It was a dull week for OTT as only one notable release took place in the form of Shabana Azmi starrer Kaali Khuhi. Released on Netflix, the film didn't have any buzz whatsoever. Moreover, it wasn't even reviewed by majority and those who didn't weren't too kind either. With no word of mouth whatsoever to help it cover much of a distance, it would soon be overshadowed by the newer titles that are arriving in week to come.
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This is what makes it all quite interesting as the festival of lights would also see things brighten up on the OTT medium. It is pretty much going to be a star studded outing as Akshay Kumar, Abhishek Bachchan and Bobby Deol are all set to spearhead their upcoming releases, Laxmii, Ludo and Aashram - Chapter 2. While Laxmii and Ludo are feature films that are now seeing a straight-to-OTT arrival, Aashram - Chapter 2 is a web series that was made for OTT platform itself. In addition, there is another web series Mum Bhai also arriving digitally.
All eyes are on Laxmii to see the kind of records that it eventually sets on the OTT medium. Disney + Hotstar already has the highest eyeballs ever for a digital premium of a film, Dil Bechara. Other than the fact that there were huge audience sentiments for Sushant Singh Rajput, the digital footprint was also buoyed by the fact that it was made available for free even for non-subscribers. To watch Laxmii though, a viewer needs to have subscription, and hence it would be a different playing field. That said, this is the biggest Bollywood film on the OTT.
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The Akshay Kumar starrer has seen some good promotion which is pretty much on par with the kind a biggie gets set to release in theaters. Response to the promo as well as the two songs [Burj Khalifa, Bam Bhole] has been quite positive as well amongst the audiences and all eyes are on 9th November when the horror comedy with Kiara Advani in the lead releases.
On the other hand Netflix release Ludo seems like another interesting film in the offing. An ensemble affair that has Abhishek Bachchan spearheading the effort, it also boasts of the presence of Rajkumamr Rao and Aditya Roy Kapur. While former has been one of the most reliable actors around, latter delivered one of the few successes of 2020, Malang. Moreover, Dangal girls Fatima Sana Shaikh and Sanya Malhotra come together as well along with Pankaj Tripathi for this Anurag Basu directed film which is on the same lines as his Life In A Metro.
Surprisingly though, the buzz has been limited for Ludo which saw a decent response to the promo. Even though it sees like an entertaining comedy drama for the OTT medium, the kind of push that one expected from all quarters to make it one of the most anticipated films in the Diwali week isn't quite there. One waits to see the response that audiences give to the film on 12th November.
A day before though Bobby Deol will arrive the second season of Aashram, that has been titled as Aashram - Chapter 2. This has been quite quick though as the first season was unveiled barely a few months back and now Diwali will light up again with this dramatic affair. Though Bobby didn't quite see many brownie points coming his way with Class of '83, response has been better for Aashram which streams on MX Player. There is a definite touch of director Prakash Jha in this series which tells the tale of a Godman and his ways, while mirroring reality.
On the other hand for those who love to see gangster drama unfold on the OTT platform, there is Mum Bhai which arrives on 12th November. Directed by Akshay Choubey, this one features Angad Bedi and Sikandar Kher in the lead roles along with Sandeepa Dhar and Sameer Dharmadhikari. Backed by Ekta Kapoor, Mum Bhai would be streaming on ALT Balaji and ZEE5 from 12th November onwards.
Angad has already been finding popularity on the digital world after Inside Edge, The Verdict - State Vs Nanavati. On the other hand Sikandar Kher also impressed quite well in Aarya and The Chargesheet: Innocent or Guilty?. With the two men taking on each other in this action-drama-thriller, one waits to see the kind of entertainment that Mum Bhai has to offer soon.
Watch out for:
Laxmmi Bomb - 9th November - Disney + Hotstar
Aashram - Chapter 2 - 11th November
Ludo - 12th November - Netflix
Mum Bhai - 12th November