Amazon Prime Video Unveils 23 Indian Movies, Tie-Ups With YRF, Ajay Devgn, Karan Johar, and Farhan Akhtar

Akshay Kumar’s Ram Setu, Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan, and four Devgn films are on the list.

Photo Credit: Amazon

• YRF, Akhtar’s Excel to supply five films each to Prime Video
• Madhuri Dixit Nene leads Prime Video original Maja Maa
• Johar’s Dharma previously had a streaming tie-up with Netflix

Amazon Prime Video has unveiled 23 Indian movies for next two years — that includes three originals, two co-productions, and one “special collaboration”. The remaining 17 licensed films come from the likes of Karan Johar-owned Dharma Productions, Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani’s Excel Entertainment, Ajay Devgn’s Ajay Devgn FFilms, and the Aditya Chopra-run Yash Raj Films. These will premiere in theatres before exclusively streaming on Prime Video globally. Madhuri Dixit Nene-led comedy-drama Maja Maa leads those directly coming to Prime Video. Akshay Kumar’s Ram Setu — for which we now have a first look — is among the co-productions. And Nawazuddin Siddiqui-led Tiku Weds Sheru is a special collaboration.

This confirms the end of Dharma’s tie-up with Netflix, in terms of both streaming originals and exclusivity deals for movies that go to cinemas. The 23 Indian movies were part of Amazon’s “Prime Video Presents India” event on Thursday in Mumbai, where it unveiled a slate of 58 titles — 41 original series, films and documentaries, and the aforementioned 17 licensed movies from Bollywood studios — which will release over the next two years. Amazon said this was part of its efforts to double investment in producing local content over the next five years.

Here’s the full list of the 17 Bollywood movies that will exclusively stream on Prime Video —

From Ajay Devgn FFilms, four upcoming films including Runway 34 with Devgn and Amitabh Bachchan, Thank God with Devgn and Sidharth Malhotra, Drishyam 2 with Devgn and Shriya Saran, and Bhola with Devgn and Tabu

From Johar’s Dharma Productions, three upcoming films including Jug Jug Jeeyo with Anil Kapoor, Neetu Kapoor, Varun Dhawan and Kiara Advani; Govinda Naam Mera with Advani and Vicky Kaushal; and Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani with Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Dharmendra, Jaya Bachchan, and Shabana Azmi

From Akhtar and Sidhwani’s Excel Media and Entertainment, five upcoming films including Phone Bhoot with Katrina https://jiji.ng/ Kaif, Siddhant Chaturvedi, and Ishaan Khatter; Yudra with Chaturvedi and Malavika Mohanan; Fukrey 3 with Pulkit Samrat, Manjot, Varun Sharma, and Richa Chadha; Jee Le Zara with Priyanka Chopra, Katrina Kaif, and Alia Bhatt; and Kho Gaye Hum Kahan with Chaturvedi, Ananya Panday, and Adarsh Gourav

From Yash Raj Films, five upcoming films including Jayeshbhai Jordaar with Ranveer Singh, Prithviraj with Akshay Kumar and Sanjay Dutt, Shamshera with Dutt and Ranbir Kapoor, Tiger 3 with Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif, and Pathaan with Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, and John Abraham

And here’s more about the six new Indian Prime Video movies —

On the Telugu-language Ammu, in an attempt to get her abusive husband suspended from police duty, Ammu does the unthinkable. Aishwarya Lekshmi, Naveen Chandra, and Bobby Simha lead the cast. Charukesh Sekar directs off a screenplay he co-wrote with Padmavathy. Ammu is a production of Stone Bench.

Aye Watan. Mere Watan is inspired by true events. It is the story of young girl who became uniquely instrumental to the freedom fight of Indian independence. Kannan Iyer directs, and Darab Farooqui writes. Aye Watan. Mere Watan is a production of Karan Johar’s Dharmatic Entertainment. No cast has been revealed.

Maja Maa cast
Photo Credit: Amazon

Maja Maa, with Madhuri Dixit Nene, is a warm, funny story set in Baroda (now Vadodara) about a loving mother who unwittingly becomes a hurdle to her son’s marriage plans and contests societal norms. Gajraj Rao, Ritwik Bhowmik, Barkha Singh, Srishti Shrivastava, Sheeba Chaddha, Rajit Kapur, and Simone Singh are part of the cast too. Anand Tiwari is in the director’s chair, while Sumit Batheja handles scripting duties. Amritpal Singh Bindra is the producer. Maja Maa is a production of Leo Media Collective.

In Neeyat, when guests start dropping dead at exiled billionaire Ashish Kapoor’s birthday getaway, detective Mira Rao must unravel devious motives as the suspects are Kapoor’s close friends and family. Vidya Balan, Ram Kapoor, Rahul Bose, Mita Vasishth, Neeraj Kabi, Shahana Goswami, Amrita Puri, Dipannita Sharma, Shashank Arora, Prajakta Koli, and Danish Razvi form the ensemble cast. Anu Menon directs. Menon shares story credits with Advaita Kala and Girvani Dhyani, and screenplay credits with Kala, Dhyani, and Priya Venkataraman. Kausar Munir supplies dialogues. Vikram Malhotra is the producer. Neeyat is a production of Abundantia Entertainment and Amazon Prime Video.

Ram Setu follows Akshay Kumar’s atheist archaeologist turned believer in a race against time to prove the true existence of the legendary Ram Setu before evil forces destroy the pillar of India’s heritage. Jacqueline Fernandez, Nushrratt Bharuccha, and Satyadev Kancharana are also part of the Ram Setu cast. Abhishek Sharma is the writer and director. Dr. Chandraprakash Dwivedi is the creative producer. Aruna Bhatia, Vikram Malhotra, Subaskaran, Mahaveer Jain, and Aashish Singh are producers. Ram Setu is a production of Cape of Good Films, Abundantia Entertainment, Amazon Prime Video, and Lyca.

Tiku Weds Sheru is a roller coaster love story of two survivors who in spite of overwhelming odds have a great zest to live and celebrate life. Lead stars Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Avneet Kaur play the couple. Sai Kabir is the director, and co-writer alongside Amit Tiwari. Tiku Weds Sheru is a production of Kangana Ranaut’s Manikarnika Films.

Why are they still making more Harry Potter? We discuss this on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

Govinda Naam Mera Trailer Sees Vicky Kaushal, Kiara Advani Covering Up a Murder

The story follows a small-time dance choreographer, who turns into a murder suspect when his abusive wife’s antics get too far.

Photo Credit: Disney+ Hotstar

Vicky Kaushal in a still from Govinda Naam Mera

• Shashank Khaitan (Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania) writes and directs the film
• Govinda Naam Mera was initially revealed as part of Prime Video lineup
• The film drops December 16 on Disney+ Hotstar

Vicky Kaushal-led Govinda Naam Mera trailer is out. Disney+ Hotstar dropped a musical trailer for the upcoming tale of a small-time dance choreographer, who turns into a murder suspect when his abusive wife’s antics get too far. Shashank Khaitan, who rose to prominence with Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania, writes and directs the film under Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions banner. Oddly enough, the film was originally marketed as part of Amazon Prime Video’s lineup in April and has now shifted hands to Disney+ Hotstar. Govinda Naam Mera is out December 16 on the platform.

The Govinda Naam Mera trailer opens with our titular character (Kaushal) dreaming of his co-worker/ girlfriend Suku (Kiara Advani), whom he hopes to spend his life with. That fantasy is soon broken, when his wife Gauri (Bhumi Pednekar) kicks him awake to attend to the ringing doorbell, treating him as a loser, of sorts. The already dysfunctional relationship is only worsened when Govinda is introduced to his wife’s unnamed boyfriend, played by Viraj Ghelani (Little Things). Tired of the constant arguments and his hypocrisy when it comes to extramarital affairs, he begs Gauri for a divorce, only to be met with a clap-back response: “You want a divorce, right? Give me Rs. 2 crores and get what you want.” Turns out, Govinda is already deep in debt and on the verge of losing his house.

Midway through the Govinda Naam Mera trailer, our lead snaps and pulls out a gun, with the intent to kill. “Hey Manju, please don’t scream,” she tells the panicking housekeeper. “He doesn’t have the guts to shoot me.” While not explicitly shown, the trailer implies that Govinda was successful in his act, albeit not at the exact moment, causing the housekeeper to inform the local cops. Dayanand Shetty (C.I.D.) plays the senior officer, taking charge of the investigation, and locking up both Govinda and Suku, albeit he’s been unable to locate the body. “Everyone knows about the murder, except for the police,” he speaks directly to the audience. “How sad.”

Production on Govinda Naam Mera began in March 2021, after Kaushal replaced Varun Dhawan (Bhediya) in the Karan Johar-produced film. Filming had to be halted for several weeks in April, when leads Kaushal and Pednekar tested positive for COVID-19. At the time, the film was reportedly titled Mr. Lele.

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Govinda Naam Mera premieres December 16 on Disney+ Hotstar.

Why are they still making more Harry Potter? We discuss this on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.