Top 10 Direct OTT Bollywood Releases 2020
2020 has undoubtedly been a horrible year for mankind all around the world. While the pandemic brought the world to a standstill, we lost many celebrities and people of honor from various walks of life. But it also became the year of OTT platforms, which were like the most sought after thing, for viewers and filmmakers alike, when everyone was locked inside their homes. With financial constraints rising, filmmakers and producers had no choice but to find a suitable buyer for their projects. The OTT platforms provided a perfect fit and this eventually led to multiple films being acquired by the streaming services during the lockdown.
Though many films joined the league of going to OTT very few were worth the time. So let’s get started and list down our favourite Bollywood direct-to-OTT releases for the year.
10. Axone
Streaming on: Netflix
Axone is a film about North Eastern community in Delhi and the kind of prejudice and intolerance faced by them. The story revolves around a group of friends who plan to surprise their friend, with her favourite North Eastern cuisine – Axone, on her wedding. This film needs a little patience but it’s totally worth it for its unique subject.
Starring: Dolly Ahluwalia, Sayani Gupta, Lin Laishram, Vinay Pathak, Lanuakum Ao, Tenzin Dalha, Aakash Bhardwaj, Jimpa Bhutia, Deepansha Dhingra, Vijay Kumar Dogra
Directed by: Nicholas Kharkongor
9. Bhonsle
Streaming on: SonyLIV
Bhonsle is the story of a retired Mumbai cop Ganpat Bhonsle who finds a family in a brother-sister duo from Bihar. When a taxi driver who aspires to become a politician tries to oust the siblings form the locality, Bhonsle comes to rescue and fights for them. The film which had its premiere at various international film festivals, addresses the complex social issue of migrant discrimination in Mumbai beautifully.
Starring: Manoj Bajpayee, Santosh Juvekar, Ipshita Chakraborty Singh, Abhishek Banerjee, Rajendra Sisadkar, Virat Vaibhav, Kailash Waghmare, Shrikant Yadav, Neetu Pande.
Directed by: Devashish Makhija
8. Pareeksha: The Final Test
Streaming on: Zee5
Inspired by the real-life experience of IPS officer Abhyanand, former DGP of Bihar, Pareeksha is a slow paced, gritty social drama that follows a poor rickshaw puller Buchi and his struggle and strife to secure a better education, and hence a better future, for his exceptionally bright son. The film is a comment on the class and caste divide prevalent in society. The performances by the lead actors is one of the best out there.
Starring: Priyanka Bose, Adil Hussain, Sanjay Suri and Shubham Jha
Directed by : Prakash Jha
7. Taish
Streaming on: Zee5
Now this one had a unique release, wherein it was released both as a six part series and a two hour feature film. Taish is an action packed thriller-drama that will keep you on the edge of your seats throughout. The story, its non-linear narrative style and the acting are all the ingredients that make it a must watch. Special mention to Harshvardhan Rane who has absolutely nailed the role of Pali.
Starring: Pulkit Samrat, Kriti Kharbanda, Jim Sarbh, Harshvardhan Rane, Sanjeeda Shaikh and Zoa Morani.
Directed by: Bejoy Nambiar
6. Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl
Streaming on: Netflix
Gunjan Saxena is an inspirational biopic of the first female Indian Air Force officer to fly into live combat zone. The story is about an ordinary girl who dreams of becoming a pilot at a time when the field was male dominated. With support from her father, Gunjan achieves her dream only to face resistance and discrimination from within the force. While it disturbs her a little, her focus is as strong as ever. Every actor gives a very realistic and reliable performance in the film.
Starring: Janhvi Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, Angad Bedi, Manav Vij, Vineet Kumar Singh, Ayesha Raza.
Directed by: Sharan Sharma
5. Yeh Ballet
Streaming on: Netflix
Yeh Ballet, inspired from true events, is a poignant tale of two boys, Asif and Nishu, coming from economically backward section of society and their passion for dance. Though the film’s lead are shown to belong to Dharavi, Mumbai’s biggest slum, the story with its personalised touch stays away from the stereotype it could have easily run into. The film is a beautiful work of art and a must watch.
Starring: Manish Chauhan, Achintya Bose, Julian Sands, Jim Sarbh, Danish Husain and Kalyanee.
Directed by: Sooni Taraporewala
4. Lootcase
Streaming on: Disney+Hotstar
Lootcase is comedy drama and that’s exactly what makes it stand apart. Coming at a time when pandemic got everybody’s morale down, this film was a real mood lifter. The story revolves around Nandan (Kunal Kemmu) who somehow comes in possession of a red suitcase full of money. The best part of Lootcase is not the storyline but the exemplary performances by the cast who carry the film forward with their effortless acting and humour.
Starring: Kunal Kemmu, Rasika Dugal, Gajraj Rao, Vijay Raaz, Ranvir Shorey, Aryan Prajapati, Shashi Ranjan, Sumit Nijhawan.
Directed by: Rajesh Krishnan
3. Raat Akeli Hai
Streaming on: Netflix
Raat Akeli Hai is a gripping murder mystery where a small town cop investigates the mysterious death of a landlord on the night of his second marriage. The case that might look simple on the surface gets complex with every member of the family having some deep, dark secret. The narration is taut and pacy keeping one hooked throughout.
Starring: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Radhika Apte, Shweta Tripathi Sharma, Tigmanshu Dhulia, Shivani Raghuvanshi, Nishant Dahiya, Ila Arun, Swanand Kirkire, Khalid Tyabji, Aditya Srivastava.
Directed by: Honey Trehan
2. Ludo
Streaming on: Netflix
Ludo is an anthology of four beautiful stories that each define love in their own unique ways and get intertwined through an eccentric criminal. The film is about the difference between vice and virtue, about second chances, about heartfelt bonds where language is no barrier and much more. The narration style and the performances by the ensemble cast are equally spectacular coupled with some nice music.
Starring: Pankaj Tripathi, Abhishek Bachchan, Inayat Verma, Sanya Malhotra, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Rajkumar Rao, Rohit Saraf, Aditya Roy Kapoor, Pearle Maaney, Asha Negi.
Directed by: Anurag Basu
1. Dil Bechara
Streaming on: Disney+ Hotstar
This was one of the most awaited movies of the year after the unfortunate death of its lead actor Sushant Singh Rajput. The film that is based on John Green’s novel ‘Fault In Our Stars’ is a romantic comedy with embedded sadness in it. Every actor has done complete justice to their role. The soulful music by the maestro A R Rehman is another highlight of the film.
Starring: Sushant Singh Rajput, Saif Ali Khan, Sanjana Sanghi, Milind Gunaji, Javed Jaffrey, Sahil Vaid, Durgesh Kumar.
Directed by: Mukesh Chhabra
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