News

Exclusive: Leading Bollywood production house T-Series is making its first foray into web series with crime thriller Kaala for Disney+ Hotstar.

Created and directed by Bejoy Nambiar, the series stars Avinash Tiwary, Rohan Vinod Mehra, Nivetha Pethuraj, Taher Shabbir and Hiten Tejwani. Nambiar is also producing with T-Series’ Bhushan Kumar and Krishan Kumar.

The story follows an Intelligence Bureau (Ib) officer solving a case that involves criminal masterminds, power, revenge and plenty of action. The series will stream exclusively on Disney+ Hotstar in India and on Hulu in the U.S. later this year. The first teaser trailer can be seen here.

An acclaimed director in the Hindi film space, Nambiar has recently directed series including The Fame Game, produced by Karan Johar for Netflix, and Tamil-language Sweet Kaaram Coffee for Prime Video.

T-Series is one of the Hindi film industry’s biggest production and music label companies with recent...

There are films on sports. Then there are films on the spirit of sportsmanship. R Balki’s Ghoomer seems to be both.The trailer,in one word, is empowering. It shows the wonderfully talented Saiyami Kher as a cricketer who loses her hand.

“I want to die,” her agonizing scream will haunt you for a long time.

Abhishek Bachchan, in what looks like his career’s best performance, plays Saiyami’s burnt-out coach, looking out for some kind of redemption to his fast-fading existence.

The story of our lives told without tears trickling down every frame.

Although the trailer is just a few minutes long it conveys a far-reaching connectivity between destiny and the human spirit. I also noticed how Balki, the moviemaking magician, has denuded the tragedy of all sentimentality.

This girl has no time for tears. She needs to rebuild her life and dreams without losing time. Ghoomer...

FlixFeaturing hard-hitting stories of young girls and women negotiating patriarchal power structures to college students questioning authority with memes, these web series make for a refreshing watch.Screenshot/Zee5Away from conventional television soap operas and mainstream Kollywood films, Tamil filmmakers are increasingly turning to the internet to explore nuanced plotlines and compelling narratives. From hard-hitting stories of young girls and women negotiating patriarchal power structures to college students questioning authority with memes, here are five refreshing Tamil web series you can watch on Ott platforms. Ayali (2023) In a village which believes that a goddess will curse girls who aren’t married off as soon as they get their first period, Tamil (played by Abi Natchatra) is a young girl who aspires to become a doctor. Written and directed by Muthukumar, Ayali explores the regressive idealisations of gender, outlining a realistic depiction of patriarchy that strips girls and women of their power,...

ReviewVeteran actor Lakshmi outshines her co-stars Madhoo and Santhy by several miles, making her character Sundari, an infectious personality, extremely likeable.Santhy, Lakshmi and Madhoo in Sweet Kaaram CoffeeWhen three generations of women from the same family, cloistered by the misogynistic men in their lives, set off on a road trip together, what do they come to discover about themselves? This is the premise of Sweet Kaaram Coffee starring Lakshmi, Madhoo and Santhy Balachandran, and directed by Bejoy Nambiar, Krishna Marimuthu, and Swathi Raghuraaman. The new eight-episode Tamil web series streaming on Amazon Prime Video starts off as a sweet watch, but is ultimately bogged down by uneven performances. Veteran actor Lakshmi’s role as Sundari, the grandmother, is a refreshing dismissal of the conventional ageing, widowed mothers we usually see in Tamil cinema. Sundari’s overzealously duty-bound son exhausts her with his infantilising attitude in the name of caring for her,...

In a new addition to the world of Tamil TV, upcoming drama series ‘Sweet Kaaram Coffee’ is sure to excite fans of Tamil serials. An imaginative and well-written female-centric family drama, its recently released trailer mixes comedy, adventure, emotions and social commentary.

The trailer shows three women of different generations from the same family, embarking on a road trip which soon turns into a journey of self-discovery as they rediscover themselves and reignite their passion for life.

Talking about the show, Swathi Raghuraaman, the director of episodes two, three and four, said: “‘Sweet Kaaram Coffee’ is about a family encountering big changes in their lives. As people evolve, relationships and the family too must evolve.”

Making her streaming debut, the veteran Tamil actress Lakshmi said that her debut on Ott with the show will definitely be “special”. Describing her character, Lakshmi said: “Free-spirited, free-willed, and free to speak your mind...

Streaming

Prime Video India has revealed a blockbuster lineup of Indian and international titles ahead of Prime Day 2023 on July 15 and 16. The lineup includes the Hindi-language version of “Ponniyin Selvan 2,” starring Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, “Babylon,” headlined by Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie, Gerard Butler thriller “Kandahar” and Nawazuddin Siddiqui‘s Hindi-language drama-comedy “Tiku Weds Sheru.”

Hindi-language original horror series “Adhura,” headlined by Rasika Dugal, the final season of hit series “Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan,” Tamil-language superhero film “Veeran” and Telugu-language family entertainer “Anni Manchi Sakunamule” are also part of the lineup as are Tamil-language series “Sweet Kaaram Coffee” that captures the journey of three women and Telugu-language Young Adult series “Hostel Days.”

The second season of the hit original series “The Summer I Turned Pretty” completes the lineup.

During this time, Prime members are eligible for discounts up to 50% discount when purchasing add-on subscriptions from the 18 streaming services available on Prime Video Channels.

Prime Video has announced a slate of upcoming releases for its India service ahead of Prime Day 2023 (July 15-16 in India), including horror series Adhura and a Telugu adaptation of hit YA drama Hostel Days.

Rasika Dugal, known for her role in Emmy-award winning show Delhi Crime, is heading the cast of Adhura, along with Ishwak Singh, Shrenik Arora and Poojan Chhabra. The seven-episode series is produced by Emmay Entertainment and co-directed by Ananya Banerjee and Gauravv K Chawla.

The story unfolds through two timelines, in 2022 and 2007, as a series of supernatural events plague the students and staff of a prestigious boarding school. The series will start streaming from July 7.

Hostel Days, which launches July 13, is a Telugu version of the hit Hindi-language YA drama about a group of students boarding together at an engineering college.

Also upcoming on Prime Video India are two Tamil-language productions...

Web SeriesJoining the list of Tamil web series is Sweet Kaaram Coffee, made by Bejoy Nambiar, Krishna Marimuthu, and Swathi Raghuraaman.OfficialPoster/CourtesyAmazonPrimeJoining the list of Tamil web series is Sweet Kaaram Coffee, made by Bejoy Nambiar, Krishna Marimuthu, and Swathi Raghuraaman. This woman-led show is all set to stream on Amazon Prime from July 6. The series stars Madhoo, Lakshmi, and Santhy. With eight-episodes, the series has also been dubbed in Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, and Hindi. The series is created by Reshma Ghatala, and produced by Lion Tooth Studios Pvt. Ltd. According to the showmakers, Sweet Kaaram Coffee encapsulates an unforgettable journey of three women from different generations rekindling their love for life, and discovering the sweet-and-fulfilling scent of self-reliance and self-discovery. Reshma Ghatala told Ians that, “Journeying with women from three different generations, Sweet Kaaram Coffee showcases them breaking free of outdated expectations and evoke a more self-serving outlook,...

Prime Video announced its much-awaited Tamil Original series, ‘Sweet Kaaram Coffee’, to premiere on 6 July, 2023. The eight-episode series beautifully encapsulates an unforgettable journey of three women from different generations rekindling their love for life, and discovering the sweet-and-fulfilling scent of self-reliance and self-discovery.

Created by Reshma Ghatala, the heartwarming series is directed by Bejoy Nambiar, Krishna Marimuthu, and Swathi Raghuraaman; and stars Lakshmi, Madhoo, and Santhy.

“At Prime Video, we realize and appreciate the value of every story, especially ones that have not been explored before. We are committed to be the home for women-led creators, artists, and narratives, while simultaneously catering to all our customers, with a variety of content options, across genres, languages, and geographies. Sweet Kaaram Coffee is our first family-audience-focused Tamil Original series, and it accentuates our regional content slate even further,” said, Aparna Purohit, head of content, Prime Video India.

“It is a heartwarming story...