Liked Oke Oka Jeevitham on SonyLIV? Here are other time-travel films you can’t miss on OTT

It’s not often that you find a first-time filmmaker who’s betting on a time-travel film to kickstart his career. In the case of Shree Karthick for Oke Oka Jeevitham, the gamble worked and proved why there’s more to him than being another debutant with another film on a Friday. The time-travel dimension in the film throws light on a youngster’s love for his mother and the need for us to make peace with our lives, accepting destiny with all its surprises and limitations. Sharwanand, Amala Akkineni, Priyadarshi, Nasser and Vennela Kishore come up with fine performances while conveying the storyteller’s intent with honesty.

Indru Netru Naalai

The core purpose of most time-travel films remains the same - stop tinkering with destiny or be prepared for its sequences. Vishnu Vishal and Miya George’s film is an excellent example of how this genre can reach out to the common man when the story is told well. The R Ravi Kumar directorial is a perfect package of romance, emotion, humour and thrills and makes for an ideal watch on OTT. Streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.

24

It’s high time that Vikram K Kumar as a filmmaker gets the reverence he richly deserves. Love and destiny have always been his favourite toys as a storyteller and 24 is a film that gives him the right scale and the license to unleash his skill to the hilt (in telling complex stories with simplicity). 24 is an out-and-out Suriya show (the actor features in a triple role and also produced it), with an offbeat album by AR Rahman while comprising a fabulous lineup of actors. Streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

Aditya 369

Easily the most entertaining time-travel film ever made in Indian cinema, this is director Singeetham Srinivasa Rao and Balakrishna’s career-best. There has been no filmmaker who has straddled from one diverse genre to the other with the ease of a Singeetham and Aditya 369 tells you why. This is a film about science, Telugu history, a fabulous musical and also a satisfying mass film - all rolled into one narrative and has aged like fine wine. Streaming on Youtube, aha.

Action Replayy

Though this Vipul Shah directorial, inspired by a Gujarati play, may not belong to the same league as the aforementioned films, it’s nevertheless a decent attempt at telling a time-travel story centred on love. The story revolving around a warring, ageing couple in a loveless marriage is also interesting for its depiction of the colourful 1970s. The film has its heart in the right place and foot-tapping music too. Make time for it on a lazy evening and you’ll be surprised. Streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

Baar Baar Dekho

This Sidharth Malhotra, Katrina Kaif starrer, directed by Nitya Mehra, regardless of its commercial failure, remains a fascinating experiment, which, of course, has a few bumps in its path. This is a tale that reminds a youngster about his priorities in marriage as he ties the knot with the love of his life. He gets multiple chances to envision an ideal future with his romantic interest and while returning to the present, he knows what it takes to make his marriage work. There’s more to the film beyond Kaala Chashma, of course. Streaming on Amazon Prime Video.