OTT platforms have proven to be beneficial for regional films as several recent releases have garnered immense interest from the audience. A recent theatrical release, Vikram, starring megastar Kamal Hassan is a classic example of the same. Some films with similar success have gotten multiple OTT releases where platforms have received streaming licenses at different months, serving a larger audience base.
Moreover, for sci-fi and animated film buffs, watching Marvel and Pixar films at ease has been a boon. Releases like Thor – Love & Thunder and Pinocchio have reached audiences that found theatrical viewing expensive. On the other hand, Indian documentaries, released over the years by Netflix have found a newer audience and positive reviews leading to more such crime and thriller documentaries to being brought to the forefront.
The first week of September is a mix of interesting shows catering to varied audiences. With sci-fi and animated releases on Disney+ Hotstar, documentaries on Netflix, and regional releases on Aha, Amazon Prime Video, and Zee5; audiences across India can have their schedules packed with a lot of entertainment.
Below are the releases for this week (September 5 to September 11, 2022)
| Title | Platform | Release Date | Language |
| Indian Predator: The Diary of a Serial Killer | Netflix | September 7 | Malayalam |
| Pappan | Zee5 | September 7 | English |
| Cars on the Road | Disney+ Hotstar | September 8 | English |
| Growing Up | Disney+ Hotstar | September 8 | English |
| Wedding Season | Disney+ Hotstar | September 8 | English |
| Obi-Wan Kenobi-The Jedi’s Return | Disney+ Hotstar | September 8 | English |
| Pinocchio | Disney+ Hotstar | September 8 | English |
| Thor – Love and Thunder | Disney+ Hotstar | September 8 | English |
| Nna Than Case Kodu | Disney+ Hotstar | September 8 | Malayalam |
| Cobra Kai: Season 5 | Netflix | September 9 | English |
| Ek Villian Returns | Netflix | September 9 | Hindi |
| Bheemla Nayak | Aha | September 9 | Telugu |
| Sita Ramam | Amazon Prime Video | September 9 | Telugu |
| Vikram | Zee5 | September 9 | Tamil |
Indian Predator: The Diary Of A Serial Killer – Season 2 | Netflix
IMDb Rating: 6.0
Netflix India has succeeded in showcasing a few Indian documentaries in recent times. After the success of House of Secrets: The Burari Deaths and the first season of Indian Predator: The Butcher of Delhi, Netflix announced the second season of the show titled Indian Predator: The Diary of a serial killer. The trailer of this show has been well appreciated by the audience.
Indian Predator: The Diary of a serial killer will stream on Netflix from September 7, 2022. The documentary revolves around a case which is considered closed as the suspect is found, however, the team comes across a secret diary relating to the journalist’s murder which suggests 13 more victims being a part of this horrific incident, hinting aspects of possible cannibalism.
The documentary, dark in nature, is in Hindi language, and has been produced by India Today and Vice Media.
Paappan | Zee5
IMDb Rating: 7.4
The 2022 Malayalam crime thriller, Pappan, is directed by Joshiy and produced jointly by Gokulam Gopalan, David Kachappilly and Raaffi Mathirra. Written by RJ Shaan, Pappan is a story of a voluntarily retired officer, Abraham Mathew Mathan’s mission of investigating a long-standing murder case. His daughter joins him on the journey.
Starring Suresh Gopi in the title role, Pappan also features Neeta Pillai, Gokul Suresh, Asha Sharath and others. The film was released in theatres on July 29, 2022, and garnered positive reviews from critics.
Pappan will stream on Zee5 from September 7, 2022.
Also Read : Zee 5 subscription plans: How to watch Zee5 and best premium plan for you
Cars on the Road | Disney+ Hotstar
IMDb Rating: 7.4
Produced by Pixar, Cars on the Road will focus on Lightning McQueen and Mater, his best friend, who embark on a cross-country road trip. The journey planned for attending Mater’s sisters wedding will take them across the United States thereby depicting and introducing several characters through various scenarios.
This animated comedy show has been written by Steve Purcell and stars Owen Wilson and Larry the Cable Guy.
Cars on the Road is based on the Car franchise. Three films keeping similar characters in mind has released in the past with Cars (2006), Cars 2 (2011), and Cars 3 (2017), and have been appreciated by the audience. Two animated series- Cars Toons’ Mater’s Tall Tales (2008-12) and Cars Toons: Tales from Radiator Springs (2013-14) was also released by Pixar Animated Studios.
Cars on the Road will release on Disney+ Hotstar on September 8, 2022.
Growing Up | Disney+ Hotstar
IMDb Rating: 4.3
Created by Brie Larson and Culture House, and produced by the latter, Growing Up is a ten-episode documentary starting Alex Crotty, Clare Della Valle, Isabel Lam, Amiri Nash, Athena Nair, Sofia Ongele, and others.
The innovative hybrid docu-series brings emotionally powerful real-life stories revolving around the complexities of adolescence, and the diverse social, familial, and internal obstacles that young adults face on the path of self-discovery acceptance. Each episode offers deeply personal interviews and creative cinematic reenactments — filmed in narrative, documentary, and experimental filmmaking styles.
Wedding Season | Disney+ Hotstar
IMDb Rating: 6.3
Directed by George Kate, this series, touted as an action comedy romantic thriller has garnered a lot of interest. Wedding season has been produced by Chris Carey, Laurence Bowen, Toby Bruce, and others; the story of which revolves around the relationship between Stefan (Gavin Drea) and Katie (Rosa Salazar).
Katie is engaged and has a fiancé, however, both the characters – Stefan and Katie – fall for each other at a wedding and this leads to an affair. However, the untimely, and sudden death of Katie’s husband and his family changes the dynamic and the twists turn their relationship upside down. They now have to prove their innocence and save themselves from this tragic incident.
Another film with a similar name, Wedding Season, was released on Netflix. The film was directed by Tom Dey and starred Pallavi Sharda and Suraj Sharma in the lead role.
Wedding Season on Disney+ Hotstar will release on September 8, 2022.
Also Read: Disney+ Hotstar Subscription plans with offers and validity
Obi-Wan Kenobi-The Jedi’s Return | D
IMDb Rating: 7.1
Touted to be one of the popular miniseries on Disney+, Obi-Wan Kenobi was planned as a part of the Star Wars franchise. The series features renowned actor Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi and the character is based on his role in the Star Wars prequel trilogy.
The series focuses on Kenobi’s mission to rescue kidnapped Princess Leia (Vivien Lyra Blair) from the Galactic Empire and is set in a time zone ten years post the Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005) events. The plot followed the journey of his confrontation with Darth Vader (Hayden Christensen) his former apprentice
Obi-Wan Kenobi-The Jedi’s Return is a recently planned documentary that takes one on a journey of how the limited series was planned. Fans of the show will be shown the behind-the-scenes footage, interviews, visits to the creature shop, never-before-seen clips, and departments known to make the popular props.
Director by David Gelb, Obi-Wan Kenobi-The Jedi’s Return will feature Deborah Chow, Hayden Christensen, Ewan McGregor. The documentary will stream on Disney+ Hotstar from September 8, 2022.
Pinocchio | Disney+ Hotstar
IMDb Rating: 8.1
The story of Pinocchio is well known. A blue fairy gives like to a wooden puppet named Pinocchio, based in an Italian village. He now seeks a life of adventure and strives to be a real boy.
This story, now presented in the form of a musical fantasy film, will stream on Disney+ Hotstar on September 8, 2022. Directed by Robert Zemeckis with a screenplay written by Zemeckis and Chris Weitz, this film will be loved both by kids and adults. The Walt Disney Pictures produced Pinocchio is an adaptation of the 1940’s animated film by Walt Disney and stars Tom Hanks, Cynthia Erivo, Giuseppe Battiston, and Luke Evans in the lead roles.
Other casts of Pinocchio include Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Keegan-Michael Key.
Thor-Love & Thunder | Disney+ Hotstar
IMDb Rating: 6.6
In this film, Thor gets on a journey like never before, striving for a quest for inner peace. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, the 2022 American superhero film is based on the popular Marvel Comics which feature the character.
Just when he embarks on the journey, Thor’s retirement is interrupted by Gorr the God Butcher and a galactic killer who seeks the extinction of the gods. Knowing this, Thor plans to combat with support from King Valkyrie, Korg and ex-girlfriend Jane Foster; and together they set out on the adventure to watch for.
This 2022 film, Thor: Love and Thunder, is a sequel to previously released Thor: Ragnarok (2017).
Directed by Taika Waititi, the film stars Chris Hemsworth, Christian Bale, Tessa Thompson, Jaimie Alexander, and many others.
Nna Than Case Kodu | Disney+ Hotstar
IMDb Rating: 8.4
The story of Nna Than Case Kodu is about a reformed thief who sets out on a fight for justice when he finds a chance to defend himself by using an innocent act to defend himself. It is said that the entertaining story will take the audience through the story of the protagonist placed in a case facing the high and mighty of society.
Written and directed by Ratheesh Balakrishnan Poduval, Nna Than Case Kodu stars Kunchacko BobanGayathrie, and Rajesh Madhavan.
Nna Than Case Kodu will stream from September 8, 2022.
Cobra Kai S5 | Netflix
IMDb Rating: 8.5
After four successful seasons of Cobra Kai, Netflix will release the fifth season of the popular show. In the previous season, Tory Nichols (Peyton List) won all the tournaments and in Cobra Kai Season 5 she will be seen mentoring an aspiring champion, thereby helping the new character develop new skills and champion martial arts.
Hawk (Eli Moskowitz) will have to strive and work hard to make his way his way up from the ground. Everyone in this season of Cobra Kai will work towards defeating Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka making the fifth season tough and entertaining.
Makers of the show, in recent interviews, said that the fifth season has been planned with many new flavours and twists which the audience has never seen before yet on the show.
Cobra Kai – Season 5 will steam on Netflix from September 9.
Ek Villain Returns | Netflix
IMDb Rating: 5.4
The first film of the same name, Ek Villian, was released several years ago, and the music of the film was well appreciated by the audience. This sequel of the 2014 release stars John Abraham, Arjun Kapoor, Disha Patani, and Tara Sutaria and is produced by T-Series and Balaji Motion Pictures.
Ek Villian Returns saw a theatrical release on July 29, 2022.
Directed by Mohit Suri, the story follows a journey 8 years after Rakesh Mahadkar reigned terror on Mumbai. Now, another serial killer is born with even more brutal and dangerous intentions, however, the way to conduct the crime remains the same, i.e., with the use of a Smiley Mask. One-sided love with a hero and villain, Ek Villain Returns follows the romantic tale where the paths they choose becomes the crux of the film.
Ek Villian Returns will stream on Netflix from September 9, 2022.
Bheemla Naayak | Aha Tamil
IMDb Rating: 6.5
Starring popular Telugu star Pawan Kalyan, Bheemla Nayak is a story about an honest policeman and an-ex havildar, Daniel Shekhar, who tricks the former into corruption and surrendering for the same.
The film will stream on both Disney+ Hotstar and Aha Video, and has received positive response from the audience during the theatrical release in February 25, 2022. Bheemla Nayak is a remake of the 2020 Malayalam film Ayyappanum Koshiyum.
The Telugu version is directed by Saagar K Chandra, and also stars Rana Daggubati, Nithya Menen and Samyuktha Menon.
Sita Ramam | Amazon Prime Video
IMDb Rating: 8.2
The year is 1964 when Lieutenant Ram is seen serving at the Kashmir border. Often, he receives anonymous love letters from Sita Mahalakshmi, which intrigues him to set on a mission to find Sita and propose his love.
The 2022 film made predominantly in Telugu was also released in multiple Indian languages. The period romantic drama, Sita Ramam written and directed by Hanu Raghavapudi, received a mixed response from the audience. Produced by Vyjayanthi Movies and Swapna Cinema, Sita Raman stars Dulquer Salmaan, Mrunal Thakur, Rashmika Mandanna, and Sumanth.
Media reports state that the idea of the film was born out of an unopened letter that the director received in a book. Additional aspects of the film were developed on a fictional level.
In one of the interviews, he mentioned, “The letter I found in that book, in 2007, was from a mother to her son. I gathered that their family is from Vijayawada and the son is living in a hostel. She had enquired about his well-being and asked when he would be home. It got me thinking, what if the contents of the letter had something crucial that could change the course of events?”.
Sita Ramam will stream on Amazon Prime Video from September 9, 2022.
Vikram | Zee5
IMDb Rating: 8.4
Presented as the second installment to the Lokesh Cinematic Universe, Vikram starring Kamal Haasan, Vijay Sethupathi, and Fahadh Faasil, received rave reviews during the theatrical release. The film also garnered an impressive response in the OTT release on Amazon Prime Video and will now entertain Zee5 subscribers.
A spin-off of the 1986 film, Vikram follows the journey set by the members of a black ops squad who are on track to eliminate a gang of masked murderers. The squad is led by Agent Vikram who strives to track the Vetti Vagaiyara’s group led by Sandhanam working on delivering missing drugs to his boss Rolex.
The film shares some relevance with the 2019 Tamil release Kaithi (2019) and also features a remixed version of songs from the past.
The 174-minute flick was released in theatres on June 3, 2022, and will stream on Zee5 from September 9, 2022.
Vikram also stars popular names like Kalidas Jayaram, Narain and Chemban Vinod Jose.