The 1995 classic, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ) is being brought back to cinemas this Diwali; the Telugu film, Gatham, will release on online platform, Amazon Prime; while Netflix will screen Miss India in Tamil and Telugu.
RAZEEN GUTTA
NOT many dates are as big as Diwali on the movie calendar.
When this time of year comes around, there’s usually always a blockbuster to look forward to on the Indian film front. Sure, cinemas have been closed globally for the better part of this year, meaning there were no big screen releases for Eid, but this week we have a better news.
Should you be ready for a cinema visit, Akshay Kumar returns, and so does Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol. If not, there is a lot to look forward to on leading streaming services.
It’s almost certain that the name Shah Rukh Khan had you jump up in excitement. With a 100% Diwali hit ratio, the king of Bollywood has previously delivered films like Jab Tak Hai Jaan (2012) and Happy New Year (2014) on the holiday; and this year it’s time to fall in love all over again.
It may not be a new release, but in celebrating 25 years of the longest running film, Cine Centre will be re-releasing the 1995 classic, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge.
The Aditya Chopra directional is still being screened daily at Mumbai’s famous Maratha Mandir Theatre, over a thousand weeks since its release. You may have seen it before, but come, let’s all fall in love again – on the big screen. Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge is now showing at Cine Centre theatres nationwide.
Perhaps you are keen on something new, though. Or maybe one film isn’t enough for you this Diwali weekend. Well, in staying with north Indian releases, Akshay Kumar’s Laxmii finally releases this weekend. With all cinemas not yet fully-operational in India, the film was released on Monday on the sub-continent via the Disney + Hotstar OTT streaming platform.
Since the service is not yet available in this part of the world, we will get to witness Kumar’s all-new avatar on the big screen. As has been the case with other Hotstar releases, Cine Centre will be screening the film. Laxmii, co-starring Kiara Advani, releases on Friday, November 13, at Cine Centre theatres nationwide.
If you are not yet ready to make your way to cinemas, luckily film-makers have got you covered with loads of direct-to-OTT releases this weekend.
The Rajkumar Rao-Nushrut Barucha starrer Chhalaang releases on Friday on Amazon Prime Video, while the multi-starrer Anurag Basu film, Ludo, premieres on Netflix a day before on November 12.
The Ludo cast is led by Mirzapur’s Pankaj Tripathi and is further spearheaded by the likes of Abhishek Bachchan, Aditya Roy Kapoor and again, Rajkumar Rao, to name a few. Being able to see such big stars from the comfort of our living rooms is a treat this Diwali, and I certainly cannot wait to see how the film fares.
In terms of South Indian releases, it has been a busy couple of days. With the Keerthy Suresh starrer, Miss India, already streaming on Netflix in Telugu; this festive week also sees the release of Kiran Reddy’s thriller, Gatham, which is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
To top that off, Ludo will also be streaming in Tamil and Telugu on Netflix, alongside the Hindi audio, plus the makers of the hit Amazon series, Mirzapur, have now made season two of the shows available in Telugu as well.
Whether you are going to the cinema this week or snuggling up at home with some popcorn, I wish you a blessed Diwali filled with endless entertainment!
* Gutta is a Wits University media student with an interest in sport and entertainment. Follow him on Facebook: Bollywood Frenzy, Instagram: @razeengutta