Themes of a post-apocalyptic world, Punjab’s music scene, aghoris, murder mystery and indigenous heritage top the weekly list.
There are two main original releases lined up for this week
Photo Credit: Prime Video
This week, we have two major releases: Prime Video's Fallout and Netflix's Amar Singh Chamkila. The former is a post-apocalyptic series in which a handful of humans have been living in luxurious underground vaults for the past 200 years after a horrific nuclear explosion. The real world, on the other hand, is now a scary wasteland with gory creatures, mutated beings, and other challenges. Things turn interesting when a vault dweller heads to the real world on a mission.
Imtiaz Ali's Amar Singh Chamkila will introduce you to the untold story of the eponymous Punjabi singer, who became a massive hit but was mysteriously shot dead because of the indecent language used in his songs. Diljit Dosanjh is seen playing the musician.
South Indian cinema also has a big post-theatrical release in the form of Telugu adventure thriller Gaami on Zee5 which explores the story of an aghora who has embarked on a journey to the Himalayas.
For comedy enthusiasts, Netflix has dished out Neal Brennan's latest stand-up, Crazy Good. In it, the comedian gets candid about crypto, social media flexes, sex compliments, and more. It is Brennnan's third comedy special on Netflix.
On the home front, The Great Indian Kapil Show's third episode is slated for release on April 13. In it, Kapil Sharma and his team get candid with Amar Singh Chamkila's team, including Imtiaz Ali, Diljit Dosanjh, and Parineeti Chopra. The show was the number one watched TV show on Netflix in India.
On the international shore, you could go for the Spanish romantic film Love, Divided, besides the one listed below. A young pianist is shown romancing a game inventor who can only concentrate in complete silence. The film is a remake of the 2015 French film Blind Date.
For documentary enthusiasts, there is What Jennifer Did on Netflix, which tells the true bone-chilling story of a girl called Jennifer Pan who dialled 911 back in 2015 to report that her parents had been shot, only for the authorities to find her as the prime suspect.
If you are looking for something to entertain your little ones, you could go for Netflix's Woody Woodpecker Goes to Camp, in which Woody thinks he has found a forever home in a forest camp after being kicked out of the forest. The illusion of his perfect little world is threatened when an inspector enters the scenario. The live-action/animated slapstick comedy film serves as a sequel to the 2017 film Woody Woodpecker.
Here are our picks for the top new OTT releases this week (April 8- April 15).
When: Now Streaming
Where: Netflix
Amar Singh Chamkila was a controversial Punjabi singer who was popular for his indecent songs full of sexual anecdotes. Although Chamkila was a massive hit among the audience, he received numerous death threats for corrupting the moral fabric of the society. He was ultimately shot dead; a mystery which hasn't been solved to date.
Diljit Dosanjh plays the celebrated musician in this biography and Parineeti plays his partner and love interest. The film dares to explore a hushed topic and has experimented with editing styles. For viewers who don't understand Punjabi, Hindi translations are flashing on the screen for major verses. The film is a good attempt at narrating the untold story of the “Elvis Presley of Punjab”.
When: Now Streaming
Where: Prime Video
Prime Video's Fallout is much more than just an R-rated video game adaptation. It'll make you laugh, gasp, cuss, and roll your eyes, all at once. It is set 219 years after a nuclear explosion, post which a handful of humans are living in safe and luxurious underground vaults, and the rest of the world has turned into an absolute nightmare with irradiated creatures, mutated humans, and danger at each step.
The series has plenty of gore and violent scenes, such as people smashing eyes with forks, pulling out teeth with bare hands, stapling wounds, blowing off heads like birthday candles, and chopping off everything human.
The series beautifully taps into the minute intricacies of human emotions, which feel completely natural and relatable. It also explores the themes of political instability, classism, and unregulated capitalism.
Walton Goggins has done a particularly impressive job at playing a savage mutated human who wears sarcasm on his sleeves and wouldn't shy once before slashing your throat.
When: Now Streaming
Where: Zee 5
An aghora called Shankar (Vishwak Sen) was dropped off at an ashram at the age of 15 after his haphophobia (fear of being touched) was misidentified as a curse inflicted upon him by Lord Shiva. At the top of it, he is an amnesiac and can't remember a lot of stuff.
Having spent so many years with his condition, Shankar finally decides to embark on a journey to the Himalayas to get to the root cause of his problem and find a cure. The Telugu adventure film
Vidyadhar Kagita directs. Chandini Chowdary, Abhinaya, Harika Pedda, and Mohammad Samad are seen in key roles.
When: Now Streaming
Where: Netflix
If you are in the mood for something that will make you scratch your brains, this French thriller is the perfect pick. It is set in a small village in the Alps where once an eerie incident of mass suicide happened. Years later when a reporter goes missing and his daughter begins the search, a complex web of deceit and dark old secrets awaits. This French series will keep you on your toes. Indian audiences can stream it in both English and Hindi. It has also been translated into a bunch of international languages, including French, Spanish, German, and Japanese.
When: Now Streaming
Where: Netflix
If you are bored of regular themes and are on the lookout for something new, we suggest this Swedish drama, which brings to the platter a different side of the world. Here the protagonist is a young woman struggling to defend her indigenous heritage.
Unnoticed challenges of the community like climate change leading to a rapid decline of reindeer herding have been highlighted in the series. Besides the challenges, the usual clash of modernity and traditional values, and the subsequently inflicted discrimination against the community has also been aptly shown.
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