iWorld
Hungama Play announces a stellar line-up of the latest Hollywood blockbusters
Hungama Play, a premium video on demand platform owned by Hungama Digital Media, premiered a slew of the latest Hollywood blockbusters. Beginning with the latest and darkest chapter of The Conjuring Universe, The Nun was premiered on 21st January Hungama Play. It will also premier the critically acclaimed, Golden Globe Awards nominee and winner, Bradley Cooper – Lady Gaga starrer A Star is Born on 4th February. This will be followed by the release of the Michael B Jordan and Sylvester Stallone starrer – Creed II, and the global smash hit – Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald in March.
The Nun, which premiered on Monday, brings back the malevolent force in the form of the same demonic nun that first terrorized the audiences in The Conjuring 2 (also available on Hungama Play). Starring Demián Bichir, Taissa Farmiga, Jonas Bloquet, Bonnie Aarons, Ingrid Bisu and Charlotte Hope, The Nun received immense praise for its performances, from critics and viewers alike. Written by Gary Dauberman and James Wan, the film is directed by Corin Hardy.
The most talked about film of the season, A Star is Born, premieres on Hungama Play on 4th February 2019. Bradley Cooper’s directorial debut was nominated for 5 Golden Globe Awards (winning in the Best Original Song category), 9 Critics Choice Movie Awards (with Lady Gaga winning the Best Actress trophy) and is the front runner at the upcoming Academy Awards too. It explores the relationship between a seasoned musician, Jackson Maine (Bradley Cooper) and a struggling artist, Ally (Lady Gaga). Even as Ally’s career takes off, the personal side of their relationship is breaking down, as Jack fights an ongoing battle with his own internal demons. The film stars Bradley Cooper, Lady Gaga along with Andrew Dice Clay, Dave Chappelle, Sam Elliott, Anthony Ramos, Rafi Gavron, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, and is written by Bradley Cooper, Eric Roth and Will Fetters.
Premiering in March on Hungama Play, Creed II stars Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson, Wood Harris, and Russell Hornsby among other actors and is a sequel to the 2015 film, Creed. Directed by Steven Caple Jr., the movie leads upto an ultimate showdown between the ruling boxing champion, Adonis Creed – the son of former champion, Apollo Creed who was killed in 1985 by Russian boxer, Ivan Drogo, in a tragic match, and Drago’s son – another dangerous fighter. Under guidance from Rocky, Adonis trains for the showdown of his life – a date with destiny that soon becomes his obsession.
From the imagination of Wizarding World creator J.K. Rowling comes the Fantastic Beasts film series, magical adventures set before the time of Harry Potter. At the end of the first film, the powerful Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp) was captured by MACUSA (Magical Congress of the United States of America), with the help of Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne). But, making good on his threat, Grindelwald escaped custody and has set about gathering followers, most unsuspecting of his true agenda: to raise pure-blood wizards up to rule over all non-magical beings. Directed by David Yates, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald stars Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Ezra Miller, Zoë Kravitz, Callum Turner, Claudia Kim, William Nadylam, Carmen Ejogo, Poppy Corby-Tuech, Brontis Jodorowsky, Kevin Guthrie, Jude Law and Johnny Depp, and will premiere on Hungama Play in March.
All the above movies will be available to stream across all Hungama Play destinations. This includes the apps on Google Playstore and Apple Store, web interface, along with Hungama Play on Vodafone Play, Amazon Fire TV Stick and Android TVs. Hungama’s strategic association with Xiaomi will also enableconsumers to enjoy the movies via Hungama Play on Mi Video and Mi TV.
iWorld
Prime Video to stream Tamil thriller Exam from May 15
Seven-episode series from National Award-winner A. Sarkunam streams in India and 240-plus countries
MUMBAI: Prime Video announced on April 27th that Exam, a taut seven-episode suspense drama set against the crucible of high-stakes competitive testing, will premiere on May 15th in India and across more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.
Written and directed by A. Sarkunam, a National Award-winner, the series is produced under the Wallwatcher Films banner by the creative duo Pushkar and Gayatri, who have previously delivered Suzhal: The Vortex (both seasons) and Vadhandhi: The Fable of Velonie for the platform. Dushara Vijayan and Aditi Balan lead the cast, with Abbas in a pivotal role.
The show will stream in Tamil with dubbed versions in Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam, and Kannada, and subtitles in 15 languages, including English, a distribution sweep that underscores Prime Video’s push to globalise Indian regional content.
Nikhil Madhok, director and head of originals at Prime Video India, framed the series as both timely and commercially astute. “Exam is a very timely and relevant story that captures the emotional intensity of competitive exams and masterfully transforms it into a thrilling high-stakes drama,” he said. “We believe it is a story that will resonate deeply with millions.” Madhok noted that it was a privilege to once again collaborate with Pushkar and Gayatri following the success of Suzhal and Vadhandhi.
For Pushkar and Gayatri, the series is as much a moral reckoning as a thriller. “With Exam, we wanted to dig into ambition, injustice, and those moral crossroads that people face when pushed to the edge,” the creative producers said. “At the heart of this story is a young woman who refuses to remain powerless. Her journey is not about glamorising defiance, but about exploring the emotional and ethical cost of standing up to a system stacked against her.” They described Prime Video as “an incredible collaborator” and “the perfect home” to bring the series to global audiences.
Wallwatcher Films, which Pushkar and Gayatri founded and run, has been on a productive streak with the platform. Beyond Exam, the company is also readying Vadhandhi Season 2 for Prime Video, making the duo one of the platform’s most active regional creative partners.
The real exam, it seems, is for Prime Video itself: can a Tamil drama about systemic injustice and a young woman’s defiance crack audiences from Chennai to Chicago? If Pushkar and Gayatri’s track record is anything to go by, the answer is likely yes, and the results will be out on May 15th.
