Amazon Prime Video, on Thursday, announced its upcoming content slate of 40 new titles among series and films in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu, which will be released over the next two years.
The streaming platform, during an event that marked its fifth year in the Indian market, unveiled its new multi-year licensing deals, co-productions with Indian studios, and its intentions to explore original film production in India with films in Hindi and Telugu to be released directly on the service, as per a statement released by the platform.
Gaurav Gandhi, country head of Amazon Prime Video India said, “Prime Video India sees viewership from 99% of the country’s pin-codes, today. In tune with our vision to become the most-loved entertainment hub, we have steadily innovated in the way we offer movies to our consumers, from offering films in a post-theatrical early-window to direct-to-service premieres bringing the most anticipated movies to consumers’ living rooms and preferred devices.” The platform also launched its transactional video-on-demand (TVOD) movie rental service in India. Now, viewers can get early access to the latest Indian and international films, on a transactional (per-movie) basis.
The upcoming content line-up is set to include a variety of genres, including thrillers, action, dramas, comedy, romance, horror, biographies, true-crime, and investigative docudramas. The slate consists of Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi language content that includes a new season of The Family Man, and the maiden series debut of Naga Chaitanya, titled Dhootha, among others.
Tamil
First up is Modern Love Chennai, the Tamil edition of the US original anthology series, Modern Love. The anthology is set to explore six diverse stories of different shades, facets and moods of love, all set within the city. Produced by Tyler Durden And Kino Fist, filmmaker Thiagarajan Kumararaja will serve as the creative producer and also as one of the writers, along with Balaji Tharaneetharan, Rajumurugan, Reshma Ghatala, Pratheep Kumar. The anthology will be helmed by Bharathi Raja, Balaji Sakthivel, Raju Murugan, Krishnakumar Ramakumar, and Akshay Sundher. It will feature actors Kishore, Ramya Nambeesan, Ashok Selvan and Ritu Varma, among others.
Suzhal – The Vortex will feature Aishwarya Rajesh, Kathir and R Parthiban. Created and written by Pushkar and Gayatri, Suzhal is set to be an investigation drama that delves into a missing person case that “unravels and rips the intricate social fabric of a small town.”
Sweet Kaaram Coffee a serious about how three generations of women belonging to the same family, set off on an “epic road trip.” Directed by Bejoy Nambiar, Krishna Marimuthu, and Swathi Raghuraaman, the cast comprises Lakshmi, Madhoo, and Santhy Balachandran.
Announced to be India’s first show based on a graphic novel, The Village will feature Arya under Milind Rau’s directorial. The show follows a family on a road trip that falls prey to a clan of mutants. Aside from Arya, other cast members include Divya Pillai, Aadukalam Naren, Thalaivasal Vijay, George M and John Kokken, among others.
The streaming service also announced Vadhandhi: The Fable of Velonie marking SJ Suryah’s debut in the OTT space. Termed a “dramatic noir thriller” the series is about the murder of a young girl, seen from the “Rashomon-esque perspectives of an unrelenting obsessed cop, a novelist captivated by her grace and an opportunistic news editor.” Pushkar and Gayatri will serve as creative producers with Andrew Louis writing and directing the series. Actor Laila will also be seen, alongside Suryah.
Telugu
Naga Chaitanya’s OTT debut series Dhootha, deals with possessed inanimate objects wreaking havoc on people who have committed sins. Vikram K Kumar will be serving as director and executive producer of the series that will also star Parvathy Thiruvothu, Priya Bhavani Shankar and Tharun Bhascker.
Further, the Telugu edition of Modern Love, titled Modern Love Hyderabad, is to be directed by Nagesh Kukunoor, Venkatesh Maha, Uday Gurrala, Devika Bahudanam, with Kukunoor serving as the creative producer. Principal cast members include, Aadhi Pinisetty, Nithya Menen, Ritu Varma and Suhasini Mani Ratnam, among others.
The platform will also stream Aishwarya Lekshmi-starrer Ammu. The film revolves around the titular character and her attempts to get her abusive husband suspended from police duty. It is directed by Charukesh Sekar and also features Naveen Chandra and Bobby Simha.
Hindi
Farzi, created and directed by Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK, will feature Shahid Kapoor, Vijay Sethupathi, Raashii Khanna and Regina Cassandra among others. According to the streaming platform, the series revolves around, “A small-time artist working out of his grandfather’s printing press has designed the ultimate con job – a crime uniquely suited to him – and gets pulled into the murky, high stakes world of all that it demands. A fiery, unorthodox task force officer has made it his mission to rid the country of the menace this poses in this fast-paced, edgy one-of-a-kind thriller.”
Aside from Farzi, Raj and DK will be collaborating on two more projects with Prime Video. While one will be the third season of The Family Man, another is titled Gulkanda Tales. Helmed by Rahi Anil Barve, it will star Pankaj Tripathi.
Actor Sonakshi Sinha will also appear in her OTT debut with Dahaad. The series is set in a small town and follows Sinha as a female cop, trying to track down a serial killer. Reema Kagti and Zoya Akhtar are the creators of the show.
Featuring Prosenjit Chatterjee, Aditi Rao Hyadri and Aparshakti Khurrana, Jubilee is a series that is set against the backdrop of newly-independent India. The fictional period drama unveils the “stories and dreams that gave birth to Bollywood, as we know it.” It is directed by Vikramaditya Motwane.
Amazon Prime announced Jee Karda, a coming of an age series. It will revolve around the lives of a close-knit group of seven childhood friends, trying to steer their way through adulthood. It is produced by Maddock Films under Arunima Sharma’s direction. It stars Tamannaah, Suhail Nayyar and Hussain Dalal, among others.
Aside from these titles, the streaming platform also announced the return of several series Breathe: Into The Shadows starring Abhishek Bachchan, the comedy show Comicstaan, Four More Shots Please!, Made in Heaven, Mirzapur and Paatal Lok among others.
In terms of co-producing, Prime Video is also backing two Hindi films, Neeyat and Ram Setu, starring Vidya Balan and Akshay Kumar, respectively. A poster from Ram Setu was also released, which will stream, after its theatrical release.
Recommended
Amazon has also acquired the streaming rights of several Hindi films that are in the pipeline for release. They include Runway 34, Thank God, Drishyam 2 and Bhola (Ajay Devgn FFilms), Jug Jug Jeeyo, Govinda Naam Mera and Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani (Dharma Productions), Phone Bhoot, Yudra, Fukrey 3, Jee Le Zara and Kho Gaye Hum Kahan (Excel Media and Entertainment) and Jayeshbhai Jordaar, Prithviraj, Shamshera, Tiger 3 and Pathan (Yash Raj Films).
Other titles, including series and films announced by the streaming platform; Adhura, Bambai Meri Jaan, Call Me Bae, Crash Course, Happy Family Conditions Apply, Hush Hush, Indian Police Force, Modern Love Mumbai, PI Meena, Shekar-Lakhot, This is AP Dhillon, Cinema Marte Dum Tak, Dancing on The Grave, India Love Project, Mumbai Diaries, Panchayat, Aye Watan Mere Watan, Maja Maa, and Tiku Weds Sheru.