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With Dhanush-starrer Karnan and Rishab Shetty's Hero expected to drop soon on streaming platforms, we round up all the films from Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu and Kannada that are now available on streaming platforms.
Director: Lokesh Kanakaraj
Cast: Vijay, Vijay Sethupathy, Andrea Jeremiah
Lokesh Kanakaraj gives a twist to the regular 'mass' Vijay film by breaking many of its rules. Vijay and Vijay Sethupathi give great performances in this action entertainer.
Director: Bakkiyaraj Kannan
Cast: Karthi, Rashmika Mandanna, Yogi Babu
Bakkiyaraj Kannan's attempt at mythological allegory with liberal interpretations sees Karthi play the titular Sulthan, the heir to a crime lord attempting to set his cabal of lovable, yet hardened delinquents straight in this mass action entertainer.
Director: Madonne Ashwin
Cast: Yogi Babu, GM Sundar, Kanna Ravi
A superbly comic take on issues of caste, elections and existing social structures, Madonne Ashwin has managed to make a message-based film that doesn't depend on its message to be entertaining.
Director: Lakshman
Cast: Jayam Ravi, Niddhi Agerwal, Ronit Roy
Jayam Ravi plays Bhoominathan, a NASA scientist who is wildly successful at his job, but returns home to Tamil Nadu to dismal agricultural circumstances. Bhoomi is a fictional story, but also reflects the difficulties of several farmers in the state, and highlights the role of big corporations as a cause.
Director: R. Kannan
Cast: Santhanam, Swathi Muppala, Tara Alisha Berry
R.Kannan 'adapts' Adam Sandler-starrer Bedtime Stories in rather ridiculous (and sometimes funny) ways. But if you're a fan of Santhanam's comic roles as a hero, this might just work for you.
Director: Pradeep Krishnamoorthy
Cast: Sibi Sathyaraj, Nandita Swetha, Suman Ranganathan
A mysterious intrigue closes in on an ambitious, but down-on-his-luck traffic cops, as a 40 year-old murder pulls him into a plot involving stolen identities and a prominent politician.
Director: Halitha Shameem
Cast: Madhumita, Samuthirakani, Manikandan
Is it possible to make a movie that feels like Poovarasam Peepee crossed with a Pandiraj rural drama? Aeley, Halitha Shameem's next film after the brilliant Sillu Karupatti, is the result.
Director: Shakti Soundar Rajan
Cast: Arya, Saayesha, Satish
Teddy is a medical thriller dealing with the underground trade of organs with a twist- Arya's sidekick in the film is a Teddy bear that is carrying the soul of a woman whose life is under threat from non-consensual organ donation.
Director: Hemambar Jasti
Cast: Deepan N, Mumtaz Sorcar, Karthik Rathnam
The Tamil remake of 2018 Telugu film C/o Kancharapalem is an anthology in four parts. It's the kind of low-key film gets high on sentiments like love makes the world go around and love has no age.
Director: K. Johnson
Cast: Santhanam, Rajendran, Prudhvi Raj
Parris Jeyaraj is the story of two people, both recovering from a broken heart, that run into each other and begin to fall in love. However, all is not well in paradise, as the lovers' fathers have different plans for their children.
Director: Gokul
Cast: Keerthi Pandian, Arun Pandian
This survival drama, a remake of Malayalam film Helen, starring Keerthi Pandian is also about the relationship between her character and her father.
Director: Rajesh
Cast: GV Prakash Kumar, Daniel Annie Pope, Amritha Aiyer
Not cut from the same cloth as Boss Engira Bosskaran or OKOK, but this Rajesh film has echoes (or just lazy copies, depending on your view) of his previous films that are still, at times, funny.
Director: Naseef Yusuf Izuddin
Cast: Fahadh Faasil, Soubin Shahir, Darshana Rajendran
An old-fashioned mystery crime thriller, Irul manages to mix the cliches of a slasher film with a courtroom drama.
Director: Dileesh Pothan
Cast: Fahadh Faasil, Baburaj, Unnimaya Prasad
This crime drama received critical praise for it's reimagining of Shakespeare's Macbeth in a sprawling rubber plantation in Kerala. Watch it for the performances — Fahadh and Baburaj, especially.
Director: Jeethu Joseph
Cast: Mohanlal, Meena, Ansiba Hassan, Esther Anil
This superb drama continues from where Drishyam left off and is a genuine sequel. You think you've figured out Georgekutty? At the end of Drishyam 2, you realize you don't know him at all or how his brain works so carefully.
Director: Prajesh Sen
Cast: Jayasurya, Samyuktha Menon, Siddique
An old-fashioned story of an alcoholic and his painfully slow process to recovery is impressively depicted by Jayasurya. This is one long meditation of an alcoholic about his next drink.
Director: Jeo Baby
Cast: Suraj Venjaramoodu, Nimisha Sajayan
In Great Indian Kitchen a newlywed wife struggles to lead a submissive life with her husband and her in-laws. The film highlights casual patriarchy that's accepted as the norm.
Director: Jofin T. Chacko
Cast: Mammootty, Manju Warrier, Nikhila Vimal
The Priest comes in the long line of horror films in Malayalam based on Christian symbolisms and ideas. Mammootty rocks his get up as a priest with swagger in this film where he acts with Manju Warrier for the first time.
Director: Shaji Azeez
Cast: Arjun Ashokan, Samyuktha Menon, Shine Tom Chacko
This lockdown chamber drama has a thrilling setup and excellent dark humour. You might not love it's politics though.
Director: Santhosh Viswanath
Cast: Mammootty, Murali Gopy, Joju George, Siddique
This political drama featuring a charismatic Mammootty is an ideastic, if a bit predictable, take on the right kind of chief minister that this country needs.
Director: Jean Paul Lal, Lal
Cast: Balu Varghese, Innocent, Mukesh, Aju Varghese
Directed by Lal and Jean Paul Lal, Tsunami is an adult comedy about a guy whose career as a priest is disrupted by events that also prevent him from getting married.
Director: Santhosh Ananddram
Cast: Puneeth Rajkumar, Sayyesha, Prakash Raj
Puneeth Rajkumar saves the education system and the future of millions by helping a government college principal take on those who sell education for money.
Director: Tharun Sudhir
Cast: Darshan, Jagapthi Babu, Ravi Kishan
Another large-scale reimagining of several masala film tropes (including Bashha), Roberrt is Kannada cinema's next big budget pan-Indian film after KGF.
Director: Gopichand Malineni
Cast: Ravi Teja, Shruti Haasan, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, Samuthirakani
The first film to release after lockdown relaxations, Krack was also the first post-lockdown hit. The action film features music by Thaman and an engaging screenplay by Gopichand Malineni.
Director: Anudeep KV
Cast: Navin Polishetty, Rahul Ramakrishna, Priyadarshi, Faria Abdullah
A laugh riot centered on three good-for-nothings from a small town who arrive at Hyderabad to make it big. It might not sound as new on paper but Anudeep KV mines the depths of absurdity in the film that's all about keeping you laughing without knowing why.
Director: Bucchi Babu Sana
Cast: Panja Vaisshnav Tej, Krithi Shetty, Vijay Sethupathi
With a superb Vijay Sethupathi as the film's antagonist, Uppena is a romantic drama with undertones of commentary on caste structures and toxic masculinity.
Director: Ashishor Solomon
Cast: Nagarjuna, Dia Mirza, Saiyami Kher, Atul Kulkarni
Nagarjuna badasses it in style in this action thriller where he plays Vijay Varma or the 'Wild Dog'. It's as wild as it sounds and Nagarjuna exudes coolness and daring in this intelligent thriller (that also takes a simplistic view of Islamic terrorism).
Director: Venu Sriram
Cast: Pawan Kalyan, Nivetha Thomas, Shruti Haasan, Prakash Raj
As Amitabh Bachchan-starrer Pink moved South, its remakes became progressively more centered on the male protagonist who 'saves' three women in trouble. And with Vakeel Saab it's become completely that, with the politics and subtext in the original often muted, but entertaining to fans of the Power Star nevertheless.
Director: Vijay Kanakamedala
Cast: Allari Naresh, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar
Naandhi is a courtroom drama with great writing and one the best performances of his career by Allari Naresh.