PremiumAachar & Co on OTT: Five films about Namma Ooru 'Bengaluru' you must stream on OTT
From yesteryear classics to Malayalam superhits, this list is quite diverse and vibrant as Bengaluru itself!
Last Updated: 10.31 PM, Aug 23, 2023
Sindhu Sreenivasa Murthy's Aachar & Co might be centred around the large and dysfunctional Aachar family but Bengaluru's old-world simplicity emerges as one of its main features. Although made a modest budget, the film managed to recreate the '60s and '70s era of the city and evoke a sense of nostalgia among its viewers, who have in turn helped it complete a 25-day run in theatres.
Following this, Aachar & Co has landed on OTT to find a wider audience for itself, so, we felt that this would be the perfect occasion to help you discover something new. With Bengaluru in firm focus, we have put together a list of five films that feature the lovely city as one of its 'protagonists', as it were, and carry its essence with great pride. From yesteryear classics to Malayalam superhits, this list is quite diverse and vibrant as Bengaluru itself!
Made in Bengaluru (2022)
Pradeep Sastry made an impressive debut with a film centred around the city's bustling start-up scene, showcasing both its old-world-ish charm and also the more cutthroat side of its new era. When the story's protagonist, Suhas, finds himself caught in between these two contrasting worlds, he is forced to make his enterprising startup idea work with any means necessary. He comes across snarky venture capitalists, quirky gangsters, naysayers and many others in his pursuit but as destiny would have it, it turns out that answer always resided within him.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
Made in Bengaluru review: Pradeep Sastry serves a simple, heartwarming dish of love, hope & survival
Aa Dinagalu (2007)
Every city has an underbelly that most of its dwellers are unaware of. KM Chaitanya's landmark debut film takes us back in time to the '70s and '80s when Bengaluru's underworld thrived the most and presents a poignant tale of love, crime and deception. The film's main charm lies in the fact that it uses facts and real-life incidents & people but never attempts to glorify anything. Ilaiyaraja's soundtrack is another of its main highlights.
Where to watch: Zee5
Bangalore Days (2014)
This Malayalam film comes as an endearing ode to the city and its cultural diversity. With Bengaluru and its growing vastness serving as the backdrop, writer-director Anjali Menon handholds us into the world of three cousins, their individual passions and also their respective personal challenges. King of Kotha star Dulquer Salmaan, Nivin Pauly, Nazriya Nazim, Fahadh Faasil and others star in this superhit.
Where to watch: Disney Plus Hotstar
French Biriyani (2020)
Pannaga Bharana's film may not be the perfect film out there but there's lots to savour if you are looking to explore Bengaluru in film. Danish Sait lends one of his popular social media characters, Azgar, a bigger stage and stand-up comic/actor Sal Yusuf by his side, the duo takes us on a three-day mad journey through Bengaluru. Disha Madan, Rangayana Raghu, Michael Madhu and others, too, star in the film and one of the highlights of the film is Vasuki Vaibhav's soundtrack.
Pushpaka Vimana (1987)
Pushpaka Vimana, or Pushpak, unlike the other films, may not be about Bengaluru, so to speak, but one cannot deny that the soul of the city is one of its main characters. Shot almost entirely at the city's landmark ITC Windsor Manor hotel (rechristened in the film as 'Pushpak' by Singeetham Srinivasa Rao), this no-dialogue film is arguably one of the most daring creative experiments that Indian cinema has ever seen. It was a success when it came out and its fame has only been strengthened over the years with critics terming it an all-time classic.
Where to watch: YouTube