Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham, the Mohanlal-starrer which released last week, entered the Rs 100 crore club through worldwide reservations alone. On the other hand, Akhanda, the Telugu action-drama film starring Nandamuri Balakrishna, collected approximately Rs 15.35-15.40 crore in the Telugu states on its first day (December 2).
The Hindi film Tadap, featuring newcomer Ahan Shetty and Tara Sutaria, too managed to have a good first weekend at the box office, earning Rs 13 crore.
Meanwhile, even as movies are performing well in theatres, the new Covid-19 variant, Omicron, has sparked some fear. In its wake, Karnataka government announced on Friday that only fully-vaccinated people will be permitted to enter movie theatres and other public places in the state.
However, in Telangana, ahead of big-budget, star-studded Telugu releases, such as RRR, Pushpa, and Radhe Shyam, Minister for Cinematography Talasani Srinivas Yadav encouraged people to go watch films in theatres and announced that there were no plans to cap theatre occupancy in the state.
At the same time, many new films and shows are also releasing on OTT platforms. Here are seven new titles you can stream from this week.
Bali – December 9 (Amazon Prime Video)
Bali is a Marathi language film directed by Vishal Furia. It features actors Swapnil Joshi, Pooja Sawant and Samarth Jadhav. According to the official synopsis, it is about “a middle class, widowed father, Shrikant, whose life takes an unexpected turn when his seven-year-old son, Mandar collapses and is referred to Jansanjeevani Hospital for a detailed diagnosis.” Mandar then starts talking to a mysterious nurse whom he claims stays in an abandoned part of the hospital.
Asakusa Kid – December 9 (Netflix)
Starring Yo Oizumi and Yuya Yagira, this Japanese drama is written and directed by Gekidan Hitori. According to the streaming platform, Asakusa Kid tells the story of comedian Takeshi Kitano, who “got his start apprenticing with comedy legend Fukami of Asakusa. But as his star rises, his mentor’s declines.”
Aranyak – December 10 (Netflix)
Aranyak is a Hindi web series featuring actors Raveena Tandon, Parambrata Chatterjee and Ashutosh Rana. The official synopsis reads, “Political ploys, personal agendas and a beastly myth all surface as two mismatched hill station cops navigate a web of suspects after a puzzling murder.”
Encounter – December 10 (Amazon Prime Video)
A sci-fi suspense drama starring Riz Ahmed in the lead role, this film follows a “decorated Marine who goes on a rescue mission to save his two young sons from an inhuman threat. As their journey takes them in increasingly dangerous directions, the boys will need to leave their childhoods behind.”
The Unforgivable – December 10 (Netflix)
This Sandra Bullock starrer is based on the 2009 British mini-series Unforgiven. The film’s official synopsis reads, “Released from prison after serving a sentence for a violent crime, Ruth Slater (Bullock) re-enters a society that refuses to forgive her past. Facing severe judgment from the place she once called home, her only hope for redemption is finding the estranged younger sister she was forced to leave behind.”
Back to the Outback – December 10 (Netflix)
This animated comedy-adventure film is directed by Clare Knight and Harry Cripps. It was released in select theatres on December 3, prior to streaming on Netflix. As per the streaming platform, the film revolves around a group of “deadly” animals (along with a celebrity koala named Pretty Boy) who escape the Australian Wildlife Park on a quest to find a home.
For Auld Lang Syne – December 10 (Apple TV)
This animated series is based on the Peanuts comic strip by Charles M Schulz and is produced by WildBrain Studios. “After Lucy experiences a disappointing Christmas because her grandma couldn’t visit, she resolves to throw the best New Year’s Eve party ever for the entire Peanuts gang, while Charlie Brown struggles to accomplish just one of his resolutions before the clock strikes twelve,” reads the official synopsis.
