With most big titles lined up for release next week, this one has a relatively lighter slate. Among the top Indian originals this week are Prime Video’s teenage drama Dil Dosti Dilemma, miniTv’s hilarious Chacha Vidhayak Hain Humare Season 3, and JioCinema’s political thriller Ranneeti, based on Balakot airstrike.
Among the big post-theatrical releases is Laapataa Ladies, about two young brides from a village who get lost on a train. We also have Crakk, which is a story about men fighting to survive and not just win.
This week is also big on documentaries. Nature lovers could watch Tigers or Tigers on the Rise on Hotstar. True crime lovers could watch the Chilean series The Doomsday Cult of Antares de la Luz or the Spanish series The Asunta Case.
For those with a musical ear, we recommend Thank You, Good Night: The Bon Jovi Story, which chronicles the iconic rock band’s four decades.
Those looking for an adrenaline rush could for Netflix’s City Hunter, where a “sweeper” trails assailants and solves cases in the shadows of Shinjuku, Tokyo or the K-drama Good Bye Earth, where only 200 days left until an asteroid collides with Earth.
Top OTT Releases This Week
With that, here are the top OTT releases this week worth binge-watching:
Laapataa Ladies
When: Now Streaming
Where: Netflix
Laapata Ladies is a heartwarming film by Kiran Rao set in the rural heartland of a fictional village where two newlywed brides with identical dresses and never-ending “ghoonghats” (veils) get lost from the same train – Phool Kumari gets stranded at the railway station and is unable to recall the name of her husband’s village, and Jaya lands up in the wrong “sasural” (in-laws).
While Kumari desperately tries to get back to her in-laws, Jaya does everything in her power to keep this accidental swap a secret.
Laapataa Ladies beautifully portrays the position of women in society through a satirical lens and offers some good dialogues, hearty doses of laughter, and an emotional roller coaster ride – all in a simplistic manner. It also brought back Rao from her long filmy hiatus, who last directed Dhobhi Ghat (2010).
Dil Dosti Dilemma
When: Now Streaming
Where: Prime Video
Asmara is an entitled, spoiled brat from a rich family whose life revolves around fashion, parties, shopping, social media, and the validation of two of her best friends – who are equally spoilt and would judge anyone who isn’t cool as per their standard. She is about to leave for Canada in a few days. However, all her dreams come crashing down when her mother decides to cancel her trip and send Asmara to her grandmother’s house in Tibri, instead, after realising that Asmara has lost respect for her culture, roots, and even elders.
Even though Asmara is in a small town, each morning, she prepares a background with Canadian skyscrapers to video call her best friends, who think she is vacationing abroad – and have their lives messed up in their own ways.
The show is a typical teenage drama with a predictable plot. It is a light-hearted watch which touches upon themes covered multiple times earlier. You can easily switch off your brains while streaming this one.
Crakk: Jeetega… Toh Jiyegaa
When: Now Streaming
Where: Hotstar
Vidyut Jamwal starrer Crakk.. Jeetega To Jeeyega will take you to the dangerous world of extreme sports, where winning is the only way to survive. Here, Jamwal essays the role of an ordinary man from the slums of Mumbai who rises from a life of anonymity to becoming a big name in these sports, where one needs to put one’s life at stake with every breath. Jamwal, who has undergone proper training in Kalaripayattu, the Indian martial arts equivalent, performs several jaw-dropping stunts in the film. Noora Fatehi has also done a few action scenes. The film was extensively promoted as India’s first film based on the dark world of extreme sports.
Chacha Vidhayak Hain Humare Season 3
When: Now Streaming
Where: Amazon miniTV
Zakir Khan’s drama series, in which the comedian plays Ronny Bhaiya, a man who lies about his uncle being an MLA and aspires to become one someday, has returned with the third instalment. This season, Ronny Bhaiya is threatened by politician Ashwini Pathak (Abhimanyu Singh) to stay away from politics, or else his loved ones will have to pay the price for his actions. While Zakir’s character gives in to the thuggish leader’s demands, he finds it challenging to refrain from helping others. It goes without saying that looms over him now that his lifelong plan of becoming an MLA is no longer an option. Following the tone of the previous two seasons, a line of hilariously unexpected events unfurls.
Ranneeti: Balakot and Beyond
When: Now Streaming
Where: JioCinema
In the already long list of Indian shows and movies based on the Balakot bombing airstrike orchestrated by the Indian Air Force over an alleged training camp of a terrorist group in Pakistan, Jiocinema’s latest original series, Ranneeti: Balakot & Beyond has also been added.
It narrates the incident with an intelligence officer (Jimmy Shergill) in prime focus, who is now suffering from PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) after a mission went horribly wrong. What sets the show apart from others of the same theme is its take on the cruciality of social media in determining the fate of a nation and Pakistan’s cunning portrayal of the incident in global media.
Ashutosh Rana plays an important terrorist figure in this nine-part series. The show’s release also coincides with Jiocinema’s announcement of pocket-friendly subscription plans, starting from Rs. 29 a month. The show is also available to stream in Bengali, Kannada, and Marathi.
The Big Door Prize Season 2
When: Now Streaming
Where: Apple TV+
The Big Door Prize is about a small town whose fate changes forever when a mysterious machine starts revealing the “true potentials” of the residents, pushing them to listen to their inner calling. Now that the machine has become a pivotal object in rewriting the destinies of so many people, its declaration of the “next stage” ought to set the stage for anticipation and curiosity.
The second season picks up after their revelation and offers a perfect blend of comedy, drama, emotional nuances and complexities of human nature. The show comes from the creators of the popular Canadian sitcom Schitt’s Creek and has a primary cast of Chris O’Dowd, Dennis, Maki, Gupton, Segarra, Fox, Fourlas and Amara. New and returning guest stars include Justine Lupe, Aaron Roman Weiner, Mary Holland, Patrick Kerr, Cocoa Brown, Carrie Barrett, Elizabeth Hunter, Jim Meskimen, Matt Dellapina and Melissa Ponzio.
