As we are all well aware of, the whole world has been badly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, causing damages to the economy, including in the film industry.
Bollywood is the second biggest film industry in the world, coming in just behind Hollywood, but it also felt the negative impact when most of its new movies had to be postponed following the rising coronavirus cases in India.
However, filmmakers are now looking for alternative means of releasing their new movies, not wanting to be dependent on the traditional way of premiering their movies in cinemas. They have now begun exploring over-the-top (OTT) media service.
Previously, the movies "Gulabo Sitabo", "Dil Bechara" and "Shakuntala Devi" were among the first to be released on OTT platforms, and now more and more filmmakers are following in their footsteps.
Even though there are quite a number of new titles that will be screened on OTT platforms soon, we will not list them all here. We will focus instead on the major Bollywood movies coming out soon.
“Bhuj: The Pride of India”
Fans have been anticipating Ajay Devgn’s "Bhuj: The Pride of India”, which is based on the true events of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. In the movie, Ajay will play Vijay Karnik, an Indian Air Force squadron leader who repairs the Bhuj runway with the help of 300 local women. It also stars other great actors such as Nora Fatehi, Ammy Virk and more.
Stream it on: Disney+ & Hotstar
“Sadak 2”
After his long absence, renowned filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt makes a comeback with the follow-up to 1991’s “Sadak”. Originally set to be released last August, it had to be postponed when cinemas across India were temporarily closed. The sequel, which sees the return of original stars Sanjay Dutt and Pooja Bhatt, joined by new cast members such as Alia Bhatt and Aditya Roy Kapur, in the end opted for an OTT release.
Stream it on: Disney+ & Hotstar
“AK vs AK”
Thriller film "AK vs AK" sparks fans’ interest as it stars two Bollywood powerhouses: Anurag Kashyap and Anil Kapoor. It tells of a “crazy” filmmaker, played by Anurag, who kidnaps the daughter of Anil’s Bollywood star character. This Vikramaditya Motwane-helmed movie also features cameo appearances by Sonam Kapoor and Harshvardhan Kapoor.
Stream it on: Netflix
“The Big Bull”
While Hollywood has "The Wolf of Wall Streets", India has "The Big Bull", which is based on the story of stockbroker Harshad Mehta who was infamous for his share market scam. Set in 1992, the movie features Abhishek Bachchan, Ileana D'Cruz and Nikita Dutta in the lead roles.
Stream it on: Disney+ & Hotstar
“Class of '83”
Based on Hussain Zaidi’s novel, the movie adaptation sees Bobby Deol making his digital debut. It focuses on a police officer who trains a crime prevention cadet. Directed by Atul Sabharwal, this marks the third collaboration between Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment with Netflix, after "Bard of Blood" and "Betaal".
Stream it on: Netflix
“Ludo”
Helmed by Anurag Basu, this dark comedy film stars Abhishek Bachchan, Rajkummar Rao, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Aditya Roy Kapur and Pankaj Tripathi. Anurag’s last time in the director’s chair was in 2017, when he directed the movie "Jagga Jasoss".
Stream it on: Netflix
“Torbaaz”
Sanjay Dutt’s latest movie is highly intriguing as it tells the story of a child suicide bomber in Afghanistan. This Girish Malik-helmed movie shows Sanjay playing the character of an army officer. Interestingly, this is the first Hindi movie to be filmed in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
Stream it on: Netflix
“Serious Men”
"Serious Men" is a big screen adaptation of the book authored by Manu Joseph. It revolves around a man living in the slum who claims that his 10-year-old son is a genius. Directed by Sudhir Mishra, the movie stars Nawazuddin Siddiqui in the leading role.
Stream it on: Netflix