Netflix’s upcoming offbeat dark comedy film ‘Darlings’ is all geared up to start streaming on the OTT platform from 5th August onwards. The movie revolves around a mother-daughter duo (played by Shefali Shah and Alia Bhatt) who seek brutal revenge from the latter’s husband in their own amateurish way. Before that happens, we have compiled a list of must-watch Indian movies led by female protagonists which you can stream on various Indian OTT platforms.
Ek Hasina Thi, 2004 (Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Lionsgate Play)
The story follows a simple and sweet working woman Sarika (Urmila Matondkar) who falls in love with a charismatic and affluent businessman Karan (Saif Ali Khan). One day, Karan’s mysterious associate visits her home. In an apparent misunderstanding, Sarika is arrested by the police for being connected to the underworld. She eventually realizes the callous betrayal and decides to exact cold-blooded revenge from those responsible for her situation. The gripping thriller was Sriram Raghavan’s feature film directorial debut.
Mom, 2017 (Streaming on Netflix, Zee5)
After her stepdaughter is brutally assaulted by four persons and left for dead, her stepmother (Sridevi) makes it her mission to bring the culprits to justice in an equally ruthless way. To complete her mission, she takes the help of an eccentric but resourceful private detective (Nawazuddin Siddiqui). This gritty revenge thriller also featured Akshaye Khanna in an important role. This film featured Late actress Sridevi’s last performance and truly a terrific one.
Saani Kaayidham, 2022 (Streaming on Amazon Prime Video)
Helmed by Arun Matheswaran, ‘Saani Kaayidham’ is a hard-hitting rural revenge drama that is set in the 1980s period. The movie features veteran filmmaker turned actor Selvaraghavan and Keerthy Suresh in the lead roles of an ordinary man named Sangaiyya and his police constable half-sister Ponni, respectively. How they exact brutal revenge from those who had destroyed their family forms the film’s underlying plotline.
Mirch Masala, 1987 (Streaming on Jio Cinema, Mubi, Epic ON)
Helmed by veteran filmmaker Ketan Mehta (Mangal Pandey: The Rising), the intense drama is set in the early 1940s period. The plotline follows a merciless and arrogant Subedar (Naseeruddin Shah), who visits several villages to collect taxes and more. In one such visit, he gets attracted to a beautiful and confident woman Sonbai (Smita Patil). After she rejects his advances, the Subedar follows her to a spice factory where Sonbai has taken refuge under the protection of an old but brave gatekeeper Abu Mian (Om Puri).
NH10, 2015 (Streaming on Jio Cinema, Zee5, Eros Now)
Directed by Navdeep Singh (Manorama Six Feet Under), ‘NH 10’ is a hard-hitting revenge thriller with a compelling performance by Anushka Sharma duly supported by Neil Bhoopalam, Darshan Kumar, and Deepti Naval. After a scary incident in Gurgaon, a married couple decides to go for a romantic getaway, which soon turns out to be their biggest nightmare after they encounter a violent gang of criminals on the way.
Kahaani, 2012 (Streaming on Jio Cinema)
A pregnant software engineer (Vidya Balan) informs the police that her husband has been missing for a few weeks after he arrived in India for a work assignment. While investigating her husband’s sudden disappearance, she is pursued by an undercover contract killer and then questioned by an Intelligence Bureau officer (Nawazuddin Siddiqui). She begins to realize that there is more to the case than meets the eye, but she is still hellbent to find her missing husband. The film was blessed with one of the best climatic revelations in Indian cinema.
Dushman, 1998 (Streaming on Google Play, YouTube, Apple iTunes – PPV)
Helmed by Tanuja Chandra, the psychological thriller features Kajol in a double role of twin sisters Sonia and Naina. When a serial killer Gokul (Ashutosh Rana) brutally rapes and murders Sonia, Naina decides to avenge her sister’s death for want of justice. She takes the help of a blind military man (Sanjay Dutt), who trains her to be strong enough to face Gokul.
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