We all know that Netflix is a treasure-trove of films – blockbusters, mustwatch thrillers, classic hits, the works. But what we often don’t notice are the films that go under the radar and are missed by viewers. Some of these films are mustwatch ones that escape our attention for various reasons – low budgets, non-starry cast, less chatter – any one or all of these could be responsible for this anomaly. Some of these films are hidden gems you must have never taken the time to watch, but should have. But guess what, better late than never!
Here are ten such regional films streaming on Netflix that are an absolute mustwatch –
Thithi – Kannada
Thithi is a delightful Kannada film, set in the rural Mandya region of Karnataka. It is a lighthearted film that tells a quirky tale of a 101-year-old, cantankerous patriarch of a family. The old man, named “Century Gowda” dies, leaving the three generations of sons of the family to cope with the aftermath. The film is written and directed by Raam Reddy, and is an enjoyable watch. It won a clutch of awards on various platforms, national and international.
Ajji – Hindi-Marathi
Ajji is a hard-hitting Hindi-Marathi film that needs a tough stomach to watch. A young girl is raped by the wayward son of the local politician. The police refuses to do anything in the case. That is when the old grandmother of the girl takes matters into her own hands and seeks gruesome revenge. Ajji is directed Devashish Makhija, and stars Sushama Deshpande, Sharvani Suryavanshi, Abhishek Banerjee, Sadiya Siddiqui and Sudhir Pandey, among others.
C/O Kancharapalem – Telugu
C/O Kancharapalem is a beautifully narrated Telugu film that tells four diverse stories of love, cutting across age, religion, caste and class barriers. All the stories are set in the small town of Kancharapalem, and depict how the four couples shatter social norms for the sake of love. C/O Kancharapalem, directed by debutant Venkatesh Maha, won a clutch of awards on various platforms, national and international.
Visaranai – Tamil
Directed by Vetrimaaran, Visaranai is a blistering look at the injustice meted out to people from the lower classes and castes, who are often sacrificed at the altar of political and financial heft. Four poor labourers are tortured in jail by a politically-motivated cop, in the most inhumane way possible, to make them confess to a crime they did not commit. Visaranai stars Dinesh, Anandhi, Samuthirakani, Aadukalam Murugadoss and Kishore, among others.
The Disciple – Marathi
Chaitanya Tamhane’s The Disciple, a 127-minute long Marathi feature film, stars Aditya Modak, Arun Dravid, Sumitra Bhave and Kiran Yadnyopavit. A festival favourite film, it is set in the backdrop of Indian classical music. An aspiring musician puts in years and years of relentless toil to come up to the standards set by his guru, his father, and the accomplished masters of the art, yet fails every time. Slowly, he starts losing hope whether any effort he puts in will be good enough. A poignant and heartrending film, it won a couple of awards at the Venice Film Festival, including for Best Screenplay.
Village Rockstars – Assamese
This National Award winning Assamese movie has a young girl in a tiny village in Assam dreaming of starting her own rock band. Her widowed mother, despite having no resources, supports her in her endeavour, even fighting the stifling patriarchy prevalent in the village. The young girl strikes up a friendship with the village boys, revels in the power of dreams, and the freedom to dream those dreams, and forms her own musical band. Tragedy strikes in the form of devastating floods, which compels the girl to choose her priorities. It is a heartwarming film, directed by Rima Das, and a multiple award winner.
Mandela – Tamil
Mandela is a light-hearted but intensely thought-provoking political satire. The film is written and directed by Madonne Ashwin, and stars Yogi Babu as a barber on whose vote rests the fate of two opposing contenders in his village’s panchayat elections. One has the backing of the southerners in the village, and the other has the northerners backing him. What follows is hilarious and delightful to watch!
Nayattu – Malayalam
Easily the best film this year, not only in Malayalam cinema but also in Indian cinema overall. Nayattu is a noir drama directed by Martin Prakkat and written by Shahi Kabir. The film is a sharp, scathing look at the ulterior caste politics played by politicians in our country, and its devastating consequences. Nayattu is a particularly distressing depiction of how innocents are made scapegoats to get political leverage. Don’t miss it for anything!
Court – Marathi
Court is the debut directorial from Chaitanya Tamhane, and a mustwatch gem of a film. An aging social activist and protest singer uses the power of his songs to compel people to think. In a turn of events, a manhole worker commits suicide after listening to one of his thought-provoking folk songs. The old man is arrested under the charge of abetting the worker’s suicide. The film casts a harsh spotlight on the skewed Indian legal system through the old man’s trial in the Mumbai Sessions Court. The film stars Vira Sathidar, Vivek Gomber, Geetanjali Kulkarni, Pradeep Joshi and Shirish Pawar, and is a definite mustwatch.
Kappela – Malayalam
Kappela is a refreshing romantic drama, directed by Muhammad Musthafa, and starring Anna Ben, Sreenath Bhasi, Roshan Mathew, Tanvi Ram and Sudhi Koppa in the lead roles. The movie centres around Jessy, a small-town girl, who mistakenly dials a rickshaw driver’s number, and the duo falls in love after exchanging conversations over the phone. A surprise marriage proposal makes Jessy desperate to meet her love, someone she has never met in real. The drama takes a twist when a stranger named Roy walks into her life. The incident causes a chain reaction that leaves the viewer surprised in the end.