Best Movies of the New Millennium Streaming Now
By Pickle May 2, 2020
Share:
Aaranya Kaandam (Tamil, 2011)
Genre: Action, Thriller
Director: Thiagarajan Kumararaja
Starring: Jackie Shroff, Ravi Krishna, Sampath Raj, Yasmin Ponnappa, Guru Somasundaram
Streaming on Amazon Prime
An ultra-violent, slow-burning and stylized neo-noir thriller, Aaranya Kaandam marked the debut of director Thiagarajan Kumararaja. Focusing on one day in the North Chennai underworld, it hinges on the desperate bid by an ageing mafia don to regain his lost libido.
High points: Technically brilliant and marked by a keen sense of time and place
Anbe Sivam (Tamil, 2003)
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Director: Sundar C
Starring: Kamal Haasan, Madhavan, Kiran Rathod
Streaming on Amazon Prime
A film that showcases Kamal Haasan’s versatility like few films have done, Anbe Sivam (Love is God) is inspired by the Hollywood hit Planes Trains & Automobiles. But it manages to carve out its own philosophical space, effectively addressing a wide range of themes from workers’ rights to religious faith.
High points: Sharply etched characters, a finely chiseled screenplay and outstanding performances.
Anniyan (Tamil, 2005)
Genre: Mystery, Action
Director: S Shankar
Starring: Vikram, Sadha
Streaming on SunNXT
A magnificently mounted vigilante thriller, Anniyan extends director S Shankar’s pet theme: a one-man crusade against the ills inherent in Indian society and the system’s inability to eliminate them. The protagonist of the film is a consumer rights lawyer who turns into a serial killer to exterminate wrongdoers.
High points: Technical brilliance, a racy narrative and a powerful central performance by actor Vikram.
Asuran (2019), Tamil
Director: Vetrimaaran
Genre: Action, Drama
Starring: Dhanush, Manju Warrier
Streaming on Amazon Prime
The strength of Asuran, starring Dhanush, stems mainly from its Dalit protagonist’s fight against an upper-caste landowner. It is essentially a tale of revenge, but it is placed in the context of the atrocities that the socially marginalised are subjected to.
Baahubali (Telugu/Tamil, 2015)
Genre: Epic, Action
Director: S S Rajamouli
Starring: Prabhas, Rana Daggubati, Tamannaah, Anushka Shetty, Ramya Krishna, Sathyaraj, Nassar
Streaming on Disney+hotstarVIP, Netflix, Sony liv
A VFX-driven fantasy epic set in an ancient fictional kingdom usurped by an evil ruler. The rightful heir wages war against the tyrant to regain control of the throne. A standard tale of valour, betrayal and vendetta enlivened by eye-popping visual flair.
High points: The simplicity and timelessness of its story and its magnificent packaging made possible by the wizardry of the graphic artists.
Bhooter Bhobishyat (Bengali, 2012)
Genre: Comedy
Director: Anik Dutta
Starring: Sabyasachi Chakrabarty, Parambrata Chatterjee, Paran Bandopadhyay, Swastika Mukherjee
Streaming on Disney+hotstar VIP, hoichoi
Bhooter Bhobishay (The Future of the Past), a refreshingly original comedy, is about a group of ghosts who inhabit an abandoned mansion in Kolkata and fight to ward off the designs of a builder who wants to raze the classical structure and build a multi-storied shopping mall in its place.
High points: A lively satire about a metropolis struggling to save its past – a story that could be valid in many other urban pockets of contemporary India.
Bajirao Mastani (Hindi, 2015)
Genre: Epic, Historical romance
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Starring: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Priyanka Chopra
Streaming on EROS NOW, Voot, JioCinema
A historical epic mounted with impressive pizzazz by Bollywood’s high priest of cinematic opulence, Bajirao Mastani takes the audience back to an eventful point in Indian medieval history and narrates the tragic love story of an invincible Maratha warrior and a half-Persian princess.
High points: Outstanding production design, costumes and cinematography make Bajirao Mastani a visual treat.
Chak De India (Hindi, 2007)
Genre: Drama, Sport
Director: Shimit Amin
Starring: Shah Rukh Khan, Vidya Malvade, Shilpa Shukla, Sagarika Ghatge, Chitrashi Rawat
Streaming on Amazon Prime
Shimit Amin’s gripping sports film, starring Shah Rukh Khan as a women’s hockey coach, takes in its sweep a range of themes related to nationhood, sectarian prejudice, parochialism and sexism. It remains one of the more socially relevant dramas to come out of the Yash Raj Films stable.
High points: Superstar Shah Rukh Khan is in fine fettle as are the girls who make up the team that works its way out of a trough.
Dabangg (Hindi, 2010)
Genre: Action, Comedy
Director: Abhinav Kashyap
Starring: Salman Khan, Arbaaz Khan, Sonakshi Sinha, Sonu Sood, Vinod Khanna, Dimple Kapadia
Streaming on Netflix
The action-packed tale of a police officer in small-town Uttar Pradesh who resorts to means fair and foul in order to send criminals packing was a runaway box-office hit. It spawned several imitations, including a far less successful sequel.
High points: Bollywood superstar Salman Khan’s thunderous dialogue delivery and a storyline that promises non-stop thrills.
Dangal (Hindi, 2016)
Genre: Sport
Director: Nitesh Tiwari
Starring: Aamir Khan, Sakshi Tanwar, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Zaira Wasim, Sanya Malhotra
Streaming on Netflix
Dangal, an Aamir Khan starrer inspired by true events, hinges on the exploits of a former wrestler who, as recompense for his own failure to make it to the big league of the sport, coaches his daughters to take on the world. The Haryana-set sports drama raked in big bucks at the domestic box office, it also struck a massive chord in China. Dangal made stars out of three young actresses – Fatima Sana Shaikh, Sanya Malhotra and Zaira Wasim.
Dil Chahta Hai (Hindi, 2001)
Genre: Coming of age, Romantic drama
Director: Farhan Akhtar
Starring: Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Akshaye Khanna, Preity Zinta
Streaming on Amazon Prime, Netflix
The first film written and directed by Farhan Akhtar, the slickly mounted Dil Chahta Hai enjoys cult status among Bollywood fans. The plot revolves around three upper-crust Mumbai friends negotiating a string of emotional crises that severely test their friendship.
High points: Marked by smart writing and littered with witty non sequiturs, the youthful drama is made convincing by a lively cast led by Aamir Khan.
Lagaan (Hindi/English, 2001)
Genre: sport
Director: Ashutosh Gowariker
Starring: Aamir Khan, Gracy Singh, Rachel Shelley, Paul Blackthorne
Streaming on Netflix
This cricket-themed saga set in a drought-hit colonial-era village is about a bunch of ragtag cricketers who take on a strong British team to ward off the tax backlog on their farm produce. Lagaan won an Oscar nomination, losing out narrowly to Danis Tanovic’s No Man’s Land.
High points: Its ambitious canvas is bolstered by deft execution and vivid characters that spring out of the screen.
Kannathil Muthamittal (Tamil, 2002)
Genre: Musical, Drama
Director: Mani Ratnam
Starring: Madhavan, Simran, Baby Keerthana, Nandita Das, Prakash Raj
Streaming on Amazon Prime
Director Mani Ratnam packs great emotional energy and dramatic flourish into Kannathil Muthamittal (A Peck on the Cheek), a film about a nine-year-old girl adopted by a writer and his wife. The child sets out to search for her biological mother, a Tamil militant fighting in the Sri Lankan civil war.
High points: Outstanding cinematography by Ravi K Chandran and a clutch of fine performances by R. Madhavan, Nandita Das and Prakash Raj.
Lage Raho Munnabhai (Hindi, 2006)
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Director: Rajkumar Hirani
Starring: Sanjay Dutt, Arshad Warsi, Vidya Balan, Boman Irani, Dilip Prabhavalkar
Streaming on Amazon Prime, Netflix
A follow-up to Munnabhai MBBS, this one made an even bigger splash. The friendly underworld don imbibes the spirit of Mahatma Gandhi, who reveals himself only to him and gives him tips on life. As a result, the goon goes about using peaceful means to help people solve their problems.
High points: A sequel as good as the original – that is a rarity in cinema history. The Sanjay Dutt-Arshad Warsi duet is fantastic again.
PK (Hindi, 2014)
Genre: Satire, Comedy, Drama
Director: Rajkumar Hirani
Starring: Aamir Khan, Anushka Sharma, Sushant Singh Rajput, Saurabh Shukla, Sanjay Dutt
Streaming on Netflix
As gutsy a mainstream film as any in the history of Hindi cinema, Rajkumar Hirani’s PK is a satirical comedy that questions religious dogmas and blind faith. A humanoid alien lands in India and discovers a society steeped in superstition. The film ruffled many feathers but smashed box office records.
High points: A buoyant star turn by Aamir Khan and an entertaining script co-written by Hirani and Abhijat Joshi.
Queen (Hindi, 2014)
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Director: Vikas Bahl
Starring: Kangana Ranaut, Lisa Haydon, Rajkummar Rao
Streaming on Voot, JioCinima, Sony liv
A girl is dumped by her would-be husband a day before the wedding and she decides to go ahead with the planned honeymoon all by herself. Her ride through Paris and Amsterdam exposes her to the world and new sensations. When she returns home, she is a woman transformed.
High points: Breezy script, steady direction by Vikas Bahl and infectious pivotal performance by Kangana Ranaut.
Sairat (Marathi, 2016)
Genre: Romance , Drama
Director: Nagraj Manjule
Starring: Rinku Rajguru, Akash Thosar
Streaming on Netflix
Fandry director Nagraj Manjule’s second film, Sairat, smashed Marathi cinema box office records. But that isn’t its only claim to fame. The film uses popular love story conventions to narrate the tale of an ill-fated affair that blossoms – and dies – across the caste and class divide in rural Maharashtra. Sairat touched raw nerves because of its searing, unflinching quality.
Paruthiveeran (Tamil, 2007)
Genre: Epic, Drama, Romantic
Director: Ameer Sultan
Starring: Karthi, Priyamani, Saravanan, Ponvannan, Ganja Karuppu
Not available for streaming
Set in a Tamil Nadu village, Paruthiveeran tells the story of a petty criminal’s fraught relationship with an upper-caste girl that ends in tragedy. The material is thin but the treatment more than makes up for what the film lacks in depth and range. Riveting all the way.
High points: Strong lead roles backed by solid storytelling.
Virumaandi (Tamil, 2004)
Genre: Action, Drama
Director: Kamal Haasan
Starring: Kamal Haasan, Abhirami, Pasupathy, Napoleon, Nassar
Not available for streaming
Written, produced, directed by and starring Kamal Haasan, Virumaandi enjoys cult status and has spawned many imitations. The Rashomon-like plot revolves around two prisoners – one serving a life sentence, the other on death row – and unravels the circumstances that have brought them here.
High points: A gripping storyline and strong acting
Highlights
With Film Visa, Global Producers Can Now Shoot in India
www.cinemarket.io – Buy, Sell & Engage
Embracing Cinema Through Screens of all Sizes
Nomadland wins People’s Choice at Toronto
MIPCOM 2020 Goes Entirely Online
South Korea will be MIPCOM 2020 country of honor
India, the Window of Opportunity
Get Ready for Hybrid IFFI
Film Making Centres of India
Get Your Film Take Wings at Virtual Film Bazaar
Make at least Ten co-productions in a year
Filmmakers Should Make use of India-Canada Treaty
TIFF: The Show and Business Goes on
Navigating Toronto Film Festival and Industry
Make in India, Show the World
Be Part of the Pickle India Focused Toronto Edition
ads2OTT set to Launch in Oct 2020
MovieSaints to release Memories of a Forgotten War
Truth Is Dead
Submissions Open For Berlinale Co-Production Market
Gender Equality-Berlinale Eliminates Silver Bear for Best Actor and Best Actress
All3Media, A+E Networks, BBC Studios, ZDF Join MIPCOM 2020 Global UPFRONTS Lineup
NürnbergMesse’s Content India Show from October 29-31
Berlinale 2021 Will be a Physical Festival; EFM in Hybrid Format
Best of 2020: A Dazzling Dozen
Striking the Right Chord
Ishaan Khatter looking ‘beyond clouds’ with promising upcoming projects
IFFI 2020 Adopts Hybrid Online-Physical Edition
India Unbound
20 Films That Make us Believe Freedom is Priceless
Krishna Janmashtami Special
National Education Policy: Game Changer
18 Must-See Films at Venice 2020
Ayushmann Turns Athlete
Indian Trio in Venice
Blockchain: The Future is Now
Not right time to open cinema halls: Ravi Kottarakara
Meet, ERICA. AI Actor in a SCI-FI Film
Vidya Balan Set to Shine as Shakuntala Devi
Straight Answers From Alexander Shulgin
Content is king for Saregama’s Yoodlee
Nuggets From Animation Thought Leaders
NYIFF Takes Virtual Route
From The Heart Of Disney
New Model of Filmmaking in India
My Journey: How I Did It
Animation in the Age of Art & Tech
Gaurav Banerjee: Star Unveiled
FDI cap of 26% for News Aggregators Under Consideration
The Changemaker
COVID-19 has Accelerated Digital Shift Towards Across Sectors
No Business as Usual for Film Industry
What’s Wrong With our News Media Today ?
The Fire Inside Regina
Gaming Industry Braves Covid
Disney +Hotstar Leads the Disruption
Taapsee’s takes on OTT, Nepotism & Covid
Oscar Invites QUBE’s Senthil Kumar to be its Member at Large
What’s New Search Engine Neeva Can Do That Google Cannot?
The New Oscar Award Date April 25, 2021
India to Offer Incentive Package for Film Shoots and Co-Production
Strings of Genius
A Ray That Still Lights The Way
Best of the Cannes Official Selection 2020 Films
Most Awaited Films of India
56 Films: Cannes Reveals 2020 Lineup
The Making of Cannes 2020 Film Selection Process
Cannes Virtual Film Market Extends Earlybird Registration to June 12
Take a Look at Annecy Competition Lineup
Getting Back to Business, Reveals Media Consumption Pattern
Cannes 2020 to Announce Festival Selection Lineup on June 3
20 Work in Progress Tiltles Unveiled for Goes to Cannes
Annecy VR Works Selections for Digital MIFA Market
Film Bazaar’s Work in Progress Films from India Goes to Cannes Virtual Market
Navigating Virtual Cannes Film Market 2020
Meet the Streamers: HBO Max & Quibi Keynotes at Cannes Virtual Film Market
Dedicated Cannes XR Virtual Edition from June 24-26
Screen Moms; Best Movies to Stream on Mother’s Day
Vijay Deverakonda: The Lovable ‘Rowdy’
Sai Pallavi: Natural Beauty is a Natural Actor Too
Cannes Virtual Film Market Registration Opens May 13
COVID-19: Nuggets from Netflix’s Ted Sarandos on Filming and Safety Protocols
Maitreyi Ramakrishnan is New Sensation in Netflix Original Series Never Have I Ever
The Best Movies of 2001-2019 Not Streaming in OTT Platforms
Best Movies of the New Millennium Streaming Now
Best Movies of the New Millennium Streaming Now
Best Movies of the New Millennium Streaming Now
Best Movies of the New Millennium Streaming Now
Best Movies of the New Millennium Streaming Now
Annecy Unveils Virtual Film Festival and Market in June
Roskino to Host Russian Virtual Digital Content Market from June 8
27 Rishi Kapoor Films to Stream at Home Now
Virtual Nab Show Express will Take Place May 13-14, 2020
51 International Film Festival of India, Goa ( 20 -28 November, 2020)
Films to Watch in 2020
Christopher Nolan Films Tenet in Mumbai
A Call From Uttarakhand For Filmmakers Of The World
FFO Rolls Out Red Carpet For Foreign Filmmakers
INDIA@BERLINALE-Indian Cinema’s Voices Emerging
51st IFFI TO Mark Satyajit Ray’s Centenary Celebrations
Sailing well in Animation Waters
Infusing Life With Dubbing AT VR Films & Studios
Berlinale 2020: India’s Laila Aur Satt Geet Selected for ‘Encounters’ Section
Prateek Vats’ Eeb Allay Ooo! in Berlinale Panaroma
Berlinale Shorts: Ekta Mittal’s ‘Gumnaam Din’ to showcase of pain of separation
Berlinale Talents: Seven Indians Make It to the List
My Salinger Year is the Opening Film at 70th Berlinale
GET READY for EUROPEAN FILM MARKET 2020
BERLIN FILM FESTIVAL 2019 WINNERS
Berlinale Forum Celebrates Golden Jubilee in 2020
Berlinale 2020 Poster Unveiled
British Actor Jeremy Irons Will Be the Jury President of Berlinale 2020
Amit Khanna: The Renaissance Man
Fantastic Friend
THE MEDIA GURU-AMIT KHANNA
STRAIGHT ANSWERS FROM AMIT KHANNA
THE DEFINING DECADE -THE 1990s
10 Achievements of Amit Khanna
Reflections on Amit Khanna
Valuable Moments
India Enchants John Bailey
The Big Bachchan of Bollywood
ETERNAL SUPERSTAR: RAJINIKANTH
IFFI 50 & Fantastic-Lifetime Achievement Award to Isabelle Huppert
INDIA’S FLAGSHIP FILM FESTIVAL TURNS 50
BACK IN BUSINESS WITH A BANG
GET THE BEST OUT OF FILM BAZAAR 2019
Transforming Hollywood from pixels to voxels
Government of India committed to Safeguard IP content: Commerce Secretary
Must do Things at AFM
Why India Attracts Foreign Filmmakers
Architect of AMAZEMENT
Pickle at MIPCOM 2019
INDIAN COMPANIES AT MIPCOM
Super Audio: Licensed to Thrill
Jungle Book Season 3 Ready
Issuance of VPL in India
Editor’s Note: 44th Toronto International Film Festival Pickle Sept 2019 Edition
The OSCAR RACE begins HERE…
Seven Indian Indie Filmmakers To Watch
Indian Cinema Of Today: A Culturally Responsive Artifact
Indie Resurgence
Indian Films At Toronto a Sparkling Quartet
IFFI Matters @ 50
Four Indian Films at the Toronto International Film Festival 2019
India Pavilion at Toronto International Film Market 2019
Made in Afghan Film ‘Hava, Maryam, Ayesha’ To Compete at Venice Festival
Keerthy Suresh: The Mahanati of Mahanati. Best Actress, National Film Award
Uttarakhand Bags National Award for Most Film Friendly State
66th National Film Awards Winners for 2018
Watan Adds Colour to Indian Independence Day
dream hampton and Brie Miranda Bryant to Feature in MIPCOM’S Women in Global Entertainment Lunch 2019
Making a Song and Dance of it
NFDC Invites Applications for Production of Films in Indian Languages; Deadline September 8, 2019
IFFI Calls for Entry for Indian Panorama in 50th Edition
Ease of Filming in India
Come, Film In Inida
Why TikTok wants to invest $1 billion in India?
Priyanka Chopra’s The Sky is Pink Set to Premiere in 2019 Toronto Internaitonal Film Festival’s Gala Section
Gitanjali Rao’s Animation Feature Bombay Rose to open Critics’ Week at Venice International Film Festival
76th Venice International Film Festival to Open With Hirokazu Kore-eda’s ‘The Truth’
Indian Cinema’s Soft Power Misses the Mark in Nirmala Sitharaman’s Maiden Budget Speech
Shahid’s Kabir Singh Becomes Top-Grossing Film of 2019
Finance Minister Proposes FDI Norm Relaxation in Media
Media & Entrtainment as Champion Sector Figures in the Economic Survey 2018-19
Indian Cinema’s Steady Rise on Global Stage
Glimpses of the future
IFFI Marching Towards 50th Edition
Cannes or Netflix? Is Netflix an acceptable remediation for Cannes’ decades-long little regard for Indian Cinema?
Play Small & Live Long Did Wonders for Me
Reimagined TIFF With Social Distanced Screenings
IFFI Golden Jubilee Edition
Shooting Locales in India – Karnataka
India-United Kingdom Audio Visual Agreement
Cannes: A Day Dedicated to Animation
Pickle August 3-9 New Education Policy Issue
