Update: Check out this week’s binge-watch list.
The holiday season is well and truly on us. And befitting the occasion, OTT platforms are also ready with some high profile releases, many of them straight-on-the-streaming-platform ones.
To be sure, there are also interesting theatre releases, but the fear of the new variant (Omicron) of the Covid-19 virus is making many stay put at their homes.
For our weekly recommendation, we have another all-film list like last week. We have Salman Khan’s much talked of Antim, Dhanush and Akshay Kumar starrer Atrangi Re, Tovino Thomas’ Minnal Murali, Joju George starrer Madhuram in Malayalam, and the time-loop entertainer in Tamil Maanaadu. There is also John Abraham’s Satyameva Jayate.
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Antim: The Final Truth
Director: Mahesh Manjrekar
Cast: Salman Khan, Aayush Sharma, Jisshu Sengupta, Mahima Makwana
Language: Hindi
Platform: Zee5
Release date: December 24, 2021.
Synopsis: We all have our opinions on Salman Khan movies. But its over-the-top approach is something that goes well with the exuberance and exhilaration of festival occasions. This film should be no different. Antim: The Final Truth is an adaptation of the Marathi film Mulshi Pattern.
The film is about the run-ins of a gangster with a tough cop. It is a tale that has been witnessed in zillion Indian films before. The thing about this film is that it explores the hard conditions faced by farmers that drive some of them towards crime. Does a Salman Khan starrer have space to explore nuance and subtleties? Well, in the passing, they do. We saw that in Bajrangi Baijaan, for instance. So don’t lose hope.
Atrangi Re
Director: Anand L Rai
Cast: Dhanush, Akshay Kumar, Sara Ali Khan
Language: Hindi
Platform: Disney+ Hotstar
Release date: December 24, 2021.
Synopsis: Southern star Dhanush’s debut in Hindi was with Raanjhanaa that was directed by Anand L Rai with music by A R Rahman. Raanjhanaa managed to impress the audience with its raw energy and passion. Atrangi Re has the trio back in action together. And for good measure, there is the ebullient Akshay Kumar too. Sara Ali Khan is the heroine, and going by the promos, the story revolves around her as she seems caught in a quaint love-triangle. As a cinematic trope, it is as old as the hills. But treatment and situation make all the difference.
Another talking point of the film is the music of A R Rahman. The man, whose recent offerings did not create much of a splash, is back with a bang. The album has seven tracks, and all of them have become chartbusters. Chaka Chak‘s numbers on YouTube is bursting through the roof. Rait Zara Si is equally fantastic.
Colour, music and heavy duty cast, Atrangi Re promises a lot.
Madhuram
Director: Ahmed Khabeer
Cast: Joju George, Arjun Asokan, Nikhila Vimal, Shruti Ramachandran, Indrans
Language: Malayalam
Platform: SonyLIV
Release date: December 24, 2021.
Synopsis: Ahmed Khabeer’s first movie was the lovely coming-of-age film June. It had the young and old going weak-kneed at the evolution of a bunch of school students into young adults. It was a predictable arc, but the director kept it all real without getting drab or dreary.
The hope is that Ahmed Khabeer will bring that same fresh approach to Madhuram which is about the lives of different people commingling at the ward of a government hospital. Going by the promos it looks like a feel-good warm film.
Does the backdrop of a hospital, where by definition miseries abound, lend itself to cute feelings? Well, this is where Ahmed Khabeer’s June experience may come in handy. Joju George, who is now one of the front-ranked dependable actors in Malayalam, is one of the producers of this movie.
Minnal Murali
Director: Basil Joseph
Cast: Tovino Thomas, Guru Somasundaram, Vasisht Umesh, Aju Varghese, Femina George, Harisree Ashokan
Language: Malayalam
Platform: Netflix
Release date: December 24, 2021.
Synopsis: This is a story of an ordinary man-turned-superhero, thanks to a bolt of lightning that bestows him with special powers. As a genre it is not all that popular among Malayalam filmmakers. But Tovino Thomas’s comedic acting and yen for action sequences would make him tailor-made for such a movie. He plays a tailor who gains special powers after being struck by lightning but must take down an unexpected foe.
Tovino Thomas had said “I’ve been attached and committed to the character of Minnal Murali from the very beginning. I spent all my time communicating with my director to ensure the best possible outcome and immense amounts of work went into creating Minnal Murali.”
Going by the trailer, it looks like the idea of the makers is to create a superhero that people could relate to and connect with on an emotional level. Though the essence of a superhero movie is the action, the effort is on a strong narrative that could stand on its own.
Maanaadu
Director: Venkat Prabhu
Cast: Simbhu, S J Suryah, Kalyani Priyadrashan
Language: Tamil
Platform: SonyLIV
Release date: December 24, 2021.
Synopsis: This was a spectacular success when it released in theatres. The time-loop concept, though regular in Hollywood movies, was new to Tamil screens, and was lapped up by the audience. It was an entertainer that did not dumb down.
The film is about a hero who has the power to reset the day. He is not travelling back in time. He simply gets to live the same day over and over again, until he gets it right. As it happens, he gets caught in a web to assassinate the Chief Minister of the State. And he is to be made the fall guy. He happens to be a Muslim. Using that, a communal clash is also schemed in the backdrop. He has to break all those nefarious plans. It is one heck of a action-packed exhilarating ride. A good movie for the season.
Merry Christmas, and have fun with films.
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