The year gone by has taught the entertainment industry a lot with the ups and downs caused by the pandemic scare, literally halting work for a long time, post which some amazing work was shot and executed with great precision on the medium of OTT. The digital medium saw a boom this year with a flurry of the big banner and big cast films being bought by the OTT streaming giants. Though these were films that should have had the big theatrical release, they did really well on the web medium.
The big market for the digital medium also saw a lot of films being made for the OTT business in particular. They also did really well and have created a trend that will be carried further in the years to come.
We at IWMBuzz.com present to you a list of the big films that saw a release on the OTT medium. We also give you a list of the films that were made predominantly for an OTT release in the year 2021.
Films that saw an OTT release
Atrangi Re (Disney Plus Hotstar): This film was a masterpiece presentation in all ways possible. Its story plot kept the audience engaged throughout the film. It was a very unusual love story with the right mix of laughter and emotions in it. Dhanush was a show-stealer, with him delivering a top-notch performance. Sara Ali Khan and Akshay Kumar were at their best too. This film which was released on 24 December has seen a resounding response, and is being loved a lot.
Bob Biswas (ZEE5): Amid roaring comparisons being done between Saswata Chatterjee, the original Bob Biswas created in the film Kahaani, and Abhishek Bachchan who actually turned a new leaf with his endearing performance in this film, Abhishek seemed to have the last laugh. He was captivating as this much-mellowed down Bob who went through a memory loss. His love story and his return to form as a serial killer was surely an engrossing watch. Along with Abhishek, Chitrangada Singh gave a nice performance. The film saw its release on ZEE5 on 3 December.
Dhamaka (Netflix): This film was really a ‘dhamaka’. It was a career-changing film for actor Kartik Aaryan after all the controversy he went through of being ousted from big banner films. Kartik Aaryan provided the perfect shape to the journalist Arjun Pathak. The film was a huge blockbuster on the OTT market, and was watched by masses of all ages. The film released on 19 November on Netflix.
Drishyam 2: The Resumption (Amazon Prime): This mighty Malayalam film starring the great Mohan Lal captivated the audiences to a greater level when compared to the first edition. A sequel to the 2013 film Drishyam, Drishyam 2 was an amazingly gripping script that was powered by Mohan Lal’s ever-lasting performance. The film again did not see a theatrical release, but saw a resounding success on Amazon Prime when it was released on 19 February 2021.
Jai Bhim (Amazon Prime): This interesting Suriya film in Tamil was based on a true incident that happened in the year 1993, a case fought by Justice K Chandru. The film that was released on 2 November, was hugely successful and was widely watched and appreciated by the masses. Suriya was at his peak in the central role.
Meenakshi Sundareshwar (Netflix): Released on 5 November 2021 on Netflix, this film gave the industry an amazing Jodi in Abhimanyu Dassani and Sanya Malhotra. Abhimanyu’s innocence in the character of Sundareshwar, coupled with Meenakshi’s exuberance gave way for an extremely lovable film wherein the newly-weds went through problems created by long-distance separation.
Shershaah (Amazon Prime): This film brought about the best elements of a biographical war film. The film which followed the life and journey of Param Vir Chakra awardee Captain Vikram Batra saw Sidharth Malhotra playing his best role. As Shershaah, Sidharth did a mighty good job, and the film went on to be the talking point for a long time. Alas, COVID deprived this film of a grand gala theatrical release!! The film was released on Amazon Prime Video on 12 August.
The Big Bull (Disney Plus Hotstar): This film starring Abhishek Bachchan in a never-seen-before avatar, that of the stockbroker, involved in many financial crimes saw a good success story. The film which was based on the life of Harshad Mehta, saw its OTT release on 8 April. Abhishek Bachchan was lauded for his powerful performance of Hemant Shah in the film.
Films designed for OTT:
Cold Case (Amazon Prime): This crime thriller with Prithviraj Sukumaran in the lead role was an engrossing tale. The plot followed two investigations of a paranormal case which found a common link as the closed skeletons started to open up. The film was gripping with great performances. The film was released on 30 June.
Raat Baaki Hai (ZEE5): This thriller movie was based on the investigation of a top actress who was found murdered in her hotel suite on the day when she got engaged. The film was gripping to the core with some really well-etched characters breathing fire into the plot. The series had Rahul Dev, Anup Soni, Paoli Dham, playing central roles. It was released on 16 April 2021.
State of Siege: Temple Attack (ZEE5): This popular film that was released on 9 July was based on a real-life incident, that broke out at the Akshardham temple in 2002. It also followed the operation that was laid out by the valiant officers on duty to win over the enemy. The series had a fabulous cast comprising of Akshaye Khanna, Gautam Rode, Vivek Dahiya etc.
Tribhanga: Tedhi Medhi Crazy (Netflix): This was an extremely passionate film that brought about the ups and downs in the relationship of a mother and daughter. Covering three generations of women, the film had a great star cast that included Kajol, Tanvi Azmi and Mithila Palkar. It also depicted the amazing Odissi dance form in a very nice manner, with its title derived from the dance form. It was released on 15 January.
This is our list of the popular films on the OTT medium in the year 2021!! Tell us about your favourite!!