From 'Jai Bhim' to 'Tuck Jagadish': South Films That Stood Out With OTT Releases

The year 2021 saw theatres shut for almost half the year. While South films like 'Love Story', 'Akhanda', 'Annaatthe' and 'Pushpa: The Rise', waited for the theatres to open, makers of many other films decided to go ahead with digital releases. And lucky for them, digital space saw some of the finest stories getting released globally which were hailed by the audience.

Here's a list of films from the four major South industries, which were loved by the audience and brought talent to the forefront.

Minnal Murali

This Malayalam film starring Tovino Thomas released on Netflix recently. While the situation of theatres is not positive in Kerala, nothing stopped audiences from going ga ga over this superhero tale. Directed by Basil Joseph, 'Minnal Murali' is a story of a village boy Jaison, who acquires superhuman abilities and becomes a superhero overnight. What follows is a tale of him accepting his powers and fighting for the greater good. The film also stars actor Guru Somasundaram in a parallel role, where he plays the antagonist.

Jai Bhim

This Tamil film starring superstar Suriya, walked away as one of the most watched films on Amazon Prime Video. The film, directed by debutant TJ Gnanavel, was not only loved by the audience but also stirred a great deal of discussion in the society. Suriya plays the role of a lawyer Bhim, who fights for the rights of a tribal couple. The film is set in early 1940s in Tamil Nadu and also starred actor Prakash Raj in the lead role.

Sarpatta Parambarai

The Tamil film starring Arya in the lead role was a classic Pa.Ranjith directorial. Set in the 1970 Madras, this sports drama was all about boxing and the traditional tribe clashes. The film opened to good reviews and the director was appreciated for his eye for detail and building a classic world of the early 1970s. The film also starred Pasupathy, Dushara Vijayan, John Vijay amongst others. The film was released digitally on Netflix.

Joji

This Malayalam film took actor Fahadh Faasil's acting chops beyond borders. Inspired from Shakespear's Macbeth, the dark, gritty story was widely appreciated by the audience. Faasil's acting was loved by audience widely for his titular role. The film was also said to be similar to 1985 film Irakal' but nothing could overshadow the strong direction by Dileesh Pothan and performances by Baburaj, Shammi Thilakan, Unnimaya Prasad amongst others. The film was released in April, just as the country had entered the second lockdown.

Tuck Jagadish

An out and out Telugu entertainer, this Nani starrer stayed on the top of Amazon Prime Video's most watched list for months. Directed by Shiva Nirvana, the film starred Nani in the lead role with actress Ritu Varma as the female lead. It revolved around a man's efforts to keep his family together and also save his village from the baddies. The film had every element of masala entertainer and was widely watched and appreciated. While it was earlier scheduled to release in theatres, the filmmakers went ahead and did a digital release in September.

Rathnan Prapancha

A tale of a simple man Rathnakar, who goes on a journey to find his roots. This Kannada film had a heartwarming story to tell and the audience enjoyed it to the core. The film starred popular Kannada actor Dhananjay in the lead role. Actress Reba Monica John played the role of Mayuri who joins Rathnakar in his quest for truth about his beginnings. Directed by Rohit Padaki, the film is available on Amazon Prime Video for the audience.

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From 'Jai Bhim' to 'Tuck Jagadish': South Films That Stood Out With OTT Releases

While many big budget films got postponed, some films from the Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada industry made a successful release on digital platforms.