It was a total takeover by Prime Video last week with the streaming giant announcing nearly 70 Indian titles — a mix of original, returning and licensed — at a star-studded showcase at Grand Hyatt in Mumbai.
The eight-hour-long showcase — with t2 in attendance in a packed house — had Karan Johar, Varun Dhawan, Ananya Panday, Shahid Kapoor and Manoj Bajpayee pitching in to host the proceedings even as some of the biggest stars in the business, both from Bollywood and the southern states, converged to lend support to their projects. t2 spotlights what we are looking forward to from #PrimeVideoPresents...
Citadel: Honey Bunny
The first announcement was, of course, the biggest. The Citadel canon’s Indian version excited us right from the moment we heard about it. Raj & DK’s thrill tempered with quirk meets the larger-than-life framework of the Russo Bros in this version which has Varun Dhawan and Samantha Ruth Prabhu, as was evident in the kick-ass teaser showcased at the launch, kicking ass against the vibrant tapestry of the ’90s. And in a fun twist, the series is called Citadel: Honey Bunny, with Honey and Bunny being the names of Varun and Samantha’s characters. The rest of the cast comprises Kay Kay Menon, Sikandar Kher, Saqib Saleem and Soham Majumdar.
Daldal
Bhumi Pednekar in Daldal
Bhumi Pednekar makes her web series debut with this gritty tale of a cop, played by her, who is haunted by both her past and present as she sets out to investigate a series of murders that puts her on a collision course with a cold-blooded serial killer. The series is based on Vish Dhamija’s Bhendi Bazar, which explores the underbelly of Mumbai.
“It feels amazing that I work at a time when a woman can headline a series on a global streaming platform and feel supremely empowered that she can command such a massive mounting,” said Bhumi, giving off boss lady vibes in a pantsuit, at the launch.
Call Me Bae
Ananya Panday, who joined mentor Karan Johar to present a segment at the showcase, headlines Call Me Bae, a self-aware and tongue-in-cheek look at an heiress (Bae, played by Ananya) who has to put her smarts to the test when she is cut off from her family’s money. ‘Broke but refusing to be broken, she navigates the newsrooms of Mumbai, finding beaus, behens, and her better self,’ reads the rather intriguing synopsis of this KJo production that stars a strong ensemble cast comprising Vir Das, Varun Sood, Gurfateh Pirzada and Mini Mathur.
Daring Partners
Two female friends challenge the status quo by becoming partners in an alcohol set-up. Tamannaah Bhatia, blazing in black, and an ethereal Diana Penty, wearing white, took over the stage at #PrimeVideoPresents for this Dharmatic Production series that unfolds their audacious journey where they bend rules and craft their destiny within a male-dominated industry. “This is an amazing story about two women in power,” said Tamannaah, who put co-star Jaaved Jaaferi in a (fun) spot by telling him that she was “rejected” by his iconic dance reality show Boogie Woogie many years ago.
Andhera
Prajakta Koli, Surveen Chawla, Priya Bapat and Karanvir Malhotra star in this horror series set in Mumbai where a cop and a medical student join hands to take on demons, both literal and metaphorical. We are starved of a good horror watch on desi screens and we hope that Andhera, coming as it is from Farhan Akhtar’s Excel Entertainment, makes the cut.
Khauf
Monika Panwar in Khauf
Staying with horror, the teaser of Khauf, revealed at the launch, gave us quite a few scares and we are hoping the series lives up to its initial promise. Taking place in what is fertile ground for a horror tale — a hostel room — this one explores a young woman (played by the always dependable Monika Panwar) who moves into a hostel room in Delhi and then has to battle malevolent forces within it and outside. The presence of heavyweights like Rajat Kapoor, Geetanjali Kulkarni and Shilpa Shukla will make us tune in.
Dupahiya
Gajraj Rao, Renuka Shahane, Bhuvan Arora, Sparsh Srivastava, Shivani Raghuvanshi and Yashpal Sharma promise a fun ride with this satirical story of a bike being stolen from a village which is just about to celebrate 25 years of being crime free! Sign us up!
Supermen of Malegaon
Reema Kagti directs this film that follows the journey of an aspiring filmmaker as he bands together his group of friends to make a film for his town, Malegaon. Written by Varun Grover, the intriguingly named Supermen of Malegaon stars Adarsh Gourav, Vineet Kumar Singh and Shashank Arora and is jointly produced by Kagti and Zoya’s Akhtar’s Tiger Baby Films and Farhan Akhtar’s Excel Entertainment. This one is a sure-shot must-watch.
Waack Girls
It had us at the name... and then we found out that it is set in and shot in Calcutta! Waack Girls — named after a dance style popularised in the US in the ’70s — has six Calcutta girls creating Waack Girls, a dance group in a city unfamiliar with waacking. This lighthearted story is filled with music, dance, comedy and drama and stars Mekhola Bose, Rytasha Rathore, Chrisann Pereira, Achintya Bose, Priyam Saha and Barun Chanda. A fun moment at the show’s launch was Karan Johar’s mock horror when asked to show off his waacking moves!
Ziddi Girls
A band of ‘ziddi’ girls power this series but it is the women in the show — Revathy, Simran, Nandita Das — that we have our eye on. It chronicles the ups and downs in the lives of five self-absorbed Gen Z girls as they walk into Matilda House College. Produced by Pritish Nandy Communications Ltd — which has given Prime Video the super popular Four More Shots Please! — Ziddi Girls counts The Sky is Pink maker Shonali Bose as one of its directors.
Matka King
Is an OTT showcase good enough if it doesn’t have at least one Vijay Varma title? Sairat maker Nagraj Manjule directs the actor in this fictional tale set in 1960s Mumbai where an enterprising cotton trader, craving legitimacy and respect, starts a new gambling game dubbed ‘Matka’, which takes the city by storm and democratises a terrain previously reserved for the rich and elite. Vijay’s inherent swag and Manjule’s storytelling skills make this one worth waiting for.
Be Happy
What does it take to be happy, asks Be Happy. Choreographer-director Remo D’Souza changes tracks to helm a poignant story of a single father (played by Abhishek Bachchan) who is willing to do all it takes to help his talented daughter (played by Abhishek’s Ludo co-star Inayat Verma) perform at the country’s biggest dance reality show. Nora Fatehi and Nassar co-star in this film that we are already adding to our watchlist.
The Mehta Boys
Dysfunctional filial ties, but with a Boman Irani touch, is the best way to define The Mehta Boys. The actor makes his directorial debut with this film in which a father (played by Boman) and his estranged son (Avinash Tiwary is having a moment) have to spend 48 hours together after facing a bereavement. Alex Dinelaris, one of the writers of Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s multiple Oscar-winning film Birdman, has co-written The Mehta Boys.
Chhorii 2
The second film in the Chhorii franchise marks the return of director Vishal Furia and leading lady Nushrratt Bharuccha and adds Soha Ali Khan to the unholy mix. Chhorii’s winning blend of horror and social commentary will be taken forward in this film.
Ma Kasum
In this series, a 19-year-old math genius’s ultimate quest is to create an algorithm to find the ‘perfect match’ for his single mother. But he quickly realises that every equation is a ‘work-in-progress’. Nicholas Kharkongor directs Mona Singh, Angira Dhar, Ranveer Brar and Mihir Ahuja in the smartly titled Ma Kasum.
Subedaar
Anil Kapoor shows us who is boss (yet again) with the mother of a teaser to this film in which he plays the eponymous subedaar who grapples with civilian life and navigates a strained relationship with his daughter. Tumhari Sulu and Jalsa man Suresh Triveni directs the 67-year-old actor in this adrenaline-fuelled action drama.
ALSO
The Revolutionaries
Filmmaker Nikkhil Advani tells the story of brave young Indian freedom fighters who believed that armed resistance was crucial to ending the British Raj. The series is an adaptation of the book The Revolutionaries, written by Sanjeev Sanyal.
Bandwaale
Three misfits band together in a sleepy town in this series created by the eclectic pair of Ankur Tiwari and Swanand Kirkire and starring young talents Zahaan Kapoor and Shalini Pandey.
Dil Dosti Dilemma
With its focus on the Young Adult audience, Dil Dosti Dilemma has a young girl being sent during the summer holidays to her grandparents’ farm as punishment and what she then does to make her friends believe she is in Canada! Anushka Sen leads the cast.
Gulkanda Tales
Created by Raj & DK and directed by Tumbbad man Rahi Anil Barve, this series — featuring Pankaj Tripathi, Kunal Kemmu and Patralekhaa — is at the top of our list.
The Great Indian Code
This is the story of a bunch of humble and visionary middle-class engineers kickstarting the IT industry in India and setting off a technological revolution. Team TVF is the brain behind this one.
DOCUMENTARY DIARY
In Transit
Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti lend their weight to this docu-drama directed by Ayesha Sood in which the lives of trans and non-binary individuals navigating love, identity and the boundaries of gender in a uniquely Indian way are explored. “These are dramatic heroic stories about real people that we didn’t have to write, we just found them,” said Reema at the launch. “Stories create empathy for what you don’t understand and comfort for what is similar,” is how Zoya summed up In Transit.
The Tribe
Influencers get their moment under the sun in The Tribe from the Dharmatic stable. The Tribe follows a group of Indian influencers who have been set up to crack global fame in Los Angeles. The motley group comprises Alanna Panday, Alaviaa Jaaferi, Srushti Porey, Alfia Jafry, Aryaana Gandhi and Hardik Zaveri.
Follow Karlo Yaar
Viral sensation and paparazzi favourite Uorfi Javed — and her crazy OOTDs — get a platform in Follow Karlo Yaar, a tongue-in-cheek look at her rise to fame. Present at the launch, Uorfi came sporting an ‘outfit’ resembling the galaxy. Reason? “Because I am the centre of my universe,” quipped Uorfi whose version of Keeping Up With The Kardashians has her walking the tightrope of fame and name even as she tries to keep her “fully dysfunctional family” ticking.
Women Of My Billion
Slated to release theatrically before it makes its way to Prime Video, Women Of My Billion’s heartwarming story of the fight against violence against women gets a shot in the arm with the backing of Priyanka Chopra Jonas as producer. Priyanka, looking sharp in Anamika Khanna, was present at #PrimeVideoPresents along with Shrishti Bakshi, whose journey on foot over 3,800km over 240 days, from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, forms the crux of Women Of My Billion.
The Rana Connection
Falling into the talk-show format, Rana Daggubati does a Karan Johar by quizzing some film stalwarts on their lives, personal and professional. Watching the Bahubali actor put host for the day KJo in a spot was fun as they played a mini-version of Koffee with Karan’s rapid-fire round.
BACK TO BASE
Mirzapur Season 3
Over the last year or so, “Mirzapur 3 kab aa raha hain?” has almost rivalled “Katappa ne Bahubali ko kyon maara?” The question was answered — or not, since no release date has been made public yet — at the showcase. But boy, was it goosebump-inducing to watch some snippets of Season 3 of the much-loved guns, goons and gangsters show, and then have the majority of the cast — Pankaj Tripathi to Ali Fazal, Shweta Tripathi to Rasika Dugal, Vijay Varma to Priyanshu Painyuli — put in an appearance, with the promise of a dhamakedaar season in which Guddu (Ali) and Golu (Shweta) are pitted against a new contender as they stake their claim to the throne.
Paatal Lok Season 2
Jaideep Ahlawat and Ishwak Singh return as tough cops Hathiram and Ansari respectively, racing against time to solve two seemingly disconnected cases. Tillotama Shome makes an entry this season with Avinash Arun Dhaware returning to direct. The addition of filmmakers Jahnu Barua and Nagesh Kukunoor to the cast has us intrigued.
Bandish Bandits Season 2
With Season One winning all-round love, Team Bandish Bandits is back with Radhe and Tamanna, former lovers and bandmates, being pitted against each other in a nationwide band competition. Much of the original cast — led by Ritwik Bhowmik and Shreya Chaudhry — will be back and so will director Anand Tiwari. Looking forward to the music (and the drama)!
Panchayat Season 3
As the Panchayat elections approach, both Pradhan and Bhushan camps engage in a fierce battle to enhance their public image. Panchayat 3 is back... and we can’t wait to deep-dive into the simple-going-onto-complicated lives of the inhabitants of Phulera. Jitendra Kumar leads the eclectic cast that boasts Neena Gupta and Raghubir Yadav. Interestingly, Sivarapalli, a Telugu version of Panchayat, and Thalaivettiyaan Paalayam — aka Panchayat in Tamil — were also announced.
Suzhal — The Vortex Season 2
The highly popular Tamil crime series returns for a second showing. Set against the backdrop of the massive Ashtakaali Festival in the small town of Kaalipattanam, a murder unravels deeds from the past that cast a long shadow on the present. Vikram Vedha makers Pushkar-Gayatri return as creators and writers with the cast led by Kathir, Aishwarya Rajesh and Lal.
THEATRE TO HOME THEATRE
Kantara — A Legend Chapter 1
Kantara — A Legend Chapter 1
The legend of Kantara continues in its second film which will find its home on Prime Video after its theatrical run. Writer-director-actor Rishab Shetty, who powered the first film to huge box office and widespread critical acclaim, was present at the launch with the promise of a “bigger, better” Part Two.
Chandu Champion
Kabir Khan’s second sport-centric film after 83, with Kartik Aaryan as its face, has Prime Video as its streaming partner. Chandu Champion — set for release in theatres in June — follows the remarkable story of the unwavering attitude of a sportsman whose zeal led to India’s first individual gold medal in any form of the Olympics.
Baaghi 4
Tiger Shroff returns as action man Ronnie in the fourth outing of the Baaghi franchise. A super-agile Tiger was present at the launch, letting it spill that he met his first-ever girlfriend (when he was 25) on the sets of Baaghi. Now who could that be? Pata ni?! Exactly!
Bad Newz
Its super-fun posters have just been launched and after it is done with its theatrical run, Bad Newz — starring the fresh pair of Vicky Kaushal and Triptii Dimri, along with singer-actor Ammy Virk — will make its way to Prime Video.
Agni
‘In a city engulfed by a mysterious surge in fires, Vithal, a courageous fireman, and his brother-in-law, Samit, a hotshot policeman, begrudgingly join forces to unravel the escalating crisis. As they battle their differences and a race against time, they must reconcile personal conflicts to crack the case and protect Mumbai from impending disaster.’ We are sold on Agni, just based on its synopsis. And, of course, its cast — Madgaon Express men Divyenndu and Pratik Gandhi, along with Saiyami Kher and Sai Tamhankar. Raees maker Rahul Dholakia directs this Farhan Akhtar production.
Ashwatthama — The Saga Continues
The announcement of this big-ticket film took us completely by surprise. Shahid Kapoor, doing hosting duties at the launch, announced the project based on the immortal warrior Ashwatthama from The Mahabharata, with the actor himself playing the lead role. Not too long ago, Uri maker Aditya Dhar had announced his ambitious project on Ashwatthama with Vicky Kaushal, which had to be finally shelved for budgetary and logistics reasons. As they say, you never can tell in Bollywood!
Don 3
Farhan Akhtar’s ambitious follow-up to the first two Don films brings in Ranveer Singh as Don with Kiara Advani as the leading lady and will leap onto Prime Video after its run in cinemas.
Ground Zero
In the aftermath of the 2001 attack on the Indian Parliament, BSF man Narendra Nath Dhar Dubey embarks on a lengthy investigation leading to the encounter of Ghazi Baba, Jaish-e-Mohammad’s chief and mastermind behind the attack, enabling India’s most successful counter-terrorism operation in history. Emraan Hashmi leads the cast of this Farhan Akhtar production.
Family Star
Vijay Deverakonda stars in this tale of the highs and lows of family relationships in a typical Indian middle-class family. Mrunal Thakur is his co-star in this Telugu film. The announcement at #PrimeVideoPresents saw Vijay in attendance and with Shahid as host it was a perfect photo-op for Kabir Singh and Arjun Reddy to indulge in some PDA (and no violence!)
Ikkis
Agastya Nanda slips into the uniform of Arun Khetarpal, the youngest-ever Param Vir Chakra recipient and the most decorated hero of the 1971 Indo-Bangladesh war, in this Sriram Raghavan film whose teaser, unveiled at the launch, promises an inspirational and heartwarming story. The stellar cast comprises Dharmendra and Jaideep Ahlawat.
Housefull 5
Five times the fun and madness is the promise from the fifth instalment of the Housefull franchise which will mark the return of Akshay Kumar and Riteish Deshmukh. Dostana man Tarun Mansukhani directs this one.
Game Changer
Ram Charan and Kiara Advani come together for the first time in this high-voltage Telugu action film that is based on an honest IAS officer’s fight against a corrupt political system. Shankar is the director while filmmaker Karthik Subbaraj is one of the writers.
Shoojit Sircar’s untitled film
It was fitting that Varun Dhawan — whose career took a turn after Shoojit Sircar’s October — was on stage to introduce the filmmaker’s next, which will be released in theatres first and then on Prime Video. Abhishek Bachchan plays the lead in this untitled film, which is described as the emotional journey of a man pursuing the American Dream who is given a second chance in life to bond with his daughter. “My last two films — Gulabo Sitabo and Sardar Udham — released directly on Prime Video and I am happy that even this film will find a home on it,” said Sircar who was accompanied by Abhishek and the film’s co-producers.
Kanguva
Bobby Deol and Suriya showcased their film Kanguva
Bobby Deol is having a good run as a bad man on screen. The Animal antagonist locks horns with Suriya, no less, in this Tamil biggie that travels 500 years from the 1700s to 2023 and focuses on a hero who has to fulfil a mission left unfinished. Suriya and Bobby were both present at the showcase and received resounding claps and cheers.
Singham Again
Ajay Devgn’s latest instalment as fiery cop Bajirao Singham will be the new addition to director Rohit Shetty’s cop universe. The film, releasing in theatres on the Independence Day weekend, has Akshay Kumar and Ranveer Singh pitching in. Kareena Kapoor Khan returns, while Deepika Padukone and Tiger Shroff are the new cops in the mix. Arjun Kapoor plays the antagonist. Watch it on Prime Video once it leaves the theatres.
Stree 2
In this sequel to the blockbuster Stree, we revisit Chanderi years after the events of the first film and find that the town is being preyed on by a new threat. Vicky and his ragtag team have to come to Chanderi’s rescue once more. Stree man Amar Kaushik returns to direct the sequel with its original cast — Shraddha Kapoor, Rajkummar Rao, Pankaj Tripathi, Abhishek Banerjee and Aparshakti Khurana — featuring.
Yudhra
Rounding off Excel Entertainment’s partnership with Prime Video is this film that is directed by Mom maker Ravi Udyawar. Siddhant Chaturvedi and Malavika Mohanan play the leads and the script is written by Farhan Akhtar and Shridhar Raghavan.
AND...
Fallout
Creator Jonathan Nolan and actor Ella Purnell were at #PrimeVideoPresents for their show Fallout
The only international showcase at #PrimeVideoPresents was a biggie. Fallout, a high-octane post-apocalyptic series based on the popular video game of the same name, had actor Ella Purnell — who plays the protagonist Lucy — and creator Jonathan Nolan present in Mumbai. The duo unveiled a never-seen-before scene from the series that premieres on the platform on April 12.