Friday, 30 October, brings a strong set of Indian releases, from a gangster series led by two of the country’s most watched actors to a quiet, award-winning film about growing old in the hills. Here are three worth making time for this week.
Akka (Netflix)
Keerthy Suresh and Radhika Apte lead this series from YRF Entertainment, the streaming arm of Yash Raj Films. Set in the 1980s in Pernuru, an imagined South Indian city ruled and protected by generations of women, it follows two gangster queens, Bhavani and Rudra, whose sisterhood controls the city’s underworld until a mysterious outsider arrives and threatens their hold. It is written and directed by debutant Dharmaraj Shetty, and the supporting cast includes Poornima Indrajith and Vishak Nair.
Watch it if you like crime dramas with big performances and a world that feels built from the ground up.
Meethe Mein Kya Hai (Netflix)
A gentler option for the festive season. This slice-of-life drama from first-time director Radhika Bansal follows a large, opinionated family that gathers in Lucknow for Diwali at the grandmother’s home, with old tensions between generations and an outsider joining in. Rohini Hattangadi, Ritwik Bhowmik and Ayesha Raza Mishra star.
Watch it if you want something warm to put on with family in the run-up to Diwali.
Pyre (in theatres)
Vinod Kapri’s film follows an elderly couple in a remote village in Uttarakhand’s Kumaon region, coping with isolation and the everyday hardships of age while their son has been gone for 28 years. It looks at how migration to cities empties out rural homes, but with gentle humour as well as sadness. The film won the audience award for best film at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival and has travelled widely on the festival circuit. It is releasing in Hindi and Malayalam.
Watch it if you enjoy slow, observant cinema, and want to support an independent Indian film on the big screen.
Make the week count
If you are planning a family viewing night, our guide to home lighting can help you set up a comfortable room for the evening. And if you would rather read than stream, our weekly lifestyle roundup has book festivals and a literary shortlist to follow.