Friday, September 25 brings a mixed bag of new Tamil and Telugu titles to streaming. There's a period romance, a spooky forest mystery, a sports drama and a fantasy comedy, so whether you want a good cry, a few chills or a laugh, one of these should suit. Here's what's worth queuing up.
Director: Meera Kathiravan
Cast: Esha M, Malavika Manoj, Kasthuri Raja, Dhanashree Sudhakaran
This slow-moving romantic drama centres on Abuthahir, a young man in love with his cousin, and is set in a handloom weaving community close to Tirunelveli in the 1980s. The community and their families are obstacles. The story has a nostalgic quality thanks to letters, audio cassettes, and the dying art of handloom weaving.
Director: MS Raju
Cast: Kamakshi Bhaskarla, Shravan Reddy, Ulka Gupta, Roshan Basheer
Kamakshi Bhaskarla plays Mahadevi, a spiritually gifted exorcist who returns to her ancestral home after her cousin's mysterious death. Her hunt for answers takes her to a forbidden forest cave, a twelve-handed idol and a secretive cult.
Director: Ashraf Ali
Cast: Ashraf Ali, Janani Samathanam, Karunakaran, Devi Mahesh, Aadukalam Naren, Nizhalgal Ravi
Veera is an ambitious young man with OCD. He enters the dangerous Mathikettan Solai reserve forest to photograph a rare natural phenomenon, gets lost and starts hallucinating. He also stumbles on illegal cultivators, which sets off a tense rescue mission led by a Forest Ranger.
Director: Thenpathiyan
Cast: Kotapadi J Rajesh, Sindhoori Vishwanath, Viji Venkatesh, Mansoor Ali Khan, Rama Rajendar
Aathiran Banumathi is a 200-metre sprinter who rises from a Chennai slum and earns a place at the Commonwealth Games. Then his name vanishes from the roster. Instead of accepting it, he takes on the system to win back his spot.
Director: Chandra Mohan Chintada
Cast: Allari Naresh, Surbhi, Rashi Singh, Vishnu Priya Bhimeneni, Prisha Singh
Suri is a carefree aspiring actor who runs a local drama troupe and leans on his hardworking mother. His uncle tells him about an ancient magical book that can summon the celestial nymphs Rambha, Urvashi and Menaka. When his mother needs expensive surgery, Suri finally succeeds in summoning them. The nymphs know nothing about the modern world, and chaos follows. Suri has to set his movie-hero dreams aside and face reality.