The week of November 2 to 8 is unusually packed for Hindi cinema fans and OTT viewers alike. Eight titles arrive across Netflix, Prime Video, SonyLIV and theatres, ranging from a Diwali family drama and a Saif Ali Khan-Akshay Kumar thriller to the biggest Indian theatrical release of the week, Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana: Part One.
For Bollywood audiences, the mix matters because it covers two distinct viewing moods at once: the couch-and-festival option and the big-screen event. The shape of the week also tells a small story about programming. Netflix has stacked two originals on November 5, SonyLIV is countering with a star-driven Hindi thriller, and the theatrical side is betting on an epic built as a two-part event.
The OTT slate
- Bass X Machina (Netflix, November 3): LeSean Thomas’s adult animated steampunk series is set in a lawless frontier, with Brian Tyree Henry, Tati Gabrielle and Janelle Monáe voicing the leads.
- The Greatest (Prime Video, November 4): A biographical series on Muhammad Ali that goes beyond boxing to cover his politics, faith and the cost of his convictions.
- Dilwali Diwali (Netflix, November 5): Directed by Ritesh Menon, this Hindi family drama stars Mihir Ahuja as a young man whose return home for the festival surfaces generational tension; Manoj Pahwa and Neelu Kohli co-star.
- Black Doves season 2 (Netflix, November 5): Keira Knightley and Ben Whishaw return as the spy thriller pushes Helen Webb’s double life closer to collapse, just as her husband edges toward becoming Prime Minister.
- Haiwaan (SonyLIV, November 6): Priyadarshan’s Oppam remake pits Saif Ali Khan’s visually impaired caretaker against Akshay Kumar’s character in a murder investigation built around heightened senses.
- Possible Love (Netflix, November 6): Lee Chang-dong’s first feature in eight years follows two married couples whose lives cross through a film project, a quieter Korean drama about desire and differing outlooks.
On the big screen
Ramayana: Part One opens in theatres on November 5. Ranbir Kapoor plays Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi is Sita, and Yash is Ravana, with Ravi Dubey as Lakshmana, Sunny Deol as Hanuman, and Arun Govil, Lara Dutta and Rakul Preet Singh also in the ensemble. Prime Focus Studios, DNEG and Monster Mind Creations produce, and the score teams AR Rahman with Hans Zimmer. The title is planned as the first part of a two-part adaptation.
Wild Horse Nine arrives on November 6. Martin McDonagh’s film drops John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell into the period just before the 1973 Chilean coup, as CIA agents sent to Easter Island confront their pasts and their assignment. Steve Buscemi, Tom Waits and Parker Posey are among the supporting cast.
If you are planning the week, the two Netflix drops on November 5 make an easy at-home double bill, while Ramayana: Part One is the one to book early if you want a strong seat on opening day.
Source: Outlook India