Diwali 2020: Bollywood movies to watch in the UAE

Your Diwali celebrations this year may be a muted one owing to the pandemic concerns, but there’s always movies and web series to keep you entertained. Here’s a list of films and web series that you can catch up on this festive weekend to make it an explosive, fun-filled affair:

‘Suraj Pe Mangal Bhari’: Watch it in UAE cinemas on November 14. Bollywood actress Fatima Sana Shaikh pegs her new comedy as the perfect entertainer to celebrate your Diwali this year. “Films are an escape and has always been an escape just like literature. You read books to escape our current situation, so I just want people to go and watch my movie Suraj Pe Mangal Bhari and forget about things going on outside,” said Shaikh in an interview with Gulf News. Directed by Abhishek Sharma, SPMB is set in the 1990s and chronicles the misadventures of detective, whose job is to get dirt on the potential bride or groom in an arranged marriage scenario.

‘Ludo’: Watch it on Netflix. If you are in the mood for an audacious and witty, put your money down on ‘Ludo’. With its multiple storylines, mad-hatter characters and eccentric personalities, ‘Ludo’ has enough twists and turns to keep us all entertained. “‘Ludo’ is a mad caper and is one of its kind. I have never played a character who had to do so much physical comedy and who better than Dada [Director Anurag Basu] to try something new with,” said Rajkummar Rao in an interview. Bachchan – who plays a troubled dad in ‘Ludo’ – also bills it as a perfect Diwali entertainer. “It’s a sweet, pleasant film.”

‘Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge’: Watch it in UAE cinemas. Directed by Aditya Chopra, this romance continues to stir the right emotions even 25 years after its release. As a nod to its cult status, DDLJ is now playing in the UAE cinemas. Raj and Simran became the symbol of forbidden love who manage to unite after getting approval from their elders. It was a film that straddled a modern relationship back in the 1990s, with a foott steeped in tradition. The songs, the locales and the splendid acting can never get old.

‘Chhalaang’: Watch it on Amazon Prime. Directed by Hansal Mehta, ‘Chhalaang’ is set in a small town and dwells into the life of a PT (physical training) teacher at a small-town school. The film features the talented trio -- Rajkummar Rao, Nushrratt Bharuccha and Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub - in the lead roles. If you are in the mood for a light-hearted comedy, then this should be right up your street.

‘Love’: Watch it in: UAE cinemas If you are keen to watch a new Malayalam-language film on the big screen along with a tub of popcorn, then Malayalam film ‘Love’ might stir your interest. This region is the first to showcase this movie in cinemas. Like most new-age Malayalam films, the thriller has subverted tropes such as larger-than-life lead actors and massive budgets and focused on a gripping storyline. Helmed by South Indian director Khalid Rahman, ‘Love’ is a black comedy thriller with a slew of interesting twists and turns.

‘Laxmii’: Watch it in UAE cinemas. This horror comedy is strictly for die-hard Akshay Kumar fans who can never find faults with their versatile Bollywood icon. The loud and garish horror comedy demands that you suspend belief and logic as it chronicles the tale of a man possessed by a transgender ghost. As far as premises go, it’s an interesting one, but the execution isn’t flawless. Go for it, if you are in the mood to watch Kumar and his co-actors in a hammy mode. Plus, Burj Khalifa is showcased in all its splendour in a song that serves little purpose.

‘Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story’ (web series) Watch it on Sony Liv. Directed by Hansal Mehta, this series is one of the best series to emerge in 2020. Gujarati actor Pratik Gandhi is flawless as the tainted trading tycoon Harshad Mehta. Gandhi breathes life, verve and vulnerability into the titular role. Called the ‘Amitabh Bachchan of Dalal street’, this notorious stock exchange scamster makes for an interesting viewing. His life and times is wonderfully captured by director Mehta in a sharply-written, well-enacted ten-episode series.