A number of movies and shows in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam are gearing up for release in July. While some have already released in theatres and are set to stream on over-the-top (OTT) platforms, several films are slated for release in cinemas later this month. Pan-Indian releases like Rocketry: The Nambi Effect, a biopic on former ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan, and Kichcha Sudeep’s Vikrant Rona; blockbuster movies with a star-studded cast such as Kamal Haasan’s Vikram, and Rana Daggubati and Sai Pallavi’s Virata Parvam, as well as OTT releases like Meme Boys and Modern Love: Hyderabad, a number of OTT and theatrical releases are in store for July,
Vikram
Written and directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, Vikram stars actors Kamal Haasan, Vijay Sethupathi and Fahadh Faasil in the lead. The star cast also includes several actors in important cameo roles including Suriya, Arjun Das, Kalidas Jayaram, among others. The action drama, which hit the big screens on June 3, has reportedly broken several box-office records, and is set to stream on OTT platform Disney Plus Hotstar on July 8.
Rocketry: The Nambi Effect
Starring actor Madhavan in the lead, Rocketry: The Nambi Effect hit the big screens on July 1 in multiple languages including Hindi, Tamil, English, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada. Based on the life of Nambi Narayanan, a former ISRO aerospace engineer who was falsely accused of espionage in 1994, Rocketry also marks Madhavan’s directorial debut. The film stars Simran as Nambi’s wife.
Yaanai
Helmed by director Hari, Yaanai stars actors Arun Vijay and Priya Bhavani Shankar in the lead. Bankrolled by Drumstick Productions, the cast also includes Prakash Raj, Radikaa Sarathkumar, Yogi Babu, Ammu Abirami, Rajendran Raju and Jayabalan, among others. Initially slated for release on June 17, the release was postponed to July 1 to avoid clashing with Vikram at the box-office.
D Block
Billed as an action thriller, D Block is helmed by filmmaker Vijay Kumar Rajendran. It features actors Arulnithi Tamilarasu, Avantika Mishra, Karu Palaniappan, Charandeep and Thalaivasal Vijay in the lead roles. The film released on July 1.
Iravin Nizhal
Touted to be the world’s first non-linear single shot film, Iravin Nizhal is helmed by and also stars actor Parthiban in the lead. The cast also includes Varalakshmi Sarathkumar, Robo Shankar, Priyanka Ruth, Brigida Saga, Sneha Kumar, Anand Krishnan and Chandru, among others. It has music by AR Rahman. The film is slated for a theatrical release on July 15.
Meme Boys
Quirky comedy drama Meme Boys, which revolves around the lives of four college students who are apprehended by the police for posting memes online, will be premiering on July 22. The trailer, which was unveiled on July 1, was filled with Tamil pop culture references. Meme Boys is created by Rajiv Rajaram and Drishya, while Arun Koushik is the director. The show stars Aditya Bhaskar, Namrata, Jayant, Siddharth, Badava Gopi, Latha Venkatraman, Sri Ganesh and Nikhil Nair.
Maamanithan
Actor Vijay Sethupathi and Gayathrie’s recently released film Maamanithan which hit the big screens on June 24, is gearing up for its OTT release on Aha Tamil. It was written and directed by filmmaker Seenu Ramasamy and has music by Maestro Ilaiyaraaja and his son, music composer Yuvan Shankar Raja.
Panni Kutty
Featuring actors Yogi Babu and Karunakaran among others in the lead, Panni Kutty is set to release on July 8. The film is directed by Anucharan, who recently directed a few episodes of the web series Suzhal, which is streaming on Amazon Prime Video. The film’s story is written by Ravi Murukaya.
Virata Parvam
Rana Daggubati and Sai Pallavi’s period action drama Virata Parvam hit the big screens on June 17 and started streaming on Netflix on July 1. The film has been made in Telugu, Malayalam and Tamil. Set against the backdrop of the Naxalite movement in the Telangana region and inspired by true events from the 1990s, Rana essays the role of Comrade Ravanna, who is known by his pen name Aranya. Sai Pallavi plays Vennela, an admirer of Comrade Ravanna’s works.
Ante Sundaraniki
Nani and Nazriya’s Ante Sundaraniki released in theatres on June 10 and will stream on Netflix from July 10. The movie tracks the story of Sundar and Leela, an interfaith couple who have a hard time convincing their parents that they want to get married. The film marks Nazriya’s Tollywood debut.
Pakka Commercial
Director Maruthi’s legal drama Pakka Commercial hit the big screens on July 1. The comedy flick stars actors Gopichand and Raashi Khanna in the lead, while Sathyaraj, Rao Ramesh and Anasuya Bharadwaj have been roped in for other significant roles.
Modern Love Hyderabad
Modern Love Hyderabad is the second Indian adaptation in the series of three localised versions of Modern Love. Produced by Elahe Hiptoola with Nagesh Kukunoor as the showrunner, the makers revealed in a press statement that the new Telugu series brings to life stories of love that are truly unique to the local ethos and essence of modern-day Hyderabad. Inspired by the famous New York Times column that goes by the same name, Modern Love Hyderabad has six episodes directed by filmmakers such as Nagesh Kukunoor, Venkatesh Maha, Uday Gurrala and Devika Buhadhanas. The cast includes Nithya Menen, Revathy, Aadhi Pinisetty, Ritu Varma, Abijeet Duddala, Malavika Nair, Suhasini Maniratnam, Naresh Agastya, Ulka Gupta, Naresh and Komalee Prasad. The series is set to premiere on Amazon Prime Video on July 8.
Gargi
Sai Pallavi’s multilingual courtroom drama Gargi is gearing up for theatrical release on July 15. Written and directed by Gautham Ramachandran, the film also features actor Kaali Venkat in an important role. The film will be releasing in Tamil, Telugu and Kannada.
HIT: The Second case
HIT: The Second Case, starring Adivi Sesh in the lead, is set to release in cinemas on July 29. Directed by Sailesh Kolanu, the movie is the sequel to the 2020 film HIT: The First Case. The movie is produced by actor Nani and Prashanti Tipirneni under the Wall Poster Cinema banner. Actor Meenakshi Chaudhary has also been roped in for the sequel while Bhanu Chander reprises his role from the original.
Thank You
Thank You is helmed by Vikram K Kumar and produced by Dil Raju under the banner of Sri Venkateswara Creations. The movie stars actors Raashi Khanna and Naga Chaitanya in the lead while Malavika Nair and Avika Gor have also been roped in for pivotal roles. Actor Sai Sushanth Reddy is part of the cast as well. Thank You is slated for release on July 22.
Vaashi
Actors Tovino Thomas and Keerthy Suresh’s courtroom drama, which released in theatres on June 17, will stream on Netflix from July 17 in Tamil, Telugu and Kannada. Helmed by Vishnu G Raghav, the cast also includes Anagha Narayanan, Anu Mohan, Kottayam Ramesh, Baiju, Nandu and Rony David. The film, which is produced by Keerthy Suresh’s father Suresh Kumar, has Kailas Menon on board as the music composer.
Dear Friends
Recently released Malayalam film Dear Friends will be streaming on Netflix from July 10. Sharing the news, Netflix wrote, “Dear friends, We have some news for you! The story of six friends, their lives and secrets is coming to Netflix! Dear Friend arrives 10th July!” The film stars actors Darshana Rajendran, Basil Joseph, Arjun Radhakrishnan and Sanchana Natarajan among others in pivotal roles.
Ullasam
Actor Pavithra Lakshmi, who made her big screen debut with Naai Sekar Returns, plays the lead in Ullasam, marking her Mollywood debut. Helmed by Jeevan Jojo, the film also stars Shane Nigam in the lead. It has music and cinematography by Gopi Sunder and Swaroop Philip respectively. The film released on July 1 and is currently playing in cinemas.
Vikrant Rona
Helmed by director Anup Bhandari, Vikrant Rona stars Kichcha Sudeep in the titular role. The cast also includes Nirup Bhandari, Neetha Ashok, Ravishankar Gowda, Madhusudan Rao, Vasuki Vaibhav and Jacqueline Fernandez in significant roles. The film is slated to hit the big screens on July 28 in Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Hindi.
The Gray Man
Actor Dhanush, who predominantly acts in Tamil movies, has been roped in for a pivotal role in upcoming Hollywood action drama The Gray Man. Helmed by filmmaker duo the Russo brothers, the film marks Dhanush’s second Hollywood movie after Fakir. The Gray Man will premiere on Netflix on July 15.