From historical fiction, edge-of-the-seat thrillers, sports dramas, social comedy and romcoms, Indian films this April have it all. Check out what we’ll be watching.
DASVI (Jio Cinema, Netflix)
Abhishek Bachchan is back, this time in raw and rustic jaat avatar: an anpadh, corrupt and dil se desi politician. As Chief Minister, he finds a new challenge while in prison: to become a ‘dasvi pass’. Meanwhile his fiesty wife (Nimrat Kaur) gains a taste for her hubby’s beloved kursi. Yami Gautam also stars, as a dhaakad IPS officer. Social comedy, they’re calling it.
Lookout for a 7 April release.
RUNWAY 34 (Theatre release)
Ajay Devgn juggles three different roles here – lead actor, director and producer – in this film inspired by true incidents. Amitabh Bachchan, Rakul Preet Singh, Angira Dhar and Aakanksha Singh star. The film’s trailer has strong influences of Clint Eastwood’s 2016 biographical drama Sully in which Tom Hanks played the character of Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger. Runway 34 has an Eid release on 29 April. That’s right, we don’t have a Salman Khan release this Eid.
KGF CHAPTER 2 (Theatre release)
This historical action drama in Kannada is set in the Kolar Gold Fields. At the centre of it is the character Raja Krishnappa Bairya, aka Rocky, an anti-villain of sorts. Fighting for the impoverished and against injustice despite a criminal record, he is seen as saviour by many, but the government sees him as a threat to law and order. And of course there are plenty of enemies he has to contend with. Written and directed by Prashanth Neel the film stars Yash, Sanjay Dutt, Srinidhi Shetty, Raveena Tandon and Prakash Raj. Telugu, Hindi, Tamil and Malayalam versions are also available.
Scheduled for a 14 April release.
BEAST (Theatre release)
This black comedy action-thriller film in Tamil gives us insights into gold trafficking. Thalapathy Vijay and Pooja Hegde star, alongside Aparna Das, Shine Tom Chacko and Yogi Babu. Nelson Dilipkumar writes and directs. According to sources, a major portion of Beast takes place inside a shopping mall supposedly hijacked by terrorists. A giant shopping mall set was created by the filmmakers to look like a leading Chennai mall.
Beast releases on 13 April.
HEROPANTI 2 (Theatre release)
The Indian government sends its most ruthless mercenary to fight Russian troops. Can only happen in Bollywood, right? Well, um, it does, in Heropanti 2, starring up and coming action star Tiger Shroff. (Somewhat different, you can say, to the successful 2014 romantic action film Heropanti which saw Tiger in his debut role opposite Kriti Sanon.) Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Tara Sutaria also star in this high voltage tale of action. Plenty of interest already for Nawazuddin here in his role as maniacal villain.
Eid release for this one too on 29 April.
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JERSEY (Theatre release)
A cricket has-been attempts to revive his career, at age 36, for the sake of his son. Jersey, starring Shahid Kapoor, is a remake of a Telugu film of the same name. Shahid’s dad Pankaj Kapur plays his coach and mentor. Directed by Gowtham Tinnanuri, who also directed the original, this film has faced multiple COVID-related glitches for release.
Check it out now on 14 April.
COBALT BLUE (Netflix)
Prateik Babbar plays an enigmatic stranger who takes up a paying guest room in a traditional Malayali family’s house. Things get complicated when his charms appeal to both the son, a calm and collected youth played by Neeley Mehendale, and the daughter, a free-spirited sportsperson played by Anjali Sivaraman. The ensuing events shatter the family. Cobalt Blue is based on a novel by Sachin Kundalkar, set in a Marathi family.
The film released on 2 April.
FATEH (Theatre release)
Sonu Sood stars as the lead in this upcoming film directed by Abhinandan Gupta.
The story, apparently inspired by real life events, is described as “one man’s war against India’s hidden enemy,” and promises high-octane action sequences at its core.
The film hits the screens on 8 April.
GHANI (Theatre release)
The Telugu language sports drama features Varun Tej in the role of a professional boxer. The film, written and directed by Kiran Korrapati, also stars Upendra, Suniel Shetty, and Saiee Manjrekar.
After multiple postponements Ghani will hit the screens on 8 April.
KAATHUVAAKULA RENDU KAADHAL (Theatre release)
The Tamil language rom-com stars Vijay Sethupathi as Rambo (short for Ranjankudi Anbarasu Murugesa Boopathy Ohoondhiran), who is having it off with two beautiful ladies Kanmani (Nayanthara) and Khatija (Samantha Ruth Prabhu) at the same time. He convinces them of a three-way relationship, and things go well – but not for long.
The film releases on 28 April.
MISS RANU MARIA
Ranu Mondal became an overnight sensation when she was picked off a West Bengal railway station platform where she sat singing, and placed in Mumbai’s thriving entertainment industry. A viral sensation, she got on to television talk shows, and even recorded for Bollywood musician Himeesh Reshammiya. Miss Ranu Maria is her story. It stars Eshika Dey in the lead, directed by Bengali filmmaker Hrishikesh Mondal.
See the film starting 10 April.
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