Coolie No 1, Durgavati, Chhalaang among 9 films to premiere on Amazon Prime Video

Even as theatres are slowly reopening to 50% capacity, the rush to release films on OTT platforms continues. Amazon Prime has announced a slate of nine major releases, including star vehicles such as Coolie No 1, Durgavati, and Chhalang. The production houses of the films confirmed the development with new posters announcing their release dates. 

Coolie No 1, a remake of the 1995 film of the same name, features Sara Ali Khan and Varun Dhawan. The makers have released a new poster of the film depicting Dhawan in the now-familiar coolie uniform announcing the new release date, Christmas 2020. The film was initially scheduled for a release in May 2020. 

Durgavati, a remake of the Telugu film, Bhaagamathie (2018), features Bhumi Pednekar. The supernatural thriller will premiere on the OTT platform on 11 December. The newly released poster sees Pednekar's character kneeling in front of an mysterious ancient door. The film is being produced by Abundantia Entertainment and presented by Akshay Kumar's Cape of Good Films and Bhushan Kumar's T-Series. 

Hansal Mehta's Chhalaang featuring Rajkummar Rao and Nushrat Bharucha revolves around the tale of a physical education teacher trying to build a sports team. The film has already been delayed multiple times. It was initially scheduled for a January release before being pushed to 13 March, and later 12 June. The pandemic and the lockdowns ensured that this schedule could not be adhered to. The makers have now eschewed a theatrical release completely for a direct OTT release on Amazon Prime on 13 November. 

In addition to these three Hindi releases, the platform will also stream the Suriya-starrer Soorarai Pottru and R Madhavan-led Maara; Kannada films Bheema Sena Nalamaharaja and Manne Number 13; and Telugu film Middle-Class Melodies. The Malayalam film Halal Love Story will be released on the platform on 15 October.