Amazon Prime has become the biggest source of entertainment these days. With the lockdown in force across the country, more people are watching films on digital platforms to kill time. Of all the digital platforms available in India, Amazon Prime has more Indian films compared to the others. The digital platform has a variety of films of different languages in its library. Many Kannada films have also been released on this platform for a couple of years. Big “star films” like “KGF” and “Yajamana” are some of the most viewed Kannada films on Amazon Prime.
2020 has been a good year for the Sandalwood film industry as many films were released in just two months. While some ended up becoming a hit at the box office, others only received critical acclaim.
Here are the 5 most recent Kannada films which Newskarnataka.com recommends for you to watch on Amazon Prime:
5. India vs England: The film, which was touted to be a comeback for popular director Nagathihalli Chandrashekar, was released in January this year. Nagathihalli Chandrashekar was known for having made classic films in the 90s and early 2000s. However, over the past few years, he has not been able to make any groundbreaking films and has not been able to update himself according to the new audience. While the premise of India Vs England is very encouraging, Chandrashehar has not executed it properly although, it does have its moments. A thriller which deals with a gem, the film stars Vasishtha Simha and Manvitha Kamath in the lead. It is a sure one-time watch for the legendary Anant Nag.
4. Malgudi Days: When the title of this film was announced, many opposed it as it was same name as the 1980s classic TV series directed by our legendary Shankarnag. However, once you watch the film, you feel that the title is apt. Even though the movie is nowhere close to the TV series in terms of quality, it can be watched once for Vijay Raghavendra and the flashback portions shot in the school. The film has its own interesting elements. It is about the journey of two people, a young girl and an acclaimed writer who has retired. The flashback portions, which are shot in the imaginary town of Malgudi, are the highlight of the film. Vijay Raghavendra has shown through this film, why he won the National Award at such a young age. He brings to life his character of Kannada writer Lakshmi Narayana Malgudi. The film could have used a little more trimming. One of the negatives of the film is that the climax does not have a lasting impact on the audience. Even though it is not a perfect film, it can be watched at least once, as it will surely give you a nostalgic feeling.
3. Mayabazaar 2016: Puneeth Rajkumar is a brand by himself in Sandalwood and is known for being a trend-setter. When he debuted as a child artist, he played many roles and also ended up winning a National Award. After he grew up, he debuted as a lead actor in “Appu”. The rest, as they say, is history. In his nearly two-decade career, he has been consistent in making back-to-back hits. His first 16 films ran for 100 days, an achievement which no actor in India over that last few years can boast about. Last year, he launched his own production house PRK Productions, through wich he decided to produce content-oriented films. Here again, he started with a bang with “Kavaludaari”, which was a big hit.
His second production, “Mayabazaar 2016” released on February 28. Even though the release date was not favourable, as the state went under lockdown almost a month later, it earned a hit status due to an excellent first week. The film is about three people played by Achyuth Kumar, Raj Shetty and Vasishtha Simha, who decide to earn money through immoral means during demonetization. All have their own reasons for it. Adding to their problem is a character played by our talented Prakash Rai, who also entertains us in the film quite a bit. The film is a comedy-thriller with a very good message. Whatever happens, do not miss the first 10 minutes and last 10 minutes of this film.
2. Love Mocktail: Directed by Krishna, this film is the biggest hit of 2020 so far. Made on a tight budget, it starred Krishna and Milana Nagaraj as the leads. Many films of this genre have been made in various languages, including Kannada. But what set this film apart from the rest was the simplicity. A tale of love between a man, along with excellent dialogues, have made this film the very cherished in the recent past.
The film was still running in theatres when it was launched on Amazon Prime. However, it continued having houseful shows, demonstrating the popularity of the film. The music composed by Raghu Dixit and the great acting of Amrutha Iyengar and Rachana are an added bonus to the film.
1. Dia: The film which stole everyone’s heart this year is Dia. Having been in the making for four years, this film is directed by Ashok of “6-5=2” fame and was released with fewer expectations. However, the film got such great reviews upon its release and the people loved it. Unfortunately, due to various reasons, the film could not make the expected box office collections. However, for films like these, box office collections hardly matter. Each and every scene of the film makes us love it even more.
The film has four main characters- Dia, Rohit, Aadi and his mother Lucky. For a change, the story is shown from the point of view of a girl and is centred on her external and internal experiences. There are no songs in the film, but the background score by Ajaneesh Loknath lifts up the scale. The film has an unexpected climax, which brings tears to everyone’s eyes. The mother-son relationship is one of the best ever seen in the recent past. If you haven’t watched the film yet, you are missing out on a classic.
