2020 forced us to change our lives drastically and many of us are still taking time to adapt to the massive disruption that has been caused in our life. The entertainment industry had its fair share of troubles which is why many of the movies which were supposed to be released directly in theatres have taken the OTT route. This has allowed us to witness some of the best direct to OTT films. But not all of them were up to the standards so here is our list of the worst direct to OTT releases this year.
Virgin Bhanupriya:
Virgin Bhanupriya is a sex comedy which is best left erased from the memories of both the audiences and actors who worked in this film as it talks about a girl who is in her 20s and is yearning for the man of her dreams (so that she can lose her virginity). She tries on several occasions but fails constantly and while the premise of this film required some deft handling it goes way overboard and makes you wonder if the makers of this film think that the youth have only one thing on their mind. The story and character arcs are pretty basic and none of the cast imbibes the roles that they were given make it really monotonous. Virgin Bhanupriya took the OTT route with Zee 5.
Sadak 2:
Sadak 2 is a sequel to the 1991 Mahesh Bhatt directed Sadak. Sadak 2 took the OTT route with Disney+ Hotstar and people found this sequel outdated and full of loopholes. There is very little relation to the prequel and it just seemed like a stunt to reinvent an old title to get some buzz going but the screenplay is not very tight or interesting and there seems to be no redeeming factor that can save this average story as Mahesh Bhatt’s directorial return after a gap of close to 20 years turns disastrous.
Varmaa:
Varmaa is the official remake of the Telugu movie Arjun Reddy which garnered a cult status over time and even got its very own Hindi remake. The story revolves around Varmaa Vasudev who is an excellent medical student but falls hopelessly in love with a girl and things slowly start to go haywire from there. Varmaa neither brings the charm or the exuberance of the original and the debutant finds it difficult to fully immerse himself in this role. Varmaa seems a bit rushed and after a point, you feel that the entire team is just going through the motions as you do not have a strong emotional thread that joins it all together. Varmaa took the OTT route with Simply south and failed to make a lasting impact on the audience.
Durgamati:
Durgamati was another star-studded film which decided to take the OTT route as it debuted on Amazon prime. Durgamati proved to be a flat remake despite a good budget and a fine cast all of whom could not help elevate the mediocrity in this film. Durgamati is the story of a jailed IAS officer Chanchal Chauhan who is being interrogated by the CBI to find some information against Ishwar Prasad who is slowly becoming the leader of the masses. The transformation from Chanchal Chauhan to Durgamati lacks the wow factor and some of the scenes in this movie fall flat as they were initially created keeping in mind a theatrical release.
Penguin:
Although this movie starts a bit slow the premise at the beginning is enough to catch your attention in this psychological drama. Penguin starts with a lot of gusto and you feel that they are setting us up for a unique spectacle but the fact is that it doesn’t shift through the gears quickly and what could have been a really great project becomes a sordid affair due to its sloppy execution. Penguin took the OTT route with Amazon prime. Rhythm or Ritu who is pregnant holds on to memories that continue to haunt her as her first child Ajay went missing 6 years ago. The story starts from here but a flat pre-climax and predictable distractions leave you wanting for something better.
Nishabdam:
Nishabadam was one of the high-profile psychological thrillers which was made for a theatrical release but was eventually acquired by Amazon Prime. People had really high hopes from it but it ultimately failed to live up to the expectations. Nishabdam is a simple story that is portrayed fascinatingly and it really sets up a good platform but never really managed to get going as the initial impact and fascination slowly begin to wear off. The central story is something that has been done quite a few times and this film despite a star cast and some amazing locations do not really leave the audience with a lot to truly engage them.
Laxmii:
Laxmii was touted as one of the biggest high-profile movies to take the OTT route with Disney+ Hotstar when theatres were closed. Laxmii is the official remake of the 2011 Kanchana. Out of all aspects, the casting of the main roles has got to be one of the few great things about this movie as Akshay Kumar shines and shows his versatility in this film as a transgender. Sharad Kelkar was another surprise package that really stole our hearts with his brilliant performance. While everybody was excited about this film it failed to deliver on its promises as the execution is sloppy and certain sequences seem really petty and illogical even to the most open-minded person in the room.
V:
V was hyped to be one of the top thriller movies that was going to go straight for an OTT release with amazon Prime but in the end, it just became another one of those mundane titles that promised more than it could provide. V fails to captivate the audiences or keep them on the edge of their seats which is a pivotal factor for any kind of thriller. The story revolves around Adithya who is praised by the department for his bravery but is thrown off by a challenge from a killer. Adithya has to save 4 people from being killed and the killer will give him clues. Such a storyline depends more on the way the story is crafted with each scene which is why this film failed to impress the masses.
Miss India:
Miss India has a really inspirational theme at its core as Manasa Samyuktha, the youngest sibling in a middle-class family is trying to break the stereotype of the ‘Housewife’ and wants to become a businesswoman who is respected for her work. Keerthy Suresh does her best as an aspiring businesswoman but even her skills could not save this film. Miss India is ambitious with the message that it wants to tell. While there is nothing wrong with this the writing becomes too illogical and shallow at times which makes you grin. Neither the dialogues nor the narrative can keep you hooked and just a bit into the film you already start to lose interest in this title.
Khaali Peeli:
Khaali Peeli stars Ananya Pandey and Ishan Khatter in the lead roles. This film had already received a lot of flak for its seemingly inappropriate lyrics which reeked of racism. It was released on a pay-per-view model on Zee 5 and had a horrendous path as people hated the film which never established a connection with the audience whether it was the storyline or the performances of the main leads in this film. Khaali Peeli is a plot that has been done to death before and revolves around the life of Vijay aka Blakie and Pooja who fell in love when they were young but were forced apart due to circumstances but meet years later under a different predicament.
2020 has given us some great stories but in such a large industry where so many people are trying to put their stories to the masses there are bound to be some that turn out to be below par and the only thing one can do is learn from this experience rather than to let it linger on as a bad memory or a failed experience.
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