May 1 marks Labour day that celebrates the working class across the world. With Taapsee Pannu starrer Thappad hitting Amazon Prime (pun unintended), ‘Thala’ Ajith turning 49 and Anushka Sharma turning 32, also today here’s a quick streaming recco to mark the beginning of May.
Thappad, 2020 – Streaming on Amazon Prime
This Taapsee starrer is about a woman who decides to file for a divorce after being slapped by her better half, as the slap leads her to realise that she wasn’t considered an equal in the relationship to begin with. The film’s biggest triumph is in showing the ways in which women are stifled, without any words ever being spoken by anyone. At least not harsh words. The lead cast Taapsee and Pavail Gulati offer striking performances as Amrita and Vikram in this Anubhav Sinhaa film.
Read: Thappad Movie Review: A Competent, Well-Made Film That Examines Happiness And Respect In A Marriage
Nerkonda Paarvai, 2019 – Thala Ajith
A remake of Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury‘s blockbuster Pink, the character of Amitabh Bachchan in the original is reprised pretty much perfectly by Ajith Kumar. His innocent yet sharp countenance suit the character of the mentally disturbed lawyer with his hoarse voice adding to the impact. Given his stature, the willingness to be a part of a project that allows only for limited screen space is something he deserves appreciation for. Despite the pinch of masala to cater to his fans, this is definitely not a typical ‘Thala’ film. The H Vinoth film also starred Shraddha Srinath, Abhirami Venkatachalam, and Andrea Tariang in important roles.
The film is streaming on Zee5.
Read: Nerkonda Paarvai Review: A Faithful, Honest Gaze
Pari, 2018 – Anushka Sharma
In Pari, Anushka really gets into the character and owns every frame, every dialogue, giving it her all. No cheap theatrics, just plain horror and the fear of the dark giving her enough edge in this story about a demon-child in this big, bad, regular world of humans. This Prosit Roy film, in my opinion, joins the league of a section of selected Indian horror-psychological thrillers that don’t beat around the bush. Also, unlike most Indian horror films with garish makeup and loud scenes, Pari relies a lot on sound making it stand out.
The film is streaming on Netflix.
Read: Pari Review: This Anushka Sharma Film Gives The Forgotten Horror Genre A New Lease Of Life
Merku Thodarchi Malai – Labour Day
The perfect film that portrays the reality of workers – how they’re manipulated. It is about how indigenous tribes whose daily bread comes through plantation crops, turn out to be in jobs that are completely off their track. The slow-paced Lenin Bharathi film has Isaignani Ilayaraaja to bring in the right amount of emotion required right through.
The film is streaming on Netflix.
Read: Merku Thodarchi Malai Review: A Rustic Portrait Of Life On The Mountains
