BY SACNILK

Mumbai, January 9 - The year 2021 was like starting afresh for the Bollywood film industry after facing a massive jolt from the covid-19 pandemic. However, it was another year dominated by the digital platforms as covid continued to strike at the theaters. ## The theatrical releases in 2021 couldn't grab much attention, apart from a couple of films. The lack of quality content kept the audiences away from visiting theaters, which directly benefitted the digital platforms. However, the theatrical scenario could have been completely different had Bollywood shown more confidence in their films that they sent directly to OTT platforms. ## Many believed, including the critics and audiences, that some of the films that succumbed to OTT, would have or could have done wonders at the box office had they been released in theaters. Some of the OTT films got highly positive responses and strong words of mouth that helped them to gain views in millions. The strong words of mouth came in handy during the success of "Sooryavanshi", "Pushpa - The Rise", and "Spider-Man: No Way Home". We have listed out 5 such films in this article. ## 1. Shershaah - Shershaah was a golden opportunity missed by the makers for not making it a theatrical release. Those who watched it on Amazon Prime Video shared their views and regretted not watching it on the big screen. Based on the life of Param Vir Chakra-awardee Captain Vikram Batra, this Sidharth Malhotra-starrer had a missed opportunity to have a special place in the box office history.## ## 2. Mimi - Mimi is possibly the finest film in Kriti Sanon's career. This heartwarming comedy-drama film might not have earned Rs. 100 crores but it had all the elements to become a massive box office hit. Kriti Sanon played a young woman who opts to be a surrogate mother for a foreign couple. The movie was loved by one and all. Just like Allu Arjun's "Pushpa", "Mimi" too could have built upon strong word of mouth had it a theatrical release.## ## 3. Sardar Ka Grandson - Yet another heartwarming comedy-drama film that won the hearts of the viewers for its unique love stroy spanning three-generation. This Arjun Kapoor, Neena Gupta, and Rakul Preet Singh-starrer received mixed-to-positive reviews from the critics and viewers, but its subject could have made it a memorable theatrical experience. ## ## 4. Toofan - The Hindi audiences haven't seen many films on boxing drama, so "Toofan" could have done that for them in theaters. Many believe that post-covid, the movies that will appeal to the masses will work at the box office, and this Farhaan Akhtar-starrer was one such film. It could've worked very well on the emotional front, and solid casting of Mrunal Thakur and Paresh Rawal. ## ## 5. Sardar Udham - Vicky Kaushal's "Uri: The Surgical Strike" was a box officer monster, thanks to its patriotic real story. "Sardar Udham" might not have achieved what "Uri" did, but it could've been another box office success story for Vicky. The biographical historical drama is based on the life of Udham Singh, a freedom fighter from Punjab who assassinated Michael O'Dwyer in London to avenge the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar. ## ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, Jan 8 (IANS) 'Looop Lapeta' starring Taapsee Pannu and Tahir Raj Bhasin will have a direct to OTT release on February 4. The comedy-thriller marks the directorial debut of Aakash Bhatia and is the official remake of Tom Tykwer's hugely popular film 'Run Lola Run'.## The film, which will be released on Netflix, tells the story of a girl, who is on a mission to rescue her boyfriend amidst a series of events that constantly prompts the lovers to make choices that define their future.## Talking about the film, Taapsee Pannu, who essays the role of Savi out to rescue her boyfriend, said, "I am excited to be a part of this next project with Netflix, especially with the film being such a versatile genre. This compelling story was extremely enjoyable to make along with my director, Aakash, and co-star, Tahir".## "I cannot wait for fans and audiences to watch this edge-of-the-seat film and enjoy it as much as we loved making it", she added.## Tahir Raj Bhasin, playing the role of Satya said, "I am so excited about the release of 'Looop Lapeta'. The film is a clutter-breaking take on new-age romance, and a genre I am exploring for the first time. I can't wait for the world to meet the characters Satya and Savi".## Praising his director, Tahir said, "Our director Aakash Bhatia has a unique style stamp that has created a visually stunning world where thrill and comedy combine for one crazy rollercoaster of an entertainer".## Director Aakash Bhatia added, "There's no way to downplay the exhilaration of making the first film and 'Looop Lapeta' has surpassed every bit of it. I'm extremely excited about the shape we have given it. It boldly jumps genres from comedy, thriller to romance and makes for a rollercoaster ride for audiences".## He credited his team for putting the film together, "A powerhouse ensemble cast and crew made this project what it is. The creative collaborators in Sony Pictures, Kasbekar, and Tanuj made for great producers on this debut journey. I'm elated that Netflix is the platform that the world gets to watch 'Looop Lapeta' on".## The film, produced by Sony Pictures Films India, Ellipsis Entertainment along with Aayush Maheshwari and written by Vinay Chhawal, Ketan Pedgaonkar, Aakash Bhatia, Arnav Vepa Nanduri will be available to stream on Netflix from February 4.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Los Angeles, Jan 8 (IANS) Pixar's upcoming film 'Turning Red' is skipping theatres and will have a direct digital debut exclusively on Disney Plus on March 11. The news was announced by Disney and it will be free for subscribers.## The family-friendly animated film follows 'Soul' and 'Luca' as fellow Pixar releases that went straight to the streaming platform during the Covid-19 pandemic.## The 'Toy Story' spinoff 'Lightyear', starring Chris Evans, is still slated to release in theatres on June 17, reports variety.com.## "Disney Plus subscribers around the world enthusiastically embraced Pixar's Academy Award-winning 'Soul' and the critically-acclaimed 'Luca' when they premiered exclusively on the service, and we look forward to bringing them Pixar's next incredible feature film 'Turning Red'," said Kareem Daniel, chairman of Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution, in a statement.## "Given the delayed box office recovery, particularly for family films, flexibility remains at the core of our distribution decisions as we prioritize delivering the unparalleled content of The Walt Disney Company to audiences around the world".## 'Turning Red' follows Mei Lee (voiced by Rosalie Chiang), a confident, dorky 13-year-old who turns into a giant red panda when she gets overly excited, which is incredibly easy to do as an excitable youngster.## The voice cast includes Sandra Oh, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Ava Morse, Hyein Park, Orion Lee, Wang Ching Ho, Tristan Allerick Chen, and Addie Chandler.## Billish Eilish and Finneas O'Connell wrote original songs for the film, which will be performed by the fictional band 4*Town. O'Connell, Jordan Fisher, Josh Levi, Topher Ngo, and Grayson Villenueva play the band members.## Domee Shi, who created the adorable Pixar short 'Bao', directs the film, which is produced by Lindsey Collins. 'Turning Red' marks Shi's directorial debut and also the first Pixar movie to be solo directed by a woman.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Chennai, Jan 8, 2022: Ajith's 'Valimai' was supposed to hit the screens during Pongal on January 13, accordingly, the makers were building a great buzz ahead of the film's release. But the pandemic situation and increase in corona number of cases, have resulted in the postponement of the film release. ## Now, the latest report suggests that Ajith's 'Valimai' has rejected a 300 Cr direct OTT deal However, the makers turned down the deal since the film is made for the audience to enjoy on big screens, and they feel that the film's expectations will never go down due to the delay. ## Valimai is Boney Kapoor’s second collaboration with Ajith Kumar and director H Vinoth, after Nerkonda Paarvai, which was the Tamil remake of Bollywood film Pink. Recently, it was announced that Valimai will also be made available in Hindi and Telugu, making it Ajith’s maiden film to get a multiple language release. ## Meanwhile, Ajith will be commencing the work for his 61st film soon, and he is reportedly teaming up with H Vinoth and Boney Kapoor for the third continuous time. ## Stay tuned.

BY SACNILK

Seoul, Jan 7 (IANS) South Korean sci-fi horror series 'The Silent Sea' was the most-viewed non-English TV show over the week from December 27 to January 2 on Netflix, the global video streaming service said.## The drama, according to Yonhap News Agency, topped Netflix's official weekly chart for non-English TV programmes with 47.8 million hours of viewing for the week, vastly outnumbering 'The Queen of Flow: Season 2' with 29.5 million hours and 'Money Heist: Part 5' with 26.3 million hours.## 'The Silent Sea' is ranked No. 10, just behind the Akshay Kumar-starrer 'Sooryavanshi', on Netflix in India. The Raveena Tandon-led series 'Aranyak' and the Malayalam superhero movie 'Minnal Murali' are in the top two positions.## 'Squid Game' and 'Money Heist' are at No. 6 and 7 in India.## For 'The Silent Sea', the week in review marked a remarkable increase in viewership, as it had placed third with 22.2 million hours in the previous week. The eight-part series premiered on December 24.## It is the third Korean-language series to have topped the Netflix chart for non-English TV shows, following the global sensation 'Squid Game' released in September and Yeon Sang-ho's fantasy horror 'Hellbound' in November.## Netflix said 'The Silent Sea' made the Top 10 in the category in 77 countries over the one-week period and topped the list in six nations, including South Korea and Thailand.## Starring Bae Doo-na and Gong Yoo, the latest Netflix original is set on the moon, where a special team is tasked with finding out the secrets of an abandoned research facility, Balhae Base.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Series: 'Kaun Banegi Shikharwati' (Streaming on Zee5); Duration: Averaging 40 minutes per episode## Directors: Gauravv K. Chawla, Ananya Banerjee; Cast: Naseeruddin Shah, Raghubir Yadav, Soha Ali Khan, Lara Dutta, Anya Singh, Kritika Kamra, Cyrus Sahukar, Varun Thakur## IANS Rating: **1/2## Set in the royal land of Rajasthan, 'Kaun Banegi Shikharwati' is a hackneyed ten-episode dramedy where a father attempts to reunite his four estranged daughters to save the legacy they hold.## Naseeruddin Shah plays Raja Mrityunjay, the erstwhile King of Shikharwati, who is bogged down with empty coffers and a huge debt to the Indian Government - in terms of property tax in arrears. To save himself from the situation he is in, with the help of his close confidant Mishraji, he feigns a strange illness and calls his four estranged daughters; Devyani, Gayatri, Kamini, and Uma to his palace with the assurance that he would decide an heir after the four of them compete in a competition.## The rules of the competition are simple. There would be nine rounds in the competition, and each round would be a task which the princesses would have to perform. In the end, the winner of the competition would be appointed the next "King". That is how the plot kicks in and thus begins the predictable misadventures of the quirky princesses who do their darndest to win.## Each episode is astutely crafted with art that seems insubstantial and meandering on the surface and thus may repulse some. But by the tenth episode, after you have had the patience of sitting through the earlier nine, you'd get hooked to find the series end on a meaningful and heart-warming note.## As for the characters; Naseeruddin Shah as the idiosyncratic Raja with his fuzzy tuft looking as cozily rumpled as an unmade bed, making it clear that Raja Mritunjay is not a heartless, mean man and that he has the welfare of his daughters and his estate at heart, Lara Dutta as Devyani his oldest daughter with marital issues, Soha Ali Khan as his considerate second daughter Gayatri who is a single mom to her two children, Kritika Kamra as his third unmarried daughter Kamini who is obsessed over her social media follower count and Anya Singh as Uma his allergy-prone, gamer daughter, Cyrus Sahukar as Devyani's husband Harsh Neotia, Raghubir Yadav as Mishraji, and the rest of the ilk, all appear stereotypical and oft-seen.## Similarly, spare for a handful of inspired scenes, the rest of the series appear cliched and unoriginal.## In the lesser hand, 'Kaun Banegi Shikharwati' could have been indigestible pablum, but its pitch-perfect cast won't let you soon forget the poignant bonding of the series. There is a natural performative quality to the actors' embodiment of their characters. They all seem to be living their parts effortlessly and are impressive in their marked roles, with them going big at all times with smirks, sighs, smiles, and tears.## Overall, mounted with ace production values, the series appears staged with damaged individuals in search of - connection and unity, who wind up tidy to a cheesy fault.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, January 6 - Leonardo DiCaprio, and Jennifer Lawrence's climate change satire "Don't Look Up" has shattered viewing records worldwide on Netflix. The Adam McKay-directed has officially become the most viewed Netflix movie in a single week. ## Netflix confirmed (via Deadline) that "Don't Look Up" was watched by 152.29 million hours worldwide in the week of December 27 – January 2, which is a new record on Netflix. It is currently the 3rd most viewed film of all time on Netflix in the first 28 days with 263.3 million viewing hours. ## By the time of writing this article, "Don't Look Up" might have surpassed "Bird Box" to claim the second spot of Netflix's most-watched film in the first 28 days. The first 12-days of viewing data indicates that "Don't Look Up" will likely top the Netflix chart by the end of its 4-week run. Currently, "Red Notice", starring Dwayne Johnson, Gal Gadot, and Ryan Reynolds is the number 1 Netflix film with 364 million viewing hours. ## "Don't Look Up" features Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence as two astronomers attempting to warn humanity about an approaching comet that will destroy human civilization. The comet is an allegory for climate change and the film is a satire of government and media indifference to the climate crisis. ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Hyderabad, January 6 - Amazon Prime Video has had a great year as far as premiering Indian titles in 2021. Besides some of the most critically acclaimed small to mid-budget films, the streamer grabbed the attention for bagging direct-to-streaming rights of Suriya's "Jai Bhim", Vicky Kaushal's "Sardar Uddham", among others. ## Apart from earning direct-to-ott releases, Prime Video also bagged post-theatrical streaming rights of some of the big-budgeted films, including Thalalapthy Vijay's "Master", and the recent Telugu blockbuster "Pushpa - The Rise", starring superstar Allu Arjun. ## It was reported that Prime Video paid a whopping Rs. 45 crores for "Master's" early OTT release. "Master" was the first blockbuster of 2021, but was made available on Prime Video after only 16 days of its theatrical release. However, when it comes to OTT price for "Pushap", the sum is shockingly low than what people had expected, considering its blockbuster run at the box office in all languages. ## As announced by Prime Video, "Pushpa - The Rise" will premiere on its platform after 21 days of theatrical release from January 7 onwards in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam. As per reports, the streamer had paid only Rs. 22 crores for its early digital release. ## "Master" didn't perform well in other languages apart from Tamil, and Telugu, while "Pushpa" is having a dream box office run in all versions. Even in Hindi, which is first for Allu Arjun, "Pushpa" has surpassed many outright Bollywood titles and becomes one of the biggest success stories in Hindi with a box office collection of Rs. 70 crores net. So compare to "Master", the OTT price for "Pushpa" isn't as high as it should have been. ## However, one can understand why the amount is low as the deal was done before the release of "Pushpa - The Rise", plus, no one had expected it to do extremely well in Hindi and other languages except Telugu. The makers, however, won't mind since this Sukumar-directed has exceeded their box office expectations as it is nearing Rs. 300 crores worldwide. It has already become Allu Arjun's biggest-grosser of all time at the worldwide box office. ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, January 6 - Anushka Sharma is all set to mark her comeback after a maternity hiatus with the biopic of Indian woman cricketer, Jhulan Goswami. The movie was announced two years ago but got delayed due to the covid-19 pandemic. It was recently reported that Anushka has backed out from the project and Tripti Dimri would be replacing her in the film. However, the latest development burst those rumors and confirmed Anushka on board the feature film. ## The movie, titled "Chakda Xpress", is inspired by the life of one of women cricket's all-time greatest players, Jhulan Goswami. The film picks Goswami's inspirational journey as she moves up the ladder despite the hindrances posed by misogynistic politics to fulfill her dream of playing cricket for India.## Speaking about the film, Anushka Sharma said in a statement, "It is a really special film because it is essentially a story of tremendous sacrifice. 'Chakda Xpress' is inspired by the life and times of former Indian captain Jhulan Goswami and it will be an eye-opener into the world of women's cricket. At a time when Jhulan decided to become a cricketer and make her country proud on the global stage, it was very tough for women to even think of playing the sport. This film is a dramatic retelling of several instances that shaped her life and also women's cricket".## "From support systems to facilities, to have a stable income from playing the game, to even have a future in cricket – very little propelled women of India to take up cricket as a profession. Jhulan had a fighting and extremely uncertain cricketing career and she stayed motivated to make her country proud. She strived to change the stereotype that women can't make a career out of playing cricket in India so that the next generation of girls had a better playing field", the actress added. ## "Chakda Xpress" will be made as an original Netflix movie. Produced by Anushka Sharma and Karnesh Ssharma's Clean Slate Filmz, the movie will be shot in Indian and the UK. Prosit Roy, who previously directed the Amazon series "Paatal Lok", and "Pari", will be directing the biopic. ## As a cricketing nation, we have to give our women cricketers their due. Jhulan's story is truly an underdog story in the history of cricket in India and the film is our celebration of her spirit.— Anushka Sharma (@AnushkaSharma) January 6, 2022 ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, January 6 - The makers of Ranveer Singh-fronted sports biopic, "83" have refused the plans of an early digital and satellite release. The movie is currently playing in theaters and in the second week of its box office run.## There were speculations that just like most of the films of 2021, "83" will also be premiered on OTT after 28 days of its theatrical run. However, refusing those speculations, Shibasish Sarkar, current CEO of Reliance Entertainment, took to Twitter and said that the movie will only be available on Digital and Satellite after 8 weeks of box office run globally. ## "Film 83 will be released on Digital platforms or Satellite Television at least after 8 weeks of theatrical run globally. @RanveerOfficial @therealkapildev @kabirkhankk @RelianceEnt", Sarkar tweeted. ## Film 83 will be released on Digital platforms or Satellite Television at least after 8 weeks of theatrical run globally. @RanveerOfficial @therealkapildev @kabirkhankk @RelianceEnt https://t.co/8T1pLvawTN— Shibasish Sarkar (@Shibasishsarkar) January 6, 2022 ## Directed by Kabir Khan, "83" is struggling to attract large footfalls at the box office, due to the restrictions on cinemas and the covid-19 pandemic. However, things are not all doom and gloom from its box office perspective as it has crossed Rs. 165 crores worldwide, including Rs. 110 crores gross in India. ## Based on India's maiden ODI cricket world cup triumph in 1983 under the leadership of legendary Kapil Dev, "83" stars Ranveer Singh as Kapil Dev along with Deepika Padukone, Pankaj Tripathi, Tahir Raj Bhasin, Jiiva, Saqib Saleem, Jatin Sarna, Chirag Patil, Dinker Sharma, Nishant Dahiya, Harrdy Sandhu, Sahil Khattar, Ammy Virk, Adinath Kothare, Dhairya Karwa, and R Badree. ## The movie is produced by Reliance Entertainment in association with Phantom Films, Vibri Media, KA Productions, Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment, and Kabir Khan Films. It was released in theaters on December 24 in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam languages worldwide. ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, January 5 - India's leading stand-up comedian, Kapil Sharma will be making his Netflix debut with a special show, titled "I'm Not Done Yet". The show, which features Kapil in a never-seen-before avatar as he gets candid about his life's journey and shares interesting things from his life in his own fun and relatable way, will premiere on Netflix on January 28. ## On January 5, the "The Kapil Sharma Show" host took to social media and share the promo of the show, and wrote, "Let's meet on 28th January on your Netflix screen with my first stand up special "Kapil Sharma: I m not done yet"!" Interestingly, Kapil Sharma had teased his digital debut last year at the same time and finally, after a year, he revealed the show and its premiere date. ## In the video, Kapil reveals he has been in the industry for the last 25 years and it's been 15 years since he made his tv debut. He also reveals that he never took comedy seriously because it's is in the nature of the people of Punjab. The actor reveals he never thought he would get paid for doing comedy.## He says, "Ek artist ko hamesha andar se ek awaaz aati hai - I'm not done yet. Mujhe kuch aur karna hai lekin woh karein kahaan pe. Netflix, mujhe isne bada attract kiya", So, be prepared to listen to Kapil's story in his style.## Let’s meet on 28th January on your Netflix screen 📺 with my first stand up special “Kapil sharma: I m not done yet”! #kapilsharmaonnetflix @NetflixIndia @netflix @beingustudios @GoswamiAnukalp pic.twitter.com/e0EaUt5xnB— Kapil Sharma (@KapilSharmaK9) January 5, 2022 ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, January 5 - Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, and Gal Gadot starrer "Red Notice" is the most viewed film on Netflix in the first 4-weeks. The $200 million-budgeted film was released on November 12 on Netflix and became a constant hit on the platform by surpassing "Bird Box".## 'Red Notice" currently has 364 million viewing hours on Netflix, which is the highest for any film (English or non-English) on the streamer. However, this record is looking in trouble as recently released satirical black comedy "Don't Look Up" has entered Netflix's top 5 films of all time. ## Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, and Jennifer Lawrence in leading roles, "Don't Look Up" premiered on Netflix on December 24, and currently is the 3rd most viewed film on the streamer with 263.3 million viewing hours. It also becomes the most-viewed Netflix film in the opening week worldwide. ## Have a look at the top 10 most viewed films on Netflix in first 28 days (hours viewed) - list includes data as of January 4, 2022## 1. Red Notice - 364M## 2. Bird Box - 282M## 3. Don't Look Up - 263.3M## 4. Extraction - 231.3## 5. The Irishman - 214.5M## 6. The Kissing Booth 2 - 209.2M## 7. The Unforgivable - 208.2M## 8. 6 Underground - 205.4M## 9. Spenser Confidential - 197.3M## 10. Enola Holmes - 189.9M## Every Tuesday, Netflix publishes four global Top 10 lists for films and TV: Film (English), TV (English), Film (Non-English), and TV (Non-English). These lists rank titles based on weekly hours viewed: the total number of hours that Netflix members around the world watched each title from Monday to Sunday of the previous week.## Stay tuned...