Amazon Prime Video has collaborated with five talented story-tellers to create an amazon original anthology of five Tamil short films named, “Puthum Pudhu Kaalai” set to launch on 16th October. This will be amazon’s second Indian original film after Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Sanya Malhotra starrer Photograph that came last year on the platform.
The five amazingly creative directors who will be helming these “first of its kind stories of love, new beginnings, second chances, and a glimmer of hope” include, Sudha Kongara, Gautham Menon, Suhasini Mani Ratman, Rajiv Menon and Karthik Subbaraj.
The five Tamil short films that will be featured in “Puthum Pudhu Kaalai” are –
Ilamai Idho Idho
Directed by: Sudha Kongara (Soorari Pottru)
Starring: Jayaram, Kalidas Jayaram, Urvashi, Kalyani Priyadarshan
Avarum Naanum/Avalum Naanum
Directed by: Gautham Vasudev Menon
Starring: MS Bhaskar, Ritu Varma
Coffee, Anyone?
Directed by: Suhasini Mani Ratnam
Starring: Suhasini Mani Ratnam, Anu Hasan, Shruti Haasan
Reunion
Directed by: Rajiv Menon
Starring: Andrea, Leela Samson
Miracle
Directed by: Karthik Subbaraj
Starring: Bobby Simha, Muthu Kumar.
Finally, Amazon Studios takes note of the Indian original film category, which seemed almost oblivious to them until now. While the global streaming platform has an excellent collection of Indian web series – Breathe, Mirzapur, Paatal Lok, Inside Edge, Made In Heaven and more – there was just one film (Photograph) in its kitty before this latest Tamil anthology.
It’s time the Indian original film category catches up with Amazon’s English language film library (Late Night, The Report, Honey Boy and more). We hope Amazon teams up with more Indian filmmakers, both Hindi and regional, and this does not become a one-off event.
With “Puthum Pudhu Kaalai”, Amazon Studios has taken the much needed step in just the right direction and it will be interesting to see how it continues the journey down this path.
All the five stories in Amazon original movie, “Puthum Pudhu Kaalai” were not only shot during the lockdown, following all the COVID-19 guidelines of the Film Employees’ Federation of South India (FEFSI), but are also set in it.
“Puthum Pudhu Kaalai” is all set to premiere on Amazon Prime Video on October 16th, 2020.