Gajab Raat (Netflix, Oct 23)
Manoj Bajpayee headlines the promising thriller, directed by Ritesh Shah, which unfolds over a single night where one decision sets off a chain of chaotic events. Manoj plays a cop caught between personal gain and his own sense of righteousness. The supporting cast includes Divya Dutta, Akshay Oberoi, Nushratt Bharuccha among many others.
The film was previously titled Ghooskhor Pandat, before it landed into controversy for allegedly defaming the Brahmin community and the makers decided to change the title. Neeraj Pandey is the producer, making his fourth collaboration with Netflix after Taskaree, Khakee, and Sikandar ka Mukaddar.
Sumo Didi (Zee 5, Oct 23)
Directed by Jayant Rohatgi, Sumo Didi is a sports biopic based on the life of the country’s first professional female sumo wrestler Hetal Dave.
Starring Shriyam Bhagnani in the lead, the film takes us into the life of a young Hetal who faces continuous body-shaming because of her weight. Her mother wants her to lose weight and get married, but Hetal is nursing a dream of representing India in the World Sumo Championship. The trailer, mostly filled with training montages, gives a glimpse into Hetal’s journey from defying criticisms to finally achieving her dream.
Chaar Yaar (Prime Video, Oct 23)
New Hindi OTT releases this week also include Chaar Yaar. Set in early 2000s Mumbai, the eight-episode crime drama tells the story of four middle class boys — Jay, Tony, Saahil, and Sameer — who stumble into the city’s underworld. As their activites draws the attention of the police, the boys’ bid to change their lives turns into a dangerous chase, and the friendship becomes the one thing protecting them.
Purav Jha, Naman Jain, Saqib Ayub and Prayrak Mehta play the leads. The supporting ensemble includes Sai Tamhankar, Sikandar Kher, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, Rajesh Tailang, Chunky Panday and Bhagavathi Perumal. Vinay Waikul directs from scripts by Sambit Mishra and Saurabh Sawant. The three share creator credit with S. Hussain Zaidi.