By Joginder Tuteja
The week gone by was pretty quiet with no notable release in the OTT space. Though the week earlier there were four to five major releases, last week there were none. In fact even in theatres there was no single Hindi release which made one wonder about the strategy adopted by the digital platforms.
Coming soon
It is back to a flurry of releases this week, what with at least five major web series arriving across different platforms. In fact on Monday (8th March), which is Women’s Day, there are as many as three web series releasing. These are The Married Woman, Kamathipura and Bombay Begums.
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The Married Woman is one of the most prestigious outings from the house of Ekta Kapoor and ALT Balaji as well as ZEE5 have gone all out to bring the web series to the audiences. Starring Ridhi Dogra and Monica Dogra, this one is a screen adaption of the book A Married Woman and is pitched as an emotional affair between two women who are in a relationship. The focus is on drama here instead of the erotic element, hence making it stand out amongst the stories belonging to this genre.
Kamathipura is set as a hard hitting story based out of the infamous red light area of Mumbai, Kamathipura. Incidentally, Sanjay Leela Bhansali has just released the teaser of the Alia Bhatt starrer Gangubai Kathiawadi which again has a Kamathipura setting. While that is a period affair, this web series is a contemporary affair with Meerra Chopra playing a tough cop and Tanuj Virwani (The Inside Edge, Poison, Code M) as an out and out antagonist. The promo promises an adult entertainer in the offering at Disney + Hotstar.
Third release on the Women’s Day is Bombay Begums which is spearheaded by Pooja Bhatt. The actress is making a comeback on screen with this ensemble affair which tells the tale of five women from different walks of life whose lives are interconnected. Alankrita Shrivastava, whose Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare released last year. Yet again, the OTT platform that would be streaming the show is Netflix.
A couple of days later arrives one of the premium outings from ZEE5, Qubool Hai 2.0. This is in line with the 2.0 franchise that ZEE5 is setting up for popular satellite offerings from Zee and bringing them to OTT. With Karan Singh Grover leading the show, this one is a love story with a difference, what with an India-Pakistan angle coming into play as well.
As for the ones seeking thrills, there is Chakravyuh coming on MX Player. Just a few days back the OTT channel came up with Hello Mini 2 and now with the same producer partner Applause Entertainment, they are coming up with this adrenalin pumping thriller. What makes this special is the fact that Prateik is playing the central protagonist here and as a cop, he is out there in hunt for the killings taking place in the city. Simran Kaur Mundi also returns after her marriage and is the leading lady here.
Release dates
The Married Woman - ALT Balaji and ZEE5 - 8th March
Kamathipura - Disney + Hotstar - 8th March
Bombay Begums - Netflix - 8th March
Qubool Hai 2.0 - ZEE5 - 10th March
Chakravyuh - MX Player - 12th March
Stay tuned for more updates.