Mani Ratnam fans had a lot to celebrate this month, with the addition of two of the lauded filmmaker’s movies to the catalog and the debut of Navarasa, an Original anthology series Ratnam produced. 18 Hindi titles from Balaji Motion Pictures also returned to Netflix. Here are all of the new Indian movies and TV series added to Netflix in August 2021.
N = Netflix Original
New Indian Movies on Netflix: August 2021
Chennai Express (2013)
Language: Hindi
Runtime: 134 Minutes
Director: Rohit Shetty
Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, Nikitin Dheer
Genre: Romantic Comedy | Added to Netflix: August 5
Mumbai bachelor Rahul reluctantly heads south to disperse his grandfather’s ashes in his native Tamil Nadu. While on the train, Rahul meets a beautiful damsel in distress and resolves to help her, despite their language differences (he speaks Hindi and she speaks Tamil). As one might expect from a movie by director Rohit Shetty, Chennai Express has fight scenes, explosions, and a car chase. It’s not the best of the three films co-starring Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone — that would be Om Shanti Om, also on Netflix — but the scenery is lovely and the dance numbers are impressive in scale.
Bombay (1995)
Language: Tamil
Runtime: 134 Minutes
Director: Mani Ratnam
Cast: Manisha Koirala, Arvind Swamy, Nassar
Genre: Romantic Drama | Added to Netflix: August 16
Over the objections of their families, a Muslim woman and a Hindu man elope to Bombay and start a family of their own. The couple’s happy life and potential reunion with their estranged parents is shattered when sectarian violence engulfs the city. Director Mani Ratnam’s story is based on the riots in Mumbai (formerly Bombay) that erupted after the Babri Mosque was demolished in 1992. Bombay is the second film in Ratnam’s trilogy about the impact of India’s political climate on personal relationships. The first film in the trilogy — Roja — isn’t available on Netflix, but the third film — the excellent romantic thriller Dil Se.. — is.
O Kadhal Kanmani (2015)
Language: Tamil
Runtime: 133 Minutes
Director: Mani Ratnam
Cast: Dulquer Salmaan, Nithya Menon, Prakash Raj
Genre: Romantic Drama | Added to Netflix: August 16
Two commitment-phobes fall for each other, relieved by the knowledge that their relationship can’t last; she’s heading to Paris to continue her studies, and he wants to work in the US. But the more time they spend with each other and with a loving older couple they befriend, the more they begin to realize that marriage might not be so terrible after all.
Boomika (2021)
Languages: Tamil, Hindi, Malayalam, & Telugu
Runtime: 122 Minutes
Director: Rathindran R Prasad
Cast: Aishwarya Rajesh, Vidhu, Surya Ganapathy
Genre: Horror | Added to Netflix: August 22
In a place of unspoiled natural beauty, a group of people visit an abandoned school to formulate a plan for its renovation. But before construction can begin, the group is terrorized by supernatural events. Is the school haunted by a ghost, or is nature trying to protect itself?
Boomika is available in four different languages: the original Tamil, plus dubs in Hindi, Telugu, and Malayalam.
Balaji Motion Pictures Returning Titles
Language: Hindi
Genres: Various | Added to Netflix: August 26
Eighteen movies from Balaji Motion Pictures are back after having left Netflix in November, 2020. The collection is a mix of comedy, horror, action, and drama. One film worth checking out is the semi-biographical movie The Dirty Picture, starring the great Vidya Balan as racy 1980s South Indian screen star Silk Smitha.
- C Kkompany (2008)
- EMI: Liya Hai To Chukana Padega (2008)
- Koi Aap Sa (2008)
- Koi Aap Sa (2006)
- Krishna Cottage (2004)
- Kucch To Hai (2003)
- Kyaa Kool Hai Hum (2005)
- Kyaa Kool Hain Hum 3 (2016)
- Kyaa Super Kool Hain Hum (2012)
- Kyo Kii… Main Jhuth Nahin Bolta (2001)
- LSD: Love, Sex Aur Dhokha (2010)
- Mission Istanbul: Darr Ke Aagey Jeet Hai (2008)
- Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai (2010)
- Once Upon a Time in Mumbai Dobaara! (2013)
- Ragini MMS (2011)
- Ragini MMS 2 (2014)
- Shootout at Lokhandwala (2007)
- Shor in the City (2011)
- The Dirty Picture (2011)
Thimmarusu (2021)
Language: Telugu
Runtime: 124 Minutes
Director: Sharan Koppisetty
Cast: Satya Dev, Priyanka Jawalkar, Brahmaji
Genre: Courtroom Drama, Crime Thriller | Added to Netflix: August 27
A brash rookie lawyer named Ram (Satya Dev) stumbles upon an old case in which an innocent bartender was framed for the murder of a cab driver. Reopening the case puts Ram in danger from those who want to keep the true killer’s identity hidden. Thimmarusu is a remake of a Kannada film which is itself a remake of the Korean movie New Trial.
New Indian TV Series on Netflix: August 2021
Mighty Raju (2014)
Language: Hindi
Seasons: 3
Episodes: 78
Cast: Julie Tejwani, Sabina Malik, Jigna Bhardwaj
Genre: Kids, Animation | Added to Netflix: August 5
Mighty Raju — a spin-off of the Chhota Bheem series — follows 4-year-old superhero Raju as he saves the day with his super-strength and smarts. Three seasons of Mighty Raju were added over the course of the month, starting with Seasons 2 and 3 on August 5 and Season 4 on August 19. Season 5 joins Netflix on September 9.
Navarasa (2021) N
Language: Tamil
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 9
Cast: Suriya, Vijay Sethupathi, Revathy
Genre: Drama, Anthology | Added to Netflix: August 6
The anthology series Navarasa is the first web series from Mani Ratnam’s production house Madras Talkies. Each of the nine episodes addresses a different emotion, from fear to compassion to wonder. Every episode has a different cast and director (unfortunately, Ratnam himself does not direct an episode). Everyone who worked on the series — which was filmed in late 2020 — did so for free, with all proceeds going to the Film Employees Federation of South India to help workers whose incomes were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Comedy Premium League (2021) N
Language: Hindi
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 6
Cast: Prajakta Koli, Amit Tandon, Kenny Sebastian
Genre: Comedy, Reality Competition | Added to Netflix: August 20
Over the course of six episodes, four teams of comedians battle each other with wits and skits to take home the Comedy Premium League grand prize. The comedy competition is filmed in front of a live audience (wearing masks), who rate the teams and award points. (The format bears a resemblance to South Korea’s Comedy Big League but is not an official reboot.) Competitors Amit Tandon and Kenny Sebastian also have their own Netflix stand-up specials.
Kota Factory (2021)
Language: Hindi
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 5
Cast: Mayur More, Jitendra Kumar, Ranjan Raj
Genre: Comedy, Drama | Added to Netflix: August 27
An aspiring engineering student struggles to find his way in Kota, a city famous for its academic coaching centers. Netflix picked up this black-and-white web series with the intention of producing a second season. Catch up with Season 1 before Kota Factory Season 2 premieres on Netflix on September 24.
Which of the newly added Indian movies will you be watching? Let us know in the comments below!
