Just like 2020, 2021 was no relief in terms of COVID-19. The situation even worsened in India and resulted in many months of theatres under lockdown.
Even when the lockdown was relieved, going to theatres and spending their money on tickets was not a priority for the audience. But it is an undeniable fact that Indians love cinema. One can never ever snatch movies from Indians and that seems true at least in the distant future.
Just like last year, streaming platforms came to the rescue and served entertainment to us. Here is our list of 10 best films that were initially planned for a theatrical release but ended up on the streaming platforms.
10. Malik– Prime Video
This year was single-handedly dominated by the Malayalam film industry when it comes to quality. It gave us some immensely powerful films and Malik is just another example. This is a political drama film with a fair dose of thrill in it.
It is the story of Sulaiman who receives support from locals after he raises his voice against injustice. But one of his own family members pledges to ensure his downfall. To find out who he is, you should not be missing this movie.
09. Joji– Prime Video
In 2003, Vishal Bhardwaj made the first part of his Shakespearean trilogy Maqbool. It was based on Macbeth and showed some immensely powerful performances, particularly by Tabu. But this year this Malayalam film showed us another benchmark.
Based on a similar plot, Fahadh Faasil plays the lead character. It had some extremely provocative and impactful scenes. Hands down to the brilliant performance and insane direction.
08. Sarpatta Parambarai– Prime Video
Arya played the role of a boxer in this film. It had undoubtedly one of the best performances of 2021. Be it the overall panache of a boxer or even the emotional scenes, Arya aced in all of them.
Brilliant direction and incredibly powerful background music helped us to fall in love with this movie. If you happen to like sports dramas then this is an unmissable film.
07. Atrangi Re– Disney+Hotstar
This Anand L Rai film was highly awaited ever since its launch. It stars Dhanush, Sara Ali Khan and Akshay Kumar in the lead role. The story has many plot holes and it is anything but a good story.
But even after so many flaws, the film turns out to be an entertainer. Thanks to the amazing performances by Dhanush and Sara Ali Khan. It is a musical romance and AR Rahman did a terrific job in the music department. There is a lot of Indianness in every Anand L Rai film, however, this film pictures two cultures one from Bihar and the other from Tamil Nadu.
The film could have been even better if Rai had paid some attention to the story and the Tamil culture.
06. Shershaah– Prime Video
Probably one of the finest patriotic films ever, this film does complete justice to what a war film should be. Legends such as Kamal Haasan praised this film which is definitely deserved.
Other than the flawed Punjabi of both Kiara Advani and Sidharth Malhotra, the film had little or nothing to criticize for. It was heart-wrenching and thought-provoking. The direction was again brilliant and the cinematography was amazing.
05. Minnal Murali– Netflix
Minnal Murali is a recently released movie that has left the nation awestruck. It is a completely original Indian superhero film that has highly relatable characters. Tovino Thomas and Guru Somasundaran gave more than amazing performances and the characters were extremely relatable.
This is a kind of film that definitely needs to be promoted and celebrated.
04. Jai Bhim– Prime Video
Jai Bhim, originally released in Tamil, attracted audiences from all over India. Based on a man who fought the legal battle to deliver justice to tribals is something thought-provoking.
Suriya‘s performance forces us to think about the kind of society we want to create. This is probably the most successful aspect of any film and Jai Bhim nails it.
03. Drishyam 2– Prime Video
We all know the masterpiece, Mohanlal‘s Drishyam was. It was extremely path-breaking, mind-boggling and out of ordinary. Normally, we tend to Hollywood for such kinds of films but this film stunned everyone who watched it.
It has been remade into multiple languages and has developed a cult following over the years. But the second part of the film surprisingly came out to be even better than the first part.
Unpredictable story with a mouth opening ending left us in all praises for the film. Even the Kannada remake has already been released but the original Malayalam version is all we suggest.
02. The Great Indian Kitchen– Prime Video
Our society expects women to behave in a certain way. This Malayalam film is based on the life of a woman who tries to fit in such a manner. But it takes her a while to understand that she is not the kind of person who can stay happy within those boundaries.
01.Sardar Udham– Prime Video
Sardar Udham is a masterpiece Bollywood had never ever seen. Patriotic films were thought to be filled with heavy dialogues and superhuman type patriots. This film is nothing like that and a very realistic approach to how a film should be.
Vicky Kaushal‘s performance was something that would be remembered for decades to come. It is not just a biopic of a forgotten patriot but talks about the thin line between revolution and terrorism.
If you are a cinema lover then this is a film you should never ever miss.
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