’s commercial music or not – on it”.
Gill said about the music video: “It was the first time I shot and recorded my own bit, and then it was joined with other bits sent by others.”
On the show’s format and his experience of mentoring, he says: “It was a new digital-only reality show, a format we have seen only on television. Housewives, elderly people also entered into the contest, and it made me smile because all people found a good pastime in the show.”
In a year dominated by Covid realities all around us, one absolute truth that emerged is that viewing patterns of audiences all over the world were in the for a change this year. With cinema halls facing closure owing to lockdown, OTT platforms became the primary source of entertainment. While the big screen will not go away, streaming services have sure come of age and redefined for good how we perceive entertainment from now on.
The pandemic-induced lockdown ushered generic trends, too, and these are expected to be big in future. In India, especially, many subjects and trends that were traditionally not so popular are suddenly evincing popular interest, now that access to variety is just a click away.
“The pandemic induced lockdown has only accelerated the demand of multi platform content. OTT is not restricted by the pressure of finite airtime and hence the variety of content, at scale, is greater than broadcast,” Ajit Andhare, COO, Viacom18 Studios, told IANS while talking about the booming OTT space in India.
“Secondly, unlike theatrical productions, the content isn’t bound by time and scale constraints either. Therefore the platform offers versatility to content creators. It is this flexibility from mainstream production values that have enabled us to create shows like Jamtara, Taj Mahal and She. Audience exploring new narratives & genres augurs well for us creators and will further develop the creative ecosystem,” he added.
IANS takes a look at top trends that created ripples in the OTT space:
Anthologies
Abhishek Bachchan
The year started with the spooky anthology Ghost Stories, and the trend of stringing several stories together continued all through the year. Some of the noteworthy anthologies include, Ludo, Unpaused and Paava Kadhaigal.
Direct to service releases
With the cinemas shutting down due to the coronavirus pandemic, movies ditched the traditional release route for the digital world. the Amitabh Bachchan and Ayushmann Khurrana-starrer Gulabo Sitabo started the trend, which continues to gain steam.
Female-driven stories
Aarya, Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl, Bulbbul, Bhaag Beanie Bhaag, Guilty, Four More Shots Please!, Hundred, Choked”, Raat Akeli Hai — the list only keeps growing. Female-led narrative are the trend all over in the world of entertainment, and the OTT space has been particularly suseptible to the trend.
Docu-dramas
There was a dose of reality in the diverse fiction world of the streaming services, thanks to documentary films and series. The topics were varied — from kabaddi to sneak peek into the lives of Bollywood wives.
Regional films and shows
Amid lockdown, regional content found a new and wide audience on the OTT platforms in India, from Telugu, Tamil, Kannada to Malayalam. Regional cinema from the South, especially saw good response in the digital space.
While on stories, here are the top shows and movies that grabbed attention for being a little out of the league, in terms of idea and themes:
Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story
Filmmaker Hansal Mehta captured the story of one of the biggest financial scams in the Indian stock market. The financial thriller emerged as a winner, making Gujarati actor Pratik Gandhi, who essayed the role of Harshad Mehta, an overnight star.
Panchayat
The hilarious satire series emerged as one of the sleeper hits while providing much-needed comic relief to the audience. It is about a young secretary of a Panchayat office in a village, and his journey of coping up with rural life. The series stars Jitendra Kumar, Neena Gupta, Raghubir Yadav and Chandan Sanyal.
Asur
Arshad Warsi made his digital debut with the show on a successful note. The crime thriller brings forward two opposing worlds against each other — the less explored world of forensic science and the world of ancient Indian mythology. Available on Voot Select, it also stars Barun Sobti, Riddhi Dogra and Anupriya Goenka.
Fabulous Lives Of Bollywood Wives
The web series chronicles the lives of popular star wives such as Maheep Kapoor, Neelam Kothari, Seema Khan and Bhavana Pandey. It is backed by Johar’s Dharmatic Entertainment, the digital arm of Dharma Production.
Bad Boy Billionaires: India
The docuseries explores the greed, fraud and corruption that built, and ultimately brought down, the most infamous tycoons in India. It is available on Netflix.
Special Ops
The eight-episode Hotstar Special spy action thriller series is based on the role of Indian intelligence in a series of real terror attacks that India has faced over the last 19 years, including the 26/11. Filmmaker Neeraj Pandey has directed the series along with Shivam Nair. It stars Kay Kay Menon, Karan Tacker, Saiyami Kher, and Vinay Pathak.
Bandish Bandits
The musical show, which launched Ritwik Bhowmik and Shreya Chaudhry, was a hit. It follows the story of two lovers from different musical backgrounds. The show, streaming on Amazon Prime Video, also features Naseeruddin Shah, Atul Kulkarni, Sheeba Chaddha, Rajesh Tailang and Kunaal Roy Kapur.
Dil Bechara
Sushant Singh Rajput’s last film premiered on the Disney+ Hotstar in July, and got a lot of attention. It was the official remake of 2014 Hollywood romantic drama “The Fault in our Stars”. Earlier this year, according to a report by TV viewership monitoring agency BARC (Broadcast Audience Research Council) and data measurement firm Nielsen, Dil Bechara emerged as the top movie in the first week of release on an OTT platform, when it comes to the content viewed on smartphones.
Khuda Haafiz
With cinema halls shut owing to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, Khuda Haafiz went for a direct-to-OTT release. It stars Vidyut Jammwal and Shivaleeka Oberoi. After the success of the first part, the makers have announced the second chapter of the story, and are planning to release it on the big screen.
Extraction
The film may have drawn plenty of criticism as an entertainer, but it was truly a lavish crossover effort, between talents of Hollywood and Bollywood. Chris Hemsworth had a blockbuster digital debut as an actor with “Extraction”. He was seen as a fearless, black market mercenary Tyler Rake, who embarks on the most deadly extraction of his career when he is enlisted to rescue the kidnapped son of an imprisoned international crime lord. The film was majorly shot in India.
Never Have I Ever
Mindy Kaling’s quirky show traced her relationship with Indian culture and used her “relationship with being Hindu” to narrate the story of 15-year-old Devi, a first-generation Indian American, and her desperation to feel that she belongs in society in the delightful “Never Have I Ever”. The Netflix show was a big hit, and has been renewed for a second season.
Aarya
Sushmita Sen’s comeback show Aarya delved into how organised crime and betrayal runs deep in a family. It revolves around the protagonist Aarya Sareen, who is dragged into her husband’s narcotics business when her family is threatened after his death. The show will be back with a second season soon.
Paatal Lok
Actress Anushka Sharma’s debut web production Paatal Lok opened to rave reviews. The show is about a police officer Hathiram who is on the lookout for four criminals — serial killer Vishal “Hathoda” Tyagi (Abhishek Banerjee), Tope “Chaaku” Singh (Jagjeet Sandhu), Kabir M. (Aasif Khan), and Mary “Cheeni” Lyngdoh (Mairembam Ronaldo Singh).
Serious Men
Nawazuddin Siddiqui was universally applauded for his role in the Sudhir Mishra directorial, Serious Men. The Netflix movie was an adaptation of Manu Joseph’s book of the same name. It narrates the tale of an underachiever who tries to make it big in Mumbai after discovering that his child could be a boy genius.
Four More Shots Please!
The show follows four unapologetically flawed women as they discover life while balancing friendship in Mumbai. The second season showed how they coped with their fears and insecurities. The show will be back with the third season soon.
Bulbbul
The period horror drama narrated the journey of a young girl named Bulbbul from innocence to strength, with the looming shadow of the legend of a ‘chudail’. The story gives a positive spin to the term ‘chudail’.
Aliaa Bhatt ,Ranbir Kapoor and Neetu Singh arrives at Jaipur Airport to celebrate New Years in Rajasthan , December 29,2020 (photo: Pallav Paliwal/Asianlite)
Aliaa Bhatt arrives at Jaipur Airport to celebrate New Years in Rajasthan , December 29,2020 (photo: Pallav Paliwal)
Aliaa Bhatt ,Ranbir Kapoor and Neetu Singh arrives at Jaipur Airport to celebrate New Years in Rajasthan , December 29,2020 (photo: Pallav Paliwal/Asianlite)Aliaa Bhatt ,Ranbir Kapoor and Neetu Singh arrives at Jaipur Airport to celebrate New Years in Rajasthan , December 29,2020 (photo: Pallav Paliwal/Asianlite)Aliaa Bhatt ,Ranbir Kapoor and Neetu Singh arrives at Jaipur Airport to celebrate New Years in Rajasthan , December 29,2020 (photo: Pallav Paliwal/Asianlite)Aliaa Bhatt ,Ranbir Kapoor and Neetu Singh arrives at Jaipur Airport to celebrate New Years in Rajasthan , December 29,2020 (photo: Pallav Paliwal/Asianlite)Aliaa Bhatt ,Ranbir Kapoor and Neetu Singh arrives at Jaipur Airport to celebrate New Years in Rajasthan , December 29,2020 (photo: Pallav Paliwal/Asianlite)Aliaa Bhatt ,Ranbir Kapoor and Neetu Singh arrives at Jaipur Airport to celebrate New Years in Rajasthan , December 29,2020 (photo: Pallav Paliwal/Asianlite)Aliaa Bhatt ,Ranbir Kapoor and Neetu Singh arrives at Jaipur Airport to celebrate New Years in Rajasthan , December 29,2020 (photo: Pallav Paliwal/Asianlite)Aliaa Bhatt ,Ranbir Kapoor and Neetu Singh arrives at Jaipur Airport to celebrate New Years in Rajasthan , December 29,2020 (photo: Pallav Paliwal/Asianlite)Aliaa Bhatt ,Ranbir Kapoor and Neetu Singh arrives at Jaipur Airport to celebrate New Years in Rajasthan , December 29,2020 (photo: Pallav Paliwal/Asianlite)Aliaa Bhatt ,Ranbir Kapoor and Neetu Singh arrives at Jaipur Airport to celebrate New Years in Rajasthan , December 29,2020 (photo: Pallav Paliwal/Asianlite)Aliaa Bhatt ,Ranbir Kapoor and Neetu Singh arrives at Jaipur Airport to celebrate New Years in Rajasthan , December 29,2020 (photo: Pallav Paliwal/Asianlite)Aliaa Bhatt ,Ranbir Kapoor and Neetu Singh arrives at Jaipur Airport to celebrate New Years in Rajasthan , December 29,2020 (photo: Pallav Paliwal/Asianlite)Aliaa Bhatt ,Ranbir Kapoor and Neetu Singh arrives at Jaipur Airport to celebrate New Years in Rajasthan , December 29,2020 (photo: Pallav Paliwal/Asianlite)Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone at Jaipur airport as they arrive in Rajasthan to celebrate New Years , December 29,2020Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone at Jaipur airport as they arrive in Rajasthan to celebrate New Years , December 29,2020Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone at Jaipur airport as they arrive in Rajasthan to celebrate New Years , December 29,2020Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone at Jaipur airport as they arrive in Rajasthan to celebrate New Years , December 29,2020Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone at Jaipur airport as they arrive in Rajasthan to celebrate New Years , December 29,2020Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone at Jaipur airport as they arrive in Rajasthan to celebrate New Years , December 29,2020Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone at Jaipur airport as they arrive in Rajasthan to celebrate New Years , December 29,2020
