Some of Indian cinema’s most memorable films have been those that revolve around friendship.
With the advent of streaming platforms, everyone thought that the genre would flourish further, but that did not happen. With slapstick and adult comedy content available abundantly on the webspace, one really craves for a feel-good buddy film to break the monotony. For those who are really fond of such films, 2022 could be a great year as Bollywood is going to roll out some interesting outings. Here are 5 such films to look out for.
Kho Gaye Hum Kahan has been creating a lot of noise ever since its announcement last year. Bankrolled by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani under the banner of Excel Entertainment, the upcoming film explores the various facets of friendship in the digital age. One of the major highlights of the film is its casting. Kho Gaye Hum Kahan stars Ananya Panday, Siddhant Chaturvedi, and Adarsh Gourav in significant roles. The makers introduced the theme of the film with these words: “Find your friends and you won't need followers.” And it will also touch upon reconnecting with the forgotten bits of life when it comes to human relationships. Well, all we can say is that we just cannot wait for this film to debut in cinemas soon.
Set in the city of joy, Kolkata, #Homecoming is a youth-centric musical film that revolves around a gang of college buddies who reunite in their hometown after a long period of time to save their old theatre training school and academy from being demolished by the shackles of plot commercialization plans by the state. Directed by Soumyajit Majumdar, the film stars Sayani Gupta, Hussain Dalal, Tushar Pandey, Plabita Borthakur and Soham Majumdar play important characters. #Homecoming is set to premiere exclusively on SonyLiv!
It won’t be an exaggeration to say that Excel Entertainment is a pioneer in making buddy movies. After Dil Chahta Hai (2001) and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011), the banner is coming up with a female buddy film titled Jee Le Zaraa, starring Priyanka Chopra, Katrina Kaif, and Alia Bhatt in lead roles. Farhan Akhtar is helming the much-awaited film. Jee Le Zaraa celebrates the friendship of three women in different stages of their lives and seeing the trio in the same film is going to be an unforgettable experience for many.
The story is about how a 70-year-old (played by Amitabh Bachchan) looking to get back into the corporate game, seizes the opportunity to become a senior intern at an online fashion site. He soon becomes popular with his younger co-workers, including his boss (played by Deepika Padukone) who also happens to be the founder of the company. The film explores his charm, wisdom, and sense of humour help which eventually helps him develop a special bond and growing friendship with his boss. This movie is the official remake of the successful Hollywood film The Intern (2015).
Fukrey, one of the most successful comedy film franchises in the history of Bollywood, will roll out its third installment in 2022. The first film in this series gained cult status right after its release and looks like the makers have just been upping their game with respect to the trajectory of the film’s characters and the overall story ever since. Shooting for the third part of this franchise has already begun and the film is expected to release in the second half of this year. The film brings back the original star cast with Pulkit Samrat, Ali Fazal, Varun Sharma, Manjot Singh, Richa Chadha, and Pankaj Tripathi. It cannot get any better!
Keep visiting this space over and again for more updates and reveals from the world of entertainment.
So, Kajol and Twinkle Khanna’s show, Two Much, is already near its fourth episode. And people keep asking: why do we love watching stars sit on sofas so much? It’s not the gossip. Not really. We’re not paying for the gossip. We’re paying for the glimpse. For the little wobble in a voice, a tiny apology, a family story you recognise. It’s why Simi’s white sofa mattered once, why Karan’s sofa rattled the tabloids, and why Kapil’s stage made everyone feel at home. The chat show isn’t dead. It just keeps changing clothes.
Why Indian audiences can’t stop watching chat shows from Simi Garewal to Karan Johar Instagram/karanjohar/primevideoin/ Youtube Screengrab
Remember the woman in white?
Simi Garewal brought quiet and intimacy. Her Rendezvous with Simi Garewal was all white sets and soft lights, and it felt almost like a church for confessions. She never went full interrogation mode with her guests. Instead, she’d just slowly unravel them, almost like magic. Amitabh Bachchan and Rekha, they all sat on that legendary white sofa, dropping their guard and letting something real slip out, something you’d never stumble across anywhere else. The whole thing was gentle, personal, and almost revolutionary.
Simi Garewal and her iconic white sofa changed the face of Indian talk showsYoutube Screengrab/SimiGarewalOfficial
Then along came Karan Johar
Let’s be honest, Karan Johar changed the game completely. Koffee with Karan was the polar opposite. Where Simi was a whisper, Karan was a roar. His rapid-fire round was a headline machine. Suddenly, it stopped being about struggles or emotions but opinions, little rivalries, and that full-on, shiny Bollywood chaos. He almost spun the film industry into a full-blown high school drama, and honestly? We loved it up.
Kapil Sharma rewired the format again and took the chat show, threw it in a blender with a comedy sketch, and created a monster hit. His genius was in creating a world or what we call his crazy “Shantivan Society” and making the celebrities enter his universe. Suddenly, Shah Rukh Khan was being teased by a fictional, grumpy neighbour and Ranbir Kapoor was taunted by a fictional disappointed ex-girlfriend. Stars were suddenly part of the spectacle, all halos tossed aside. It was chaotic, yes, but delightfully so. The sort of chaos that still passed the family-TV test. For once, these impossibly glamorous faces felt like old friends lounging in your living room.
Kajol and Twinkle’s Amazon show Two Much feels like friends talking to people in their circle, and that matters. What’s wild is, these folks aren’t the stiff, traditional hosts, they’re insiders. The fun ones. The ones who know every secret because, let’s be honest, they were there when the drama started. On a platform like Amazon, they don’t have to play for TRPs or stick to a strict clock. They can just… talk.
People want to peep behind the curtain. Even with Instagram and Reels, there’s value in a longer, live-feeling exchange. It’s maybe the nuance, like an awkward pause, a memory that makes a star human, or a silly joke that lands. OTT gives space for that. Celebs turned hosts, like Twinkle and Kajol in Two Much or peers like Rana Daggubati in Telugu with The Rana Daggubati Show, can ask differently; they make room for stories that feel earned, not engineered.
How have streaming and regional shows changed the game?
Streaming freed chat shows from TRP pressure and ad breaks. You get episodes that breathe. Even regional versions likeThe Rana Daggubati Show, or long-running local weekend programmes, prove this isn’t a Mumbai-only appetite. Viewers want local language and local memories, the same star-curiosity in Kannada, Telugu, or Tamil. That widens the talent pool and the tone.
From White Sofas to OTT Screens How Indian Talk Shows Keep Capturing HeartsiStock
Are shock moments over?
Not really. But people are getting sick of obvious bait. Recent launches lean into warmth and inside jokes rather than feeding headlines. White set, gold couch, or a stage full of noise, it doesn’t matter. You just want to sit there, listen, get pulled into their stories, like a campfire you can’t leave. We watch, just curious, hoping maybe these stars are a little like us. Or maybe we’re hoping we can borrow a bit of their sparkle.
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