Netflix took a step toward diversifying its Original Indian content — most of which is in Hindi — with the release of a collection of short films in Tamil. And comedian Vir Das got his second Original stand-up special of the year, this one filmed entirely during the quarantine. Here are all of the new Indian movies and TV series added to Netflix in December 2020.
Want to see what’s coming up in 2021 on the Indian Netflix Original front? Don’t miss our big preview we’ve put together including all the announced and expected 2021 Indian Netflix Original releases.
N = Netflix Original
New Indian Movies on Netflix: December 2020
Torbaaz (2020)
Language: Hindi
Runtime: 133 Minutes
Director: Girish Malik
Cast: Sanjay Dutt, Nargis Fakhri, Rahul Dev
Genre: Drama, Sports | Added to Netflix: December 11
Sanjay Dutt plays a grieving husband and father who tries to overcome his loss by training children at a refugee camp in Afghanistan to play cricket. But a local warlord wants to use the same children as suicide bombers to attack occupying forces from the West. Torbaaz was originally scheduled to release theatrically before Netflix picked it up.
Vir Das: Outside In – The Lockdown Special (2020) N
Language: English
Runtime: 50 Minutes
Director: Vir Das
Cast: Vir Das
Genre: Standup Comedy | Added to Netflix: December 16
When the pandemic shuttered live performance venues, Vir Das began hosting charity comedy shows on Zoom. Those Zoom shows, plus footage Das recorded of himself in his apartment, make up Outside In – The Lockdown Special. It’s unique for a stand-up special in that it’s just Das interacting with a couple dozen viewers at a time. He roasts one youthful fan for looking “like you just finished the last page of The Deathly Hallows” and tries to give another tech support when the guy can’t figure out how to turn on his camera. It’s heartfelt and funny.
AK vs AK (2020) N
Language: Hindi
Runtime: 109 Minutes
Director: Vikramaditya Motwane
Cast: Anil Kapoor, Anurag Kashyap, Sonam Kapoor
Genre: Dark Comedy | Added to Netflix: December 24
Director Anurag Kashyap and superstar actor Anil Kapoor play twisted versions of themselves in the faux-documentary black comedy AK vs AK. Nursing a decade-old grudge against Anil for turning down a film project, Anurag aims to capture Anil’s most authentic performance ever — by kidnapping Anil’s daughter Sonam and recording the father’s frantic search. It helps to be a Bollywood fan in order to appreciate some of industry references and recognize actual members of Anil’s family playing themselves (his son Harsh is hysterical in the film). But it’s an interesting premise that’s cleverly shot, so even outsiders should find something to enjoy.
Apaharan (2005)
Language: Hindi
Runtime: 161 Minutes
Director: Prakash Jha
Cast: Ajay Devgn, Bipasha Basu, Nana Patekar
Genre: Crime Thriller | Added to Netflix: December 30
Apaharan examines the intersection of politics and the criminal underworld in the state of Bihar. Ajay Devgn plays a young man who fails to live up to his activist father’s ideals, and instead finds himself drawn into a web of crime and murder.
Bluffmaster (2005)
Language: Hindi
Runtime: 128 Minutes
Director: Rohan Sippy
Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra, Riteish Deshmukh
Genre: Crime Comedy | Added to Netflix: December 30
A conman’s life falls apart when his fiancée learns the truth about his profession. When he’s diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor, the conman decides to use his skills for good, helping a young man recover money that was swindled from his family. Bluffmaster is a remake of the 2000 Argentinian film Nine Queens.
Bobby Jasoos (2014)
Language: Hindi
Runtime: 116 Minutes
Director: Samar Shaikh
Cast: Vidya Balan, Ali Fazal, Supriya Pathak
Genre: Comedy, Family Drama | Added to Netflix: December 30
30-year-old Bobby (Vidya Balan) wants nothing more than to be a detective, despite her conservative father’s objections. When a rich man hires Bobby to track down a young woman with a distinctive birthmark, Bobby jumps at the chance to prove herself. The film’s love story is cute, but the real treat is watching Bobby don various funny disguises as she works her case.
Gangaajal (2003)
Language: Hindi
Runtime: 148 Minutes
Director: Prakash Jha
Cast: Ajay Devgn, Gracy Singh, Mohan Agashe
Genre: Crime Drama | Added to Netflix: December 30
A determined police officer is posted to a small town known for its high crime rate. The town is under the sway of a brutal don, whose cruelty inspires similarly gruesome retribution by the newly emboldened police force. The “holy water” referred to by the title is a local euphemism for acid that’s poured into the eyes of anyone who defies the police.
New Indian TV Series on Netflix: December 2020
Bhaag Beanie Bhaag (2020) N
Language: Hindi & English
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 6
Cast: Swara Bhaskar, Dolly Singh, Ravi Patel
Genre: Romantic Comedy | Added to Netflix: December 4
Swara Bhaskar plays Beanie: a bride who runs away from her own wedding, veering off the predictable path to pursue her dream of becoming a stand-up comic. American comedian and actor Ravi Patel from the hilarious documentary Meet the Patels created and co-stars in Bhaag Beanie Bhaag, which was titled Messy in some of Netflix’s early promotions for the show.
Paava Kadhaigal (2020) N
Language: Tamil
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 4
Directors: Sudha Kongara, Vignesh Shivan, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Vetrimaaran
Cast: Prakash Raj, Anjali, Kalki Koechlin, Simran
Genre: Drama | Added to Netflix: December 18
Paava Kadhaigal was promoted as an omnibus movie and even opens with a graphic that reads “A Netflix Original Film,” but the service ultimately released the anthology as four stand-alone episodes. The heart-wrenching and sometimes violent short films explore romantic love and the disproportionate burden placed on women and LGBTQ people to uphold family honor.
Which of the newly added Indian movies will you be watching? Let us know in the comments
