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What to watch this weekend: January 17(Photo Credit – YouTube)

This week’s theatrical lineup features six exciting films. On the Ott front, Prime Video offers a much-anticipated second season of a series that originally premiered in 2020. Lionsgate introduces a new chapter in a popular horror franchise, while Netflix brings three fresh entries, including a documentary about a renowned Bollywood family.

There’s much more to explore; scroll down for the full list. We at Koimoi wish our readers a joyful and prosperous Makar Sankranti.

Prime Video

Paatal Lok season 2 (Hindi)

Release Date: January 17, 2025

Season 2 of the crime investigation thriller starring Jaideep Ahlawat is coming. This time, our protagonist delves into the murder of the founder of the Nagaland Democratic Forum. As the investigation unfolds, he uncovers a dark web of drug syndicates, migrant worker disappearances, and the many complexities that lie beneath.

Lionsgate play

Hellboy: The Crooked Man (English)

Release...

What’s Joju George’s Pani’s official Ott release date? (Photo Credit – Instagram)

We have all been waiting for Pani’s official Ott release date. However, specilatedrelease dates came and went without the film’s arrival. Well, we finally have official confirmation regarding Joju George’s directoral debut’s release date and its destined streaming platform. Keep reading for all the details.

Plot

Joju George plays a family man entrenched in the underworld power structure of Thrissur, Kerala. The story takes a turn when two up-and-coming hitmen cross paths with his wife, igniting a conflict between Joju’s character and the newcomers. At its core, the film unfolds as a classic revenge drama.

Trailer:

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Cast and Crew

The film stars Joju George,...

All you need to know about Tamannaah Bhatia’s Netflix film Sikandar Ka Muqaddar! ( Photo Credit – YouTube )

Pan-India star Tamannaah Bhatia is synonymous with versatility. While she can swoon our hearts away with dance tracks like ‘Aaj Ki Raat’ from Stree 2, she also channeled a serious persona in crime thriller series like November Story and Aakhri Sach. The actress is all set to entice her fans in the Netflix crime-thriller film titled Sikandar Ka Muqaddar.

About Sikandar Ka Muqaddar

The makers of the Netflix film released the first look of Sikandar Ka Muqaddar along with the release date. The movie has been helmed by Neeraj Pandey of Baby and A Wednesday fame. Apart from Tamannaah Bhatia, the movie also stars Jimmy Sheirgill, Avinash Tiwary and Rajeev Mehta in the lead roles. The movie will be streaming on Netflix on November 29, 2024.

Sikandar Ka Muqaddar To Be An Investigative Drama...

Venkatesh’s Sankranti Ki Vastunnam will release on January 14 (Photo Credit – Instagram)

Victory Venkatesh and global star Ram Charan are gearing up for a Sankranti showdown. Both actors will head into a box-office clash. Interestingly, Nandamuri Balakrishna will also join the same. All these days, people thought Venkatesh would not release his film for Sankranthi. But it is now confirmed. Venkatesh booked his berth for Sankranthi.

Interestingly, both Venkatesh and Charan’s films are produced by Dil Raju. This is an exciting situation in the film industry. Both projects will clash. However, Venkatesh’s film seems to have maintained a strategic gap from Charan’s release date to avoid overlap.

Venkatesh’s latest movie, directed by Anil Ravipudi—known for hits like F2 and F3—is officially set for a Sankranti release. The release date was also confirmed with the recent unveiling of the first look. Titled Sankranti Ki Vastunnam,...

Adithattu Is All Set To Release On Ott Platforms This Month (Photo Credit – Instagram)

Adithattu, a slow-burn action thriller and murder mystery originally released in theaters on July 1, 2022. The movie is finally making its way to Ott. After over two years of waiting, audiences can stream it online this month. The film currently holds a 6.3 IMDb rating.

Cast and Crew of Adithattu

Adithattu is directed by Jijo Antony, with writing credits to Khais Millen. The cast includes Sunny Wayne as Marcos, Shine Tom Chacko as Ambross, Alexander Prasanth as Srank Raayan, and Murugan Martin as Nelson. The film’s music is composed by Nezer Ahamed and Sreehari K. Nair, with cinematography by Pappinu and editing by Noufal Abdullah. Phoenix Prabu directed the action sequences. Produced by Jijo Antony, Susan Joseph, and Sin Treesa, the film is a joint venture by Kanayil Films and Middle March Studios.

Trending Big Relief For...

Banner showcasing 6 must-watch Malayalam web series (Photo Credit – Zee5/Sony Liv)

Malayalam movies are well-known both in India and abroad, but have you ever watched a Malayalam web series? If you’re not a Malayali, the answer is probably no, and you’re missing out. We’ve handpicked six fantastic web series for you to enjoy, four of which come from the House of Mouse. So, let’s dive right in and explore these gems without wasting time.

Manorathangal

Available on: Zee5

Manorathangal is an anthology series based on nine short stories by M.T. Vasudevan Nair, spread across nine episodes. Each episode features significant actors, with stars like Mohanlal, Mammootty, Indrajith Sukumaran, Asif Ali, Biju Menon, Fahadh Faasil, and others taking turns in the spotlight. The quality of each episode varies, making it a mixed bag, like what Forrest Gump’s momma said about a box of chocolates.

Jai Mahendran...

Fans of Nivin Pauly have a reason to rejoice as the actor’s production banner has confirmed that his 2016 hit film Action Hero Biju will be getting a sequel soon. The film, directed by Abrid Shine, featured Nivin Pauly in the role of Sub-inspector Biju Paulose, a realistic and honest cop who deals with various cases in his daily life.

Action Hero Biju 2, a prequel to the 2016 Malayalam film, will star Nivin Pauly. The shoot has been pushed to next year due to multiple commitments of actor Nivin Pauly. The film will be directed by Abrid Shine and produced by Nivin Pauly’s home production banner.

Action Hero Biju Trailer

The team behind the film is busy with the casting process and is looking for fresh faces to play various roles. The auditions are taking place in Kochi and many mimicry artists, theatre actors, and others are trying their luck.

KollywoodThis news was confirmed during the 'Ungal Naan' event that was held in the city on Sunday.Anjana ShekarIn the last decade, between 2009 and 2019, Tamil cinema’s most loved comedian Vadivelu appeared in about 21 films, the last one being Vijay’s Mersal in 2017. Contrast this number with 2005 when he did 24 films in one year! This was the year when he played Murugesan in Rajinikanth’s Chandramukhi, Ayyasamy in Vijay’s Sachein, 'Theeppori' Thirumugam in Sathyaraj’s Englishkaran, Karasingam in Sarath Kumar’s Ayya, Vedimuthu in Prasanth’s London, Pulipandi in Vikram’s Majaa and Sumo in Suriya’s Aaru, to name a few. Therefore, it is fair to say that the absence of Vadivelu from the Tamil film comedy scene is sharply felt by fans. The recent #PrayForNesamani viral trend was a reminder of just how magical and enjoyable it is to watch the star on screen. But things...

KollywoodSwami Sankardas is a Tamil writer, actor, playwright, songwriter and drama producer who is well known and highly regarded for launching the acting careers of many formidable names.Tnm StaffWhile Nasser’s Pandavar Ani has filed its nominations for the Nadigar Sangam elections that will be held on June 23 in Chennai, the opposing team will be headed by actor-director-producer K Bhagyaraj. Nadigar Sangam or South India Artistes Association is a union for film, television, and stage actors in Tamil Nadu. In a press meet that was held on Sunday, Bhagyaraj announced the name of his group, 'Swami Sankardas Ani'. Also present during the press meet were Ishari K Ganesh, Prasanth, Bigg Boss fame Gayathri and Aarthi, actor Sangeetha and actor Udhaya. The nominations of the Pandavar Ani lead by Nasser was made public earlier. Nasser would be contesting once again for the post of President in this elections along with...

Flix Flashback'Thiruda Thiruda' is among the most underrated of Mani Ratnam's works so far.Nandhu SundaramThiruda Thiruda (1993) Cast: Anand, Prasanth, Heera, Anu Agarwal, Salim Ghouse, Spb, Malaysia Vasudevan Director: Mani Ratnam It was only Ar Rahman’s second year in creating film music. It’s hard to see it now, but he had just established that he was not a one-hit wonder. There was a certain euphoria surrounding his music and I had bought every album leading up to 1993’s Thiruda Thiruda (Thief! Thief!). There was a while to go before the film’s release and I was incessantly listening to the album, not quite making out the lyrics or the complex, layered instrumentation. It was as if you had to learn the album before getting down to actually enjoying it. But a couple of weeks into the listening, it was not just me but my entire family that had was hooked. We were all enamoured by what we considered the album’s centrepiece -- Anupama’s rendition of ‘Chandralekha’ with its high-pitched notes, clashing drums and frenzied chorus. I was convinced that Rahman had quite improbably created at least his second masterpiece after 1992’s Roja. Back then, you could always decide on a movie by what your friends and family told you about it. I swallowed the movie hook, line and sinker and was delirious in praising it, but there were murmurs of dissent among my friends who had quarrels with the movie’s unlikely plotting and ludicrous storyline. I saw it as a tale of fantasy while they pointed out that the movie had almost totally departed from reality. In any case, it was clear to everyone that director Mani Ratnam, at the peak of his powers, had broken fresh ground yet again. Thiruda Thiruda was the improbable meat in the sandwich, coming as it did between Roja and Bombay (1995), the two movies when taken together form the core of Mani Ratnam’s reputation even today. While these two movies talked about terrorism and communalism, issues that continue to plague India, Tt was an excursion into the wilderness, plausibility be damned. There was really no message here, no issue to talk about, just pure fun to be had. It was a heist movie with strong comedic elements and it pushed buttons in you that you never knew existed before. The plot goes wild - Rs 1,000 crore in fresh currency printed at Nasik is stolen by the henchmen of the villain, Vikram (a bleary-eyed Salim Ghouse), as it is in transit on a train. With Parliament to meet in 10 days, a desperate government turns to its best man in the Cbi, Lakshminarayanan (Spb, in one his best roles as a cop), to recover the amount. “There are 10 zeroes in Rs 1,000 crore and I have 10 days to bring the crooks to book. It can be done, sir,” says Spb in the Brahmin dialect. The line is obviously funny, but Mani Ratnam is doing something on the sly -- he is pushing his fantasy agenda into the storyline. After that point, exhilarating as it is for us to see how Vikram is caught, we know that the emphasis will always be on entertainment. It is how well the ride is done, you see. This is precisely why Tt failed to get into the good books of some critics. Many of them, who heaped praises on Mani Ratnam’s more serious movies (especially the terrorism trilogy) failed to appreciate the adventurous spirit of Tt. And, the film remains, much to my dismay, among the most underrated of Mani Ratnam’s works. The investigation into the heist leads Lakshminarayanan to Vikram’s pointman, Ashok, played by Ajay Ratnam in one of his early roles. To avoid capture, Ashok mails a computer access card required to open the container with the money to Chandralekha (Anu Agarwal debuting in Tamil cinema). On the run, Chandralekha gets involved with two petty thieves, the Thiruda Thiruda in the movie played by Prasanth and Anand, who are also on the lam. Towing along with the two thieves is Rasathi (Heera), who is fleeing a ruthless uncle. The four keep dumping and double-crossing each other until the money brings them together. Treachery takes precedence over trust in the relationship between the protagonists. The characters of Azhagu and Kathir are the perfect foil for each other, but the woman in their midst spells trouble for both of them, until in the end they decide to become friends. Prasanth used to be the chocolate boy of Tamil cinema during the 1990s and he plays a variation of that stereotype in portraying Azhagu. Watching over him with the demeanour of an older brother is the sharper Kathir, played by Anand in his most plum role ever. And, thus we get a romantic tangle: Rasathi falls in love with the sensitive Kathir, who realises with a shock that Azhagu is love with her. The scene in which Rasathi tells Azhagu that she is not his “Thangachi” (younger sister) starts a playful romance between the two. But the director quite clearly wants to steer us into the comedy-caper territory. Heera appeared only in a handful of successful movies in the 1990s including Kadhal Kottai and Sathileelavathi. In both of those movies, she was the other woman. In Tt though, she is cast against type -- her character, Rasathi, is smart, but not amoral. When her uncle wants to marry her, she flees with the thieves trying to steal from her own house. Anu Agarwal had in 1990 made a stunning debut in the Hindi film, Aashiqui, making her an automatic choice for the role of Chandralekha in Tt. Endlessly resourceful, her character is often resigned to watching the machinations between the others in the film with a bemused expression. Though she dresses like a lady, she is really not one. And, because of that, Azhagu has a little crush on her. Some of the familiar tropes of Mani Ratnam movies are here: The camera that circles the subjects, horses that preposterously are found in a landlord’s stable and several sequences involving trains. The circling camera is prominent in the scene when Rasathi tells Kathir of her love and when Kathir responds by informing her of Azhagu’s love of her. In another scene, Rasathi questions Kathir, asking if he never had a chance to reform his ways and the answer is a monosyllabic ‘no’. A pure Mani Ratnam moment if there ever was one. The sequence involving the horses, during which our heroes make a getaway in tow with Rasathi, is underlined with a dramatic score by Ar Rahman. This gives us, quite strangely, the impression that Mani Ratnam was limited by available technology in mounting the stunt sequence. The shots are often framed by cinematographer PC Sreeram against light, which is by no means unusual for a Mani Ratnam film; the director practically invented the usage in Tamil cinema. But what is really unmissable is the use of filters in cameras on a scale not seen before in Tamil cinema. Towards the climax, there is a brief sequence involving flashing lights on top of a train, which is a depressing and trite cliché considering that this director-cinematographer team did the same in Agni Natchathiram (Coppola uses this trope to great effect in Godfather). Or perhaps Mani Ratnam was making references to his own movies. The dialogues are crackling with Suhasini, Mani Ratnam’s wife, entrusted with the task of providing the director’s peculiar touch to the conversations in the film. The late writer Sujatha, who also pitched in with his lines, was at his wittiest and his contribution to this movie cannot be underestimated. Malaysia Vasudevan plays constable Santhosam, who finds himself assisting the Cbi in nabbing the thieves. The two predominant male singers of the era -- Malaysia Vasudevan and Spb -- are part of the cast, and what’s more, both of them are cops. The picturisation of the songs is a quantum leap in Tamil cinema. The choreography was done by Sundaram, Raju Sundaram and Prabhu Deva. Suresh Urs’ work in the film won him the Best Editor Tamil Nadu State Award. Ar Rahman marks his presence in the background score as well. The computer card, for instance, has its own theme, and so does the villain, Vikram. The supporting cast also includes SS Chandran (at his hilarious best) and Madan Bob in a blink and miss role. One of the scenes I really enjoyed comes when Azhagu and Kathir watch a village meeting from a distance. As the village discusses the thorny issue of the recent spate of robberies, the duo is making their minds up on whom to rob. “I can’t decide whom to rob,” Azhagu confesses. “Look who has the most rings on their fingers. Watch whom the Valliyur Singari is seducing,” says Kathir. “Valliyur Singari is here? Where?” exclaims an excited Azhagu and has to be restrained from giving up their hiding spot. There is no shortage of chase sequences in the movie. After the thieving duo meets Chandralekha (Anu Aggarwal) and fall hard for her, there is a pretty lengthy chase sequence. At one point, the main cast tries to escape from the Cbi (ABC, as called by a horse-and-cart rider) even as the officials chase them in ambassador cars. When Kathir asks if the horse will go any faster, pat comes the reply: “Only if you give ganja”. Kathir raises the puzzling question if the marijuana is for the horse or the rider. It is hard not to get the humour and fun in this sequence, but trust me, such stuff is rarely done is popular Tamil cinema. Mani Ratnam, who was just 37 when Tt was released, showed an admirable sense of adventure in making the movie, infusing it with a remarkable pace and energy. This is quite evident in the picturaisation of the song sequences. If this doesn’t sent your pulse racing, you should probably march yourself to the hospital for there is something wrong with your soul. The contrast between the titular Kathir-Azhagu duo is very different from Vikram’s agenda to wreck the nation. The small-time thieves are out for fun along with earning a meal, but Vikram is just pure evil. This is the most adventurous of Mani Ratnam’s movies. He wasn’t playing it safe as his wiser self is doing today. It is a bit like watching Tendulkar before he ever hit a ton and that kind of zing is worth revisiting. Also read: 'Aval Appadithan': Why this '70s drama was ahead of its time in telling women's stories 'Bale Pandiya': With 3 Sivaji Ganesans, this classic set the trend for Tamil comedy...