This Week, Netflix Unveils Abundance of International Releases.
The weekend is here and so are our binge-watch recommendations for the top OTT releases of the week. If you were expecting a lot of romance-themed releases for Valentine’s week like us, be prepared to be disappointed. There is only one major Indian original release for the week – Karan Johar’s Love Storiyaan, which is about six unique love stories, where love breaks free from the shackles of societal and cultural norms. Shah Rukh Khan’s box-office hit Dunki made its OTT premiere on Netflix on January 15, without much of a pre-buzz. It’s a heartwarming comedy by Rajkumar Hirani, which revolves around the subject of “donkey” path to entering a country illegally. Since the process is quite prevalent in the Indian state of Punjab, Hirani has rightly centred the film there. The Kerala Story has also finally been released on Zee5 after weeks of speculation. The controversial film chronicles alleged mass religious conversion of Hindu and Christian women in Kerala.
Among other post-theatrical releases are Prabhas starrer action-drama Salaar (Hindi dubbed version) and the Sci-Fi adventure film Dune, which follows a noble family that becomes embroiled in a war for control over the galaxy’s most prized asset. The sequel, Dune Part Two, is slated for release on March 1, by the way.
If you want to give new international releases a try, you could go for Polish comedy Kill Me If You Dare, German heartfelt drama The Heartbreak Agency, Japanese suspense show House of Ninjas, or the second season of the Jordanian teenage drama AlRawabi School for Girls.
For those looking for fresh comic content, Taylor Tomlinson’s third Netflix Special Have It All is now out. Here, Taylor speaks of her life post-breakup and addresses the age-old question: Can you have it all? However, I feel her previous two specials were way more entertaining than this one, which fails to recreate her previous style (or it’s probably because I was fangirling a lot on her prior stand-ups and had way too high expectations from her next endeavours).
For documentary enthusiasts, Netflix’s Einstein and the Bomb should do it. This docu-drama will take you inside the tortured mind of Einstein after he fled Germany. Get ready for a lot of archival footage and tonnes of melodrama.
Well, that’s all folks. Happy binge-watching!
The Kerala Story
Where: Zee5
When: Now Streaming
One of the most controversial releases of 2023, The Kerala Story, is now available to stream on Zeee5. Here, you’ll see Adah Sharma playing a nursing student brainwashed into converting to Islam, along with two of her friends. How she ends up joining the Islamic State, becomes an ISIS terrorist and lands up in an Afghanistan jail makes the crux of the story.
The film initially received a lot of backlash after it claimed that around 32,000 Hindu and Christian girls were involuntarily mass converted to Islam between 2016 and 2018, without solid proof. The promotional material was later taken down when the claims could not be backed by facts. The film stirred a lot of debates in the newsrooms, though.
Dunki
Where: Netflix
When: Now Streaming
Four old Indians in London who are terribly homesick and want to revisit their homeland but aren’t having any luck with the British Embassy. Desperate to get back, they seek help from Hardy Singh (Shah Rukh Khan), an ex-army man who helped them arrive in London in the first place via the illegal “Donkey” route – a phenomenon where people enter a foreign country illegally via multiple stops in other countries.
In Dunki, you’ll find funny scenes of people parroting English speeches to IELTS exam centres, emotional highs, and a sweet yet incomplete love story. Dunki made its Netflix debut on February 15, without much of a pre-buzz. The film marks Rajkumar Hirani’s (3 Idiots, Sanju) first collaboration with Shah Rukh Khan.
Love Storiyaan
Where: Prime Video
When: Now Streaming
Karan Johar’s Love Storiyaan was released on Prime Video on Valentine’s Day. The series brings to the platter six unique love stories, where romance triumphs over all socio-political odds.
Here you’ll meet a trans couple, cross-border lovers, the brimming romance of a Dalit activist and an Adivasi advocate, a love saga from Bangladesh’s Liberation Movement in 1971, two radio jockeys from rival stations falling for each other, and an unlikely couple facing opposition from their daughters.
The anthology series is inspired by stories from the Instagram handle India Love Project, where you’ll find love stories “outside the shackles of faith, caste, ethnicity & gender.”
Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire (Hindi version)
Where to Watch: Hotstar
Now Streaming: Hindi Dubbed Version
While the Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil, and English dubbed versions of this Prabhas starrer are already available on Netflix, the Hindi dubbed version makes its OTT debut on Hotstar. In ‘Salaar,’ witness a gang leader determined to fulfill a dying friend’s wish by confronting rival gangs. If you’re a fan of South Indian action flicks, ‘Salaar’ promises a thrilling weekly binge-watch experience, packed with intense action.