Amazon Premieres New Indian Films Direct to Streaming

As cinema around the world, including Bollywood, faces closures and uncertainties due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Amazon Prime is directly releasing seven Indian films, including the Amitabh Bachchan and Ayushmann Khurrana starrer “Gulabo Sitabo,” on its streaming platform. Directed by Shoojit Sircar, the film about a young man (Khurrana), down on his luck, and his cantankerous landlord (Bachchan), will release on June 12. 

According to “Gulabo Sitabo” director Shoojit Sircar, the Amazon acquisition is the “dawn of a new era for Indian entertainment.” Similarly, Bachchan tweeted that he was honored to be a part of “yet another change.”

Another highly-anticipated film releasing on Amazon is “Shakuntala Devi: Human Computer,” starring Vidya Balan and Sanya Malhotra. Directed by Anu Menon, the film is a biopic of the mathematical genius. The release date for the film is yet to be announced. 

 “Over the last two years, Prime Video has become the destination of choice for our customers to watch new releases, across the languages, within weeks of their theatrical release,” said Vijay Subramaniam, director and head, Content, Amazon Prime Video India.

Amazon began its streaming with Tamil film “Ponmagal Vandhal” on May 29. The courtroom drama, directed by J. J. Fredrick, stars Jyothika, Parthiban and Bhagyaraj in lead roles. 

Other films streaming directly on Amazon are Kannada films “Law” (June 26), starring Ragini Chandran and Siri Prahlad, and directed by Raghu Samarth, and “French Biryani” (July 24),  starring Danish Sait and Sal Yusuf, and directed by Pannaga Bharan; and Eshavar Karthik’s Tamil and Telugu film “Penguin” (July 17), with Keerthy Suresh in the lead. 

Amazon is yet to announce the release date for the Malayalam film “Sufiyum Sujathayum,” starring Aditi Rao Hydari and Jayasurya. The film is written and directed by Naranipuzha Shanavas.

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Similarly, Anurag Kashyap’s “Choked: Paisa Bolta Hai,” which stars Saiyami Kher and Roshan Mathew, will release on June 5 on Netflix. The film tells the story of a bank cashier who finds cash flowing out of her kitchen sink, in the backdrop of 2016 bank note demonetization.

“Choked: Paisa Bolta Hai” marks Kashyap’s fourth collaboration with the streaming giant. He has previously directed a short for the anthology films “Lust Stories,” and an adaptation of Vikram Chandra’s “Sacred Games.” Both projects were nominated at the International Emmy Awards 2019.

Recently, Kashyap helmed a short in the horror anthology film “Ghost Stories.” The segment he directed starred Sobhita Dhulipala as a paranoid and pregnant housewife, whose young nephew develops a strange obsession with her.