Hit: The First Case

Ayyappanum Koshiyum

Trance

Baaram

Dharala Prabhu

Vikruthi

World Famous Lover

Luv Ni Love Storys

Bonus

Dia

From class conflict and hierarchy in Saurabh Bhave's Bonus, to Dia, a the mind-bending psychedelic trip of Trance, here are our picks:

Hit: The First Case Sourced by the Telegraph

Dharala Prabhu Sourced by the Telegraph

Ayyappanum Koshiyum Sourced by the Telegraph

Bonus Sourced by the Telegraph

Dia Sourced by the Telegraph

World Famous Lover Sourced by the Telegraph

Trance Sourced by the Telegraph

Luv Ni Love Storys Sourced by the Telegraph

Baaram Sourced by the Telegraph

Vikruthi Sourced by the Telegraph

Language: Tamil

Streaming on: Amazon Prime Video

Translating to ‘burden’ in English, Baaram has received widespread critical acclaim, including a National Award. The mysterious death of a night watchman forms the bedrock of the February film — both real and relevant — directed by Priya Krishnaswamy, who also does the writing and editing duties here. Baaram doesn’t lose sight of its strong emotional core despite its documentary-style look and feel. The film lays bare the practice of Thalaikoothal, a type of euthanasia that still has social sanction in some parts of Tamil Nadu. Fashioned as a thriller in parts, Baaram runs at a pacy 90 minutes and should make it to your watchlist if you are looking for something more than the usual light-hearted fare.

Language: Tamil

Streaming on: Amazon Prime Video

Released in theatres on the second Friday of March this year, the Tamil remake of Shoojit Sircar’s Vicky Donor has Harish Kalyan stepping into Ayushmann Khurrana’s shoes to play a young man who teams up with an infertility expert to turn into a sperm donor. Largely operating on the same beats as the 2012 Bolly original, Dharala Prabhu introduces minor tweaks in its plot and players in accordance with its milieu, but retains the froth and freshness that marked Vicky Donor. The film benefits from the comedic chemistry between Harish’s Prabhu and Vivek (who plays Dr Kannadasan) and works, despite a meandering second half, on the strength of its light-hearted and optimistic look at taboo topics like infertility and sperm donation.

Language: Marathi

Streaming on: Amazon Prime Video

Class conflict and social hierarchy — explored winningly in the multiple Oscar-winning film Parasite — is also the driving force behind Bonus, that hit theatres in end February. Saurabh Bhave directs this ‘big story of small moments’ that tells the story of young Aditya (Gashmeer Mahajani) who accepts his grandfather’s challenge of giving up his lavish life and living on meagre means after he refuses to pay bonus to his employees. A critique on class divide, Bonus works largely within the format of a fun watch, combining humour and romance. Though formulaic in parts, the film scores big on relatability.

Language: Malayalam

Streaming on: Netflix

Honest and relevant, Vikruthi is a mirror of the times we live in, chronicling the downside of the obsession with social media. Translating to ‘mischief’, the film is sourced from a real incident and tells the story of a man who becomes the victim of a viral social media forward. What works for Vikruthi is the relatable way in which it tells its story and the non-judgmental stance it takes on to view its characters. Suraj Venjarammoodu and Soubin Shahir carry the film that released in October last year, winning us over with a mix of humour and heart.

Language: Telugu

Streaming on: Netflix

Hitting theatres on Valentine’s Day this year, World Famous Lover — as is evident from the title — has heartthrob Vijay Deverakonda playing an intense lover, similar to the retrograde rebel he essayed in his breakout film Arjun Reddy. World Famous Lover that also stars Raashi Khanna and Aishwarya Rajesh, encapsulates many love stories in one and transitions between fantasy and reality, albeit with inconsistent results. Though the intention is clear — the film strives to focus on the selflessness of love as seen through different characters in different circumstances — the execution of what must have been a great idea on paper isn’t as seamless. But what’s not to love about a love story, especially in these times, and one which showcases the ever popular Deverakonda in a role he can now possibly play with his eyes closed.

Language: Telugu

Streaming on: Amazon Prime Video

An edge-of-the-seat watch, this February 2020 release ticks all the thriller boxes — murder, mystery and macabre. Directed by newcomer Sailesh Kolanu, Hit stars Vishwaksen Naidu as a dynamic cop called Vikram who is battling post-traumatic stress disorder after an incident in his past has left him permanently scarred. The 128-minute box-office winner — an acronym for Homicide Intervention Team, which Vikram is a part of — starts off with a girl going mysteriously missing and then spins off into a rollercoaster ride that forces Vikram to confront his own demons.

Hit works because it remains taut for the most part, oscillating between a Se7en-styled investigative thriller and a police procedural, and doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to showing stomach-churning stuff. The end may or may not work for you but the money shot in the film’s final moments sets the tone for at least a sequel, if not more films in the Hit franchise.

Language: Kannada

Streaming on: Amazon Prime Video

A simple love story simply told is what makes Dia stand out at a time when audiences are being fed convoluted storylines in seemingly woke films which are anything but. This February film focuses on a love triangle and is a refreshing romance told from the point of view of the woman. An engaging blend of feel-good romance and the hopelessness that love sometimes brings in its wake, Dia — powered by its emotional core and strong performances — is worth a watch.

Language: Malayalam

Streaming on: Amazon Prime Video

Resting on a dialogue-driven narrative where the verbal is as impactful as the visual, this Malayalam film has Prithviraj and Biju Menon scorching the screen as sparring partners in this duel of ego and one-upmanship. A compelling look at misplaced machismo and toxic male entitlement, Ayyappanum Koshiyum — the title is drawn from the names of the characters played by the two men in the middle — released in February and received unanimously positive reviews, with critics praising it for its “sharp story” and its ability to engage the viewer consistently “without resorting to gimmicks”. Give the film a watch if you are a Prithviraj fan. And even if you aren’t.

Language: Malayalam

Streaming on: Amazon Prime Video

One of the most talked about films in recent times, Trance should make it to your watchlist simply for the fact that it’s frontlined by Fahadh Faasil. The actor — whose given us films like Super Deluxe and Kumbalangi Nights — is sensational in Trance. The February film — a mind-bending, psychedelic trip that traces the transition of a small-time motivational speaker (Viju, played by Fahadh) into a televangelist who performs hoax miracles and helps his ‘business’ grow into a global phenomenon — Trance starts off strong and becomes increasingly shaky, but we recommend you catch it for Fahadh’s uninhibited central act. Directed by Anwar Rasheed, Trance falters in parts — the ending lacks a satisfactory payoff, especially given the film runs at a butt-numbing 170 minutes — but is an avant-garde piece of filmmaking that deserves at least a one-time watch.

Language: Gujarati

Streaming on: Amazon Prime Video

If an easy-breezy watch is what you have your eye on, then look no further than this feel-good Gujarati film that traces its young protagonist’s rollercoaster ride through multiple relationships before he discovers the true meaning of love. Scoring big in the departments of music and cinematography, Luv Ni Love Storys is powered by Pratik Gandhi’s (who plays Luv) natural charm and a strong supporting cast that bring on the laughs as easily as tease a tear out of the viewer.