This Week’s Top OTT Releases: Sharmajee Ki Beti, The Bear Season 3, Aavesham & More

This week’s Indian originals include the anthology-style drama Sharmaji Ki Beti and the hilarious murder mystery Rautu Ka Raaz by Nawazuddin Siddiqui. The first one focuses on the problems faced by women of different age groups. At the same time, the latter introduces us to a funny murder mystery.

Among the post-theatrical releases, we have A24’s action-packed Civil War, set in a dystopian future where America is in the midst of a dangerous civil war. We also have Aavesham, a fun saga that sees Fahadh Faasil as a quirky gangster who helps three college students.

Those looking for a critically acclaimed choice can look no further than Hulu’s ‘Bear’ on Hotstar, which has also been renewed for a third season. The show has been praised time and again for its writing and nuanced acting, as well as its perfect blend of humor and drama.

Documentary and music fans might want to check out Prime Video’s I: Celine Dion, an emotional account of the Canadian singer’s encounter with Rigid Personality Syndrome, an autoimmune nerve disorder that causes muscle stiffness and painful spasms.

Other noteworthy options include the animated sci-fi film Wondle, the teen drama Season 2 of That ’90s Show, and the Zac Efron rom-com Family Affair.

This week’s best OTT releases

Here are the best OTT releases of the week that we recommend for your weekend binge-watching marathon.

Sharmaji Ki Beti

When: Now airing

Where: Prime Video

Sharmaji Ki Beti is a heartfelt ode to women and femininity that provides a glimpse into the lives of three middle-aged and two teenage ‘Sharma women’.

In the film, we are introduced to a working mother (Sakshi Tanwar) who is trying to balance her roles as a mother and a teacher. We also have her constantly complaining teenage daughter (Vanshika Taparia) who is desperately waiting for her period to start, a lonely housewife (Divya Dutta) who is having a hard time adjusting to the fast-changing city of Mumbai, her nerdy daughter (Arista Mehta) and their neighbour (Saiyami Kher) Tanvi, an aspiring cricketer whose fragile boyishness is threatened by her achievements.

In these stories, we explore the various prejudices and challenges that women face on a daily basis. Despite the many clichés, the film deserves a decent viewing. Directed by Tahira Kashyap.

Bear Season 3

When: live now

Where: Hotstar

Last year, The Bear won an Emmy and a Golden Globe. The series follows Carmi (Jeremy Allen White), a young chef from the world of fine dining who returns to his hometown after a personal tragedy and decides to take over his failing family sandwich shop, The Beef. In the previous two seasons, we saw Carmi throwing everything he had into the business. This season, we see him working harder to turn The Beef into a fine-dining melting pot. The stakes are higher than ever.

My Lady Jane

When: Now airing

Where: Prime Video

If you’re a history buff, chances are you know about Lady Jane Grey, an English noblewoman who was crowned Queen of England for nine days in 1553 and then beheaded.

Prime Video’s latest historical fiction, My Lady Jane, reimagines the infamous event and explores how things would have turned out if Lady Jane (Emily Bader) hadn’t died. We see her struggle through rivalries, regicidal maniacs and sword fights, and we live happily ever after.

The eight-episode series is available to watch in English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, French, Spanish, Dutch and other international languages.

Rautu Ka Raaz

When: Now airing

Where: Zee5

Rautu Ki Beli is a quaint village in Mussoorie that has not seen a murder for over a decade. So when the caretaker of a school for the blind in the region dies under mysterious circumstances and the possibility of murder arises, the local police department – Chief Inspector Deepak Negi (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) and his laid-back team – are more worried than ever. When the officers don their Sherlock Homes hats, an intriguing investigation begins.

Aavesham (Hindi Version)

When: live now

Where: Hotstar

Malayalam cinema has been in the spotlight of cinephiles lately, attracting multilingual audiences. The latest headline in the industry is Fahadh Faasil’s ‘Aavesham’ which is touted to be a fun masala film. The film is about three boys who have just got admitted to a prestigious engineering college in Bangalore. When they get on the bad books of their elders and get into a nasty fight, the trio decides to seek the help of a local eccentric gangster named Ranga to take revenge. The rest of the film focuses on Ranga’s colorful tactics, strange behavior and yet heart-winning personality. The original Malayalam version is available to stream on Prime Video.

Unusual dance

When: Currently streaming

Where: Apple TV

Apple TV’s latest effort is an intense tearjerker with a heartwarming premise. Jax (Lily Gladstone), a former drug dealer, takes care of his niece Rocky (Isabel DeRoy-Olson) after her sister goes missing. Over time, the two develop a beautiful bond that changes Jax.

Things take a horrific turn when authorities conduct a background check on Jax and threaten to hand over custody of Rocky to her grandfather. Shaken to the core, Jax decides to illegally take Rocky along on a frantic search for her mother, while helping Rocky prepare for an upcoming powwow.

Civil War

When: Currently streaming

Where: Prime Video

The United States is in a state of (fictional) civil war in a dystopian future where separatist movements have split the United States into multiple factions. The President is not prepared to back down and has ordered journalists to be shot on sight.

As insurrectionists plot to demolish the White House, several war journalists embark on a dangerous journey from New York to Washington, D.C., for an exclusive interview with the beleaguered president.

“Civil War” is A24’s most expensive film to date and the second highest-grossing film behind the Oscar-winning “Everything at Once” (2022).