Tag Archives: Tamil Movies on Amazon Prime

Streaming Video News: September 7, 2023

I updated my list of Bollywood movies on Amazon Prime with the streaming debut of Superstar Rajinikanth’s film Jailer. Multiple language versions are available in the movie’s audio menu.

I also updated my list of Bollywood movies on Netflix with a September 14 streaming release date for the Telugu film Ramabanam.

Yesterday, Zee5 premiered the revenge drama Haddi, starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui. I watched about 40 minutes of it, but I found the story muddled and decided not to finish it.

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Streaming Video News: August 24, 2023

I updated my list of Bollywood movies on Amazon Prime with today’s additions of the Hindi romance Satyaprem Ki Katha and the Tamil horror flick Pizza 3: The Mummy. Earlier this week, the Kannada film Aachar & Co became available for streaming.

I also updated my list of Bollywood movies on Hulu with today’s debut of Tamannaah Bhatia’s new Hindi crime series Aakhri Sach, which is available in Bengali, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Tamil, and Telugu as well. The first two episodes are available for streaming right now, with new episodes added on Fridays (Thursday afternoons in the US, probably).

Finally, I updated my list of Bollywood movies on Netflix with today’s addition of the Telugu movie Bro., which is also available in Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, and Tamil.

News leaked this week that Sujoy Ghosh’s Netflix Original film adaptation of the novel The Devotion of Suspect X starring Kareena Kapoor Khan will be called Jaane Jaan (although in the US, the title is listed as “Suspect X,” for some reason). Netflix made a cute video celebrating Kareena’s streaming debut (which may happen next month). [Update: Netflix officially announced its release date as September 21, Bebo’s birthday]:

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Streaming Video News: August 18, 2023

I updated my list of Bollywood movies on Netflix with today’s big premiere of the new Original dark comedy series Guns & Gulaabs, Raj & DK’s first show for Netflix. Earlier in the week, Netflix added a trio of older Telugu films to the catalog: Kavacham, Roja, and Yuddham Sharanam.

I also updated my list of Bollywood movies on Amazon Prime with yesterday’s additions of the Tamil film Kolai and the debut of the docuseries AP Dhillon: First of a Kind.

Finally, I updated my list of Bollywood movies on Hulu with the premiere of the Tamil series Mathagam (also available in Bengali, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, and Telugu). As of now, only the first episode of the series is available under the “Season 1” tab — a clue that something is wrong since there is only one season. You have to switch to “Season 2” to find the next four episodes of Mathagam. I’m sure Hulu will fix this at some point.

Hulu also added the great 2022 American Desi comedy Four Samosas — a terrific film if you’re looking for something fun to watch over the weekend.

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Streaming Video News: August 10, 2023

I updated my list of Bollywood movies on Amazon Prime with today’s additions of the Telugu version of Adipurush (Hindi is not one of the additional dialogue options in the audio menu — the Hindi version of Adipurush is streaming on Netflix) and the Tamil film Maaveeran. A Hindi dub of Maaveeran is also available as well as a Telugu version under the title Mahaveerudu. Earlier this week, Amazon released Season 2 of the Hindi series Made in Heaven and launched the trailer for the series AP Dhillon: First of a Kind, which comes out August 18:

I also updated my list of Bollywood movies on Hulu with today’s premiere of the action series Commando, which is based on the excellent Vidyut Jammwal movie of the same name but does not star Jammwal. It’s available in Hindi along with dubbed versions in Bengali, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Tamil, and Telugu. Earlier this week, Hulu added the Malayalam film Neymar to its catalog, along with versions in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu.

Finally, I updated my list of Bollywood movies on Netflix with today’s addition of the Hindi version of Adipurush and the Malayalam movie Padmini. As a reminder, here are some important Netflix expiration dates coming soon:

Bonus: I wrote a piece for What’s on Netflix with all the info you need to know about Guns & Gulaabs, the new series from Raj & DK that comes to Netflix on August 18.

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Movie Review: Ponniyin Selvan – Part 1 & Part 2 (2023)

3.5 Stars (out of 4)

This is a review of the Tamil versions of Ponniyin Selvan: Part 1 and Ponniyin Selvan: Part 2, both available on Amazon Prime.

Mani Ratnam’s two-part historical epic Ponniyin Selvan is a stunner. The adaptation of Kalki Krishnamoorthy’s novel is full of tremendous performances and an absolute delight to look at.

Since I waited to watch Ponniyin Selvan: Part 1 until Part 2 was also available on streaming — and because both films are of similar quality — I’m reviewing the two of them together.

The Chola Dynasty rules over South India in the 10th century, but a blazing red comet in the sky portends calamity. While Aditha (Vikram) — crown prince and eldest son of Emperor Sundara Chozhar (Prakash Raj) — expands the empire via military campaigns, other noble families plot treason. They aim to use Madhurantaka’s (Ramesh) legitimate claims to the throne to install him as the new emperor, but only after killing Aditha, Sundara Chozhar, and his younger son Arulmozhi (Jayam Ravi), who is nicknamed Ponniyin Selvan.

Aditha suspects there’s funny business afoot, so he sends his comrade Vallavaraiyan Vandiyadevan (Karthi) to gather information and pass it along to the emperor and to Aditha’s politically savvy sister, Kundavai (Trisha). The first half of the first film is mostly a road trip adventure, with Vandiyadevan getting into trouble alongside his new pal Nambi (Jayaram), a pot-bellied holy man. The two make for a very funny duo, but Vandiyadevan is the real star of the films. Karthi plays him with a mischievous twinkle in his eye and an irresistible charm. He pledges his undying devotion to every pretty woman he meets (and there are a lot of them), and they all take him into their confidence anyway. He’s a terrific character played perfectly.

One of the beautiful women he meets is Nandini (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan), whom Nambi knew when she was a young temple servant. When Nandini and Aditha were teenagers, they fell in love, but his family disapproved and she was driven out. Years later, Aditha ignored her pleas to spare the life of the man who took her in, driving a permanent wedge between the former lovers. Vandiyadevan agrees to act as messenger for her as well, even though her loyalties are initially unclear.

With so many characters — many of whom have additional nicknames, titles, and family affiliations — it is hard to keep track of everyone and their relations to one another. There were a few things I didn’t understand until seeing the Part 1 recap that starts Part 2. The source material is dense enough that this could’ve easily been a television series, so some confusion is perhaps unavoidable. Still, it made it a little hard for me to get fully into the story until well into the second film.

That said, Ratnam gives viewers more than enough to keep them hooked. Ponniyin Selvan is stunning to look at, with the director using the natural environment to compose shots of incredible beauty. He also knows how to make his already very good-looking cast look exceptionally good-looking at all times. Many of Rai Bachchan’s scenes take place in dim, candlelit rooms, yet her face is always bathed in an angelic glow.

Rai Bachchan’s reserved but emotionally expressive performance is the perfect counterpoint to Vikram’s intensity. He plays Aditha like a tiger in a cage, pacing back and forth and ready to lash out. Vikram displays some impressive horsemanship in a couple of scenes where he circles a vanquished foe on horseback or guides his mount in tight loops, essentially having the animal do the pacing for him.

That’s an example of another thing that Ponniyin Selvan does well — so much of the world is created from real, tangible things. Living things like horses, elephants, and hundreds of extras, and real objects like bamboo scaffolding for characters to run on and hats decorated with dozens of peacock feathers. The tangible stuff is so good that it makes the instances of CGI stand out as such (at least on a television screen).

For all the excitement of battle sequences, chase scenes, and musical numbers, the most memorable parts of the films are the quieter moments filmed at smaller scale. For me, the absolute best scene in either film is a meeting of the emperor’s three children. Aditha punctuates his conversation with his brother and sister by pulling Kundavai and Arulmozhi in for hugs, with the actors perfectly hitting their marks so as to not block each other’s faces in the shot. It’s a very precise kind of choreography that allows the audience to experience the emotions of the scene to its fullest. Even in a movies as large-scale as Ponniyin Selvan: Part 1 and Part 2, the details make all the difference.

Links

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Streaming Video News: July 6, 2023

Today’s straight-to-streaming premiere is Zee5’s new biopic Tarla, starring Huma Qureshi as TV chef Tarla Dalal.

I updated my list of Bollywood movies on Hulu with the streaming debut of Vidyut Jammwal’s spy thriller IB71. The new Telugu film Rudramambapuram is now available for streaming as well.

I also updated my list of Bollywood movies on Amazon Prime with the debuts of two new series: the Tamil family drama Sweet Kaaram Coffee and the Hindi horror series Adhura, which stars the kid who plays Taaha in Hulu’s The Night Manager as a (possibly) demonic boy. Other recent additions include Balance.. hotay na (Marathi), Phool Aur Patthar (Hindi), and Uravukal (Tamil). Amazon announced that the Hindi series Made in Heaven will return soon with a second season.

Finally, I updated my list of Bollywood movies on Netflix with today’s addition of the Tamil film Takkar (aka “The Bang“), which is also available in Kannada, Malayalam, and Telugu. Netflix also announced an August 2 release date for Jimmy Shergill’s series Choona and a brand new movie called Do Patti, starring Kajol and Kriti Sanon. Lastly, Netflix launched the trailer for the new series Khorra, which debuts July 15:

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Streaming Video News: June 29, 2023

I updated my list of Bollywood movies on Netflix with today’s addition of the Hindi theatrical release Afwaah and the debut of the Original anthology film Lust Stories 2 — a sequel to 2018’s Lust Stories featuring short movies from four new directors. I really enjoyed Lust Stories 2, particularly the films by R. Balki and Sujoy Ghosh (both of which are less than 30 minutes long).

I also updated my list of Bollywood movies on Hulu with today’s release of three new episodes of the Hindi series The Night Manager (also available in Bengali, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Tamil, & Telugu).

Finally, I updated my list of Bollywood movies on Amazon Prime with today’s addition of the Tamil film Veeran. [Disclaimer: my Amazon links include an affiliate tag, and I may earn a commission on purchases made via those links. Thanks for helping to support this website!]

Streaming Video News: June 2, 2023

I updated my list of Bollywood movies on Netflix with today’s premiere of the new Original Hindi series, Scoop, directed by Hansal Mehta. Other additions in the last two days include the return of Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (which I thought was decent), a new season of Chhota Bheem, and the 2013 Telugu films Attarintiki Daredi, David, Ramachari, and Ramayya Vasthavayya.

If you missed out on anything added to Netflix last month, check out my May recap for What’s on Netflix.

I also updated my list of Bollywood movies on Hulu with the new Hindi series School of Lies (also available in Bengali, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Tamil, and Telugu).

Finally, I update my list of Bollywood movies on Amazon Prime with the additions of the Marathi film Maharashtra Shaheer, the Telugu movie Ugram, and the streaming debut of the Tamil epic Ponniyin Selvan: Part 2. Here’s a link to Ponniyin Selvan: Part 1 if you need to catch up.

[Disclaimer: my Amazon links include an affiliate tag, and I may earn a commission on purchases made via those links. Thanks for helping to support this website!]

Streaming Video News: November 18, 2022

I updated my list of Bollywood movies on Netflix with today’s additions of the Hindi thriller Dhokha: Round D Corner and the political drama Godfather, available in its original Telugu and in Hindi. Yesterday, Netflix added the Malayalam horror movie Kumari for streaming.

In other Netflix news, though the streamer hasn’t officially announced it, Pinkvilla reports that Sidharth Malhotra’s forthcoming movie Mission Majnu is releasing directly on Netflix on January 18, 2023. What’s on Netflix noticed that the Excel Entertainment movies will expire on December 15. Netflix just released a trailer for Randeep Hooda’s undercover series CAT, which debuts December 9.

I also updated my list of Bollywood movies on Hulu with Wednesday’s addition of the Telugu film Iravatham. Disney+ Hotstar announced that Vicky Kaushal’s comedy Govinda Naam Mera will premiere directly on Disney+ Hotstar/Hulu on December 16.

Finally, I updated my list of Bollywood movies on Amazon Prime with the addition of the Tamil film Iravin Nizhal. Have a great weekend!

[Disclaimer: my Amazon links include an affiliate tag, and I may earn a commission on purchases made via those links. Thanks for helping to support this website!]

Streaming Video News: November 4, 2022

I updated my list of Bollywood movies streaming on Hulu with today’s addition of Brahmāstra, Part 1: Shiva (sometimes called Shiva No. 1). The superhero flick has Hindi and English dialogue options.

Also new today is the straight-to-streaming film Tadka on Zee5. This Hindi remake of the Malayalam film Salt N’ Pepper stars Nana Patekar, Taapsee Pannu, and Ali Fazal. (Update: if you’re trying to watch Tadka via the Zee5 app on Apple TV and use subtitles, the subtitles will appear at the top of the screen, obscuring the picture. See the photo below for an example.)

I updated my list of Bollywood movies on Amazon Prime yesterday with the streaming debut of Ponniyin Selvan: 1. Mani Ratnam’s latest has Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada audio options.

Finally, I updated my list of Bollywood movies on Netflix with a few new additions this week: the Tamil-dubbed films David and Uyire and the 2022 Telugu action flick The Ghost (also available in Tamil and Hindi). If you missed any of the Indian films added to Netflix in October, check out my monthly roundup for What’s on Netflix.

[Disclaimer: my Amazon links include an affiliate tag, and I may earn a commission on purchases made via those links. Thanks for helping to support this website!]