The second week of October arrives amid political tensions and the October heat, with no major film releases in theatres this week. Moviegoers can either catch up on last week's Ajay Devgn starrer Drishyam 3 or spend their time scrolling through Instagram reels and binge-watching shows.
Well, and if you are looking for something new to watch this weekend? We have got you covered. Several films and shows are arriving on OTT platforms, offering a mix of crime thrillers, action dramas, romance and fantasy. From Prithviraj Sukumaran's Khalifa and Emraan Hashmi's Awarapan 2 to the Malayalam crime thriller Pradhama Dhrishtya Kuttakkar and Parineeti Chopra's Reporting Live, there are plenty of options to add to your watchlist.
Sit back and relax!
Khalifa on OTT
Prithviraj Sukumaran's Khalifa began streaming on Prime Video, Lionsgate Play, Manorama MAX, Starzplay, Simply South and Aha on October 9, the makers announced on social media.
Directed by Vysakh and written by Jinu V Abraham, the film follows Aamir Ali (Prithviraj Sukumaran), who becomes entangled in his family's long-standing involvement in the gold-smuggling trade. The film also stars Neil Nitin Mukesh, Shammy Thilakan, Renji Panicker, Sanju Sivram, Malvika Sharma and Mohini.
Khalifa hit theatres on August 20 as an Onam release and received mixed reviews. The film marks Vysakh's reunion with Prithviraj after Pokkiri Raja. Mohanlal makes a brief appearance towards the end as Aamir's grandfather, Mambarakkal Ahmed Ali. The character is set to take centre stage in the sequel, Khalifa 2 – The Legacy, which will also feature Prithviraj, Tovino Thomas and Soubin Shahir.
The film is produced by Jinu V Abraham under his namesake banner, with cinematography by Jomon T John, editing by Chaman Chakko and music by Jakes Bejoy.
An excerpt from the Cinema Express review of the film reads, "Khalifa needed more than slick staging and Prithviraj's screen presence to become the film it wanted to be. It looks ambitious, plays confident and occasionally delivers, but underneath all that polish is a rather routine action drama."
Awarapan 2
Emraan Hashmi-starrer Awarapan 2, the sequel to his 2007 action-romance film, is now available to stream on Prime Video. The streaming platform announced its arrival on Friday.
Directed by Nitin Kakkar and produced by Vishesh Bhatt under the Vishesh Films banner, Awarapan 2 also stars Disha Patani and Shabana Azmi. The film hit theatres on August 14.
Sharing an announcement teaser on Instagram, Prime Video wrote, "Toh phir aao ek baar phir Shivam Pandit se milne. #Awarapan2OnPrime, Watch Now."
The video shows Emraan Hashmi being photographed by paparazzi as he approaches for a take, with the song Tera Mera Rishta from the original film playing in his headphones. The video carries the text, "Me in public vs. my headphones."
The original Awarapan, directed by Mohit Suri, also starred Shriya Saran, Mrinalini Sharma and Ashish Vidyarthi. Produced by Mukesh Bhatt, the 2007 film attained cult status despite underperforming at the box office upon its release.
The sequel follows Shivam as he continues to grapple with the emotional scars of his past. In the first film, he transformed from a cold-blooded hitman into a tragic figure through his relationship with Reema, a woman held captive by gangster Malik. His decision to help her escape ultimately cost him everything.
And now the sequel brings Shivam back into the dark underworld. While his grief remains, the dominant emotion driving his journey has changed.
Mithoon and Sayeed Quadri have composed the music for Awarapan 2.
Reporting Live
OTT Release Date: October 9
Streaming Platform: Netflix
Cast: Parineeti Chopra, Deven Bhojani, Adil Hussain, Shekhar Suman, Amol Palekar
Directed by Dhruv Tripathi, the crime thriller Reporting Live is about Sandhya Yadav (played by Parineeti Chopra), a television journalist, and her video journalist partner Vinod Sharma (played by Deven Bhojani) as they investigate a school bus accident caused by a sudden bridge collapse in Visargaon. While reporting on the disaster, the duo uncovers a dark conspiracy linking the collapse to a massive, dangerous illegal sand-mining racket run by a ruthless syndicate and a powerful construction mogul.
