4 must-watch Malayalam OTT, theatre releases this weekend - Rifle Club to Pravinkoodu Shappu

From Aashiq Abu and Anurag Kashyap’s Rifle Club to Basil Joseph-starrer Pravinkoodu Shappu, here are the must-watch Malayalam OTT theatre releases this weekend

Rifle Club, Pravinkoodu Shappu - must-watch Malayalam OTT theatre releases this weekend

Even as Asif Ali’s Rekhachithram and Sookshmadarshini, with Nazriya Nazim and Basil Joseph, continue to rule the silver screen and the OTT space in Malayalam, a fresh set of movies have arrived to ensure an entertainment-packed weekend for you. Aashiq Abu and Anurag Kashyap’s Rifle Club is among the most-awaited OTT releases of the week, which is followed by another action-packed Pani. After the grand Sankranthi theatrical releases such as Game Changer from Telugu failing to make a dent in the Kerala box office, Pravinkoodu Shappu too heads to theaters to test its fortunes. So, let’s take a look at the exciting Malayalam films releasing in OTT and theatres that are a must-watch this weekend (January 18 – 19, 2025)

Malayalam films releasing on OTT and in theatres this weekend

Rifle Club

Where to watch: Netflix

OTT release date: January 16, 2025

Aashiq Abu’s Rifle Club created a lot of buzz around its ensemble cast that featured the likes of filmmaker-actor Anurag Kashyap and the popular rapper Hanumankind, both of whom made their Malayalam acting debut with the film. The film also garnered critics' approval upon its release on December 19, 2024, but faced stiff competition from Unni Mukundan’s violent actioner Marco, which emerged as the winner among Christmas releases. Now, Rifle Club has dropped on Netflix and is expected to get more attention from a wider audience. The action-packed film follows a bunch of oddball characters from a hunting club as they confront an arms dealer. Almost all of the ensemble cast, including Darshana Rajendran, Vani Vishwanath, Surabhi Lakshmi, Unnimaya Prasad, Suresh Krishna, and Vijayaraghavan, take up arms in this movie that goes all-out to entertain.

Also read | Rifle Club movie review: Aashiq Abu’s all-star cast fires in this fun, crisp and riveting thriller

Pani

Where to watch: Sony LIV, OTTplay Premium

OTT release date: January 15, 2025

After wooing audiences with his impeccable performances, Joju George donned the director’s hat for Pani. The revenge thriller follows two youngsters who take up the ‘quotation’ of a murder to announce their entry into the criminal world of Thrissur. However, they run into Giri, leading to unpleasant consequences that set the ball rolling for a tale of vengeance. The stellar performances of Joju George, Sagar Surya, Junaiz VP and Abhinaya, along with the supporting cast of Bobby Kurian, Chandini Sreedharan and Sujith Sankar, make Pani worthy of your attention this weekend.

Watch Pani on OTTplay Premium right here

I Am Kathalan

Where to watch: Manorama Max, OTTplay Premium

OTT release date: January 17, 2025

Naslen K Gafoor has a charm that reflects on almost all his performances, even when he is essaying the role of a young hacker out to seek revenge on his girlfriend’s father in I Am Kathalan. The techno-thriller reunited him with his Premalu director Girish AD. Unlike the tech thriller movies from Hollywood, Girish AD sets up his movie in a small town of Kerala with the protagonist hacker being a plain-looking lad devoid of any stereotypes of wearing hooded jackets or with tattoos, nor does he have any top-of-the-line gadgets at his disposal. The movie certainly did not match up to Mamitha Baiju’s Premalu in filmmaking or box office numbers but is entertaining enough to be on your weekend watchlist.

Pravinkoodu Shappu

Where to watch: Theatres

Release date: January 16, 2025

After Sookshmardarshini, Basil Joseph brings a murder mystery thriller to the cinemas on January 16. Chemband Vinod Jose and Soubin Shahir are also on board with the actor-filmmaker in this film, which delves into a death at a toddy shop in one ill-fated night. The owner of the shop itself was found dead and with no one from outside making an entry, the cops are compelled to probe it as a murder. A bunch of screwball characters assemble as Basil Joseph, the cop, sets out to unravel the truth. The names of the three lead actors, who have delivered standout performances in the past, and the interesting plotline promise that an engaging film is in the offering. Book your tickets for Pravinkoodu Shappu this weekend and let us know if the movie matches up to your expectations.

Also read | Pravinkoodu Shappu: Release date, plot, cast, trailer and more about Basil Joseph-Soubin Shahir's murder mystery thriller

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