Weekend Binge: 5 Fresh OTT Releases You Can Watch If You Love Quality Content

New OTT releases: Watching movies and web series on OTT platforms, when going to the theatres is not an option, has been a great relief. Seeing women in prominent roles in so many OTT releases is what I love the most about this medium. We may continue to complain of their under representation in the mainstream cinema but with OTT we can see an evolution in the characters they get to portray.

As we wait for more stories with strong women to emerge, here's suggesting a few fresh OTT releases you can watch this weekend to unwind.

Five fresh OTT releases to binge watch this weekend

1. Navarasa (Netflix)

Releasing on Aug 6, Navarasa is a Tamil anthology all set to bring to us nine stories portraying nine different emotions. These include anger, compassion, courage, disgust, fear, laughter, love, peace and wonder. It stars some of the most prominent actors from the South, namely Suriya, Prayaga Martin, Revathi, Siddharth, Parvathy Thiruvothu, Pavel Navageethan, Rajesh Balachandran, Sree Raam, Prakash Raj, Aishwarya Rajesh, Aditi Balan, Riythvika and Bobby Simha. The series is a must watch as it aims to raise funds for people in the Tamil film industry going through a tough time during the pandemic.

2. Dial 100 (Zee 5)

Featuring Neena Gupta, Sakshi Tanwar and Manoj Bajpayee in the lead roles, this crime thriller will be relasing on Aug 6 as well. The trailer of the film introduces us to a woman ready to take her revenge for the loss of her son and a police officer trying to stop her. Makers describe the movie as "One life-changing night. One threatening call. A race against time. Will Officer Nikhil be able to stop the mysterious caller before it's too late?"

3. Ek Duaa (Voot)

Dealing with the issue of female foeticide, this short film spans over 45 minutes. It narrates the stark gender-based stigmas that still hold value  in conservative Indian families. With an unexpected plot twist at the end, Ek Duaa keeps us wondering if it is ever possible for a mother to bear the loss of her unborn child.

4. Lihaaf  (Voot)

Ismat Chughtai's 1942 short story Lihaaf courted controversy because of it's bold content. This movie is based on both the story as well as the public outrage it drew. It tells us how 20th century women were expected to "keep a check" on their pen. Themes like sex and sexuality weren't so easy for them to explore as it was for men. Chughtai was way ahead of her time in terms of shattering the stereotype of a heteronormative society. This is exactly what the movie beautifully depicts.

5. Cooking with Paris

In search of mindless entertainment that borders on indulgent? Then look no further. Starring Paris Hilton, the show attempts to cash on the reality star's image. It is the show for you, if you plan on zoning out in front of your smartphone on a Sunday afternoon.