Rajkummar Rao, R. Madhavan Headline Netflix India’s Tokyo Showcase Reveals

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At its APAC event in Tokyo, Netflix revealed plans to launch three Indian-made projects, starring Rajkummar Rao and R. Madhavan as main actors, with these productions scheduled to debut in 2025.

The talk, spearheaded by Ruchikaa Kapoor Sheikh, the head of Netflix India original films, emphasized Netflix’s increasing dedication to telling a variety of stories from India in multiple languages and categories.

This year promises to be our most varied year so far, according to Sheikh. Following the immense success of ‘Pushpa 2,’ ‘Dragon,’ and ‘Chhaava,’ we’re looking forward to an exhilarating collection of major cinematic releases on Netflix in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu languages.

At present, “Test” – Netflix’s inaugural Tamil original film, a sports drama with R. Madhavan, Nayanthara, and Siddharth – is currently streaming. Additionally, Sheikh highlighted the upcoming release of “Jewel Thief,” an action-packed heist movie featuring Saif Ali Khan and Jaideep Ahlawat, which is set to premiere shortly following the showcase.

Next, attention shifted towards three forthcoming projects. The movie “Someone Like You,” starring R. Madhavan and Fatima Sana Sheikh, is being promoted as a touching romantic drama. According to Sheikh, the story unfolds in Kolkata. Vivek Soni directs this film, which marks Madhavan’s return to the realm of romance. The plot revolves around an unexpected relationship between a middle-aged introverted teacher and a self-assured 30-something woman who is also a French teacher.

As a captivated viewer, I eagerly anticipate the gripping tale unfolding in “Inspector Zende,” starring Manoj Bajpayee and Jim Sarbh. This film, set in the vibrant ’80s, is masterfully directed by Chinmay Mandlekar, and it’s based on actual events. The story revolves around Madhukar Bapurao Zende, an ordinary police officer with an extraordinary sense of justice, who relentlessly pursues the notorious international criminal, Carl Bhojraj.

Additionally showcased was “Toaster,” the latest comedy from Rajkummar Rao, marking the debut of KAMPA Films – a production company founded by Rao and his actress wife Patralekhaa. In this film, Rao plays a miser whose fixation on a wedding gift – a toaster – leads to “chaos and destruction.” The talented cast includes Sanya Malhotra, Abhishek Banerjee, Seema Pahwa, and Archana Puran Singh.

Sheikh emphasized the latest achievements of the platform, pointing out that “Amar Singh Chamkila,” “Maharaja,” and “Laapata Ladies” have shattered cultural boundaries, making them among the most popular Indian films on Netflix worldwide.

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Sheikh underlined the successes of the platform in recent times, mentioning that “Amar Singh Chamkila,” “Maharaja,” and “Laapata Ladies” have breached cultural boundaries to become some of the most-streamed Indian films on Netflix across the globe.

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Sheikh underscored the successes the platform has recently experienced, noting that the films “Amar Singh Chamkila,” “Maharaja,” and “Laapata Ladies” have broken through cultural barriers to become some of the most-viewed Indian movies on Netflix globally.

In a lively chat with Sheikh, Rao shared the origins of KAMPA Films: “One day, while relaxing in Goa on vacation, our friend from Delhi, who’s not involved in the film industry, suggested we try our hand at producing movies.

Rao shared his method for creating humor: “Instead of deliberately aiming to be humorous when doing comedy, it’s quite challenging since one can easily become overzealous… However, if I were to do so, it would spoil the moment. Therefore, it’s important to maintain self-restraint while performing comedy.

The exhibit underscored Netflix’s increasing dedication to Indian cinema, as Sheikh pointed out that approximately half of the viewing on Netflix in India comes from films, which is one of the highest percentages worldwide. In fact, over the past year, an Indian film has graced Netflix’s Global Top 10 (Non-English) list every week.

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2025-04-22 06:17