5 Big-Screen Blockbusters You Can Now Stream At Home

From Rajinikanth’s swagger to Mohanlal’s moral fury, these high-octane entertainers on JioHotstar deliver spectacle, sentiment, and pure star power — no multiplex ticket required.

Neelima+Menon

Oct 23, 2025

Rajinikanth in Petta, Mammootty in Bheeshma Parvam and Mohanlal in Thudarum.

BIG-TICKET ENTERTAINERS are films engineered for scale, spectacle, and universal appeal. They operate at the intersection of commerce and emotion, where high-octane action meets deeply familiar sentiment. At the heart of such films lies a well-calibrated formula: a larger-than-life hero, often positioned as a messianic figure, who embodies both brute force and moral clarity. He will be a protector or redeemer who typically stands in for the collective conscience of a community, his family, or nation. What sets the big-ticket entertainer apart is its ability to fuse mass sensibilities with emotional stakes. We bring you five such biggies you can watch this weekend.

THUDARUM (2025):

All seems well in the quiet life of former stuntman Benz aka Shanmugan (Mohanlal), who now runs a dilapidated taxi service in a small town. Shanmugan lives with his wife and children, and his greatest attachment is to his old ambassador car, a relic that stands for both memory and meaning. The narrative unfolds at an unhurried pace, inviting us into the warmth of his humble domestic world. But this calm is abruptly disrupted when the police seize his beloved car, which eventually draws us into a deeper conflict. Enter DYSP George Mathan (Prakash Varma), the antagonist whose actions threaten to dismantle the very foundation of Shanmugan’s life. What follows is a sharp pivot in tone, as the passive family man sets aside restraint and embraces retribution. This turn is characteristic of the classic 1990s Malayalam revenge drama films, which paired high-stakes emotional conflict with action stunts. Here too, emotional heft coexists with pulse-pounding spectacle, and the moral clarity of the hero becomes the engine that drives the narrative forward. Importantly, Thudarum (directed by Tharun Moorthy) also marks the return of Mohanlal in a role tailored to his strengths. He navigates the duality of Shanmugan with ease, effortlessly toggling between warmth and intensity, domesticity and vengeance. It’s a performance steeped in old-school charisma, reasserting his enduring presence as both a mass hero and a nuanced actor.

BHEESHMA PARVAM (2022):

Amal Neerad meticulously crafts a gangster drama fusing the allegorical weight of the Mahabharata with the operatic family politics of The Godfather all set against the textured backdrop of an aristocratic Christian family in Fort Kochi. At its heart is Michael Anjootty (Mammootty), a commanding patriarch who holds together a fractious and increasingly resentful clan, wielding authority with calculated restraint and moral ambiguity. Though Michael senses the rot within, he opts for silence and strategy over confrontation. But then, as betrayal brews within his bloodline, he’s nearly defeated, only to stage a powerful comeback, marked by both vengeance and vindication. The film thrives on its deft orchestration of mood and momentum: stylised action sequences sit seamlessly alongside emotional drama, while each character is etched with enough detail to stand out in the ensemble. But at the core of the narrative is Mammootty as Michael, embodying both swag and gravitas, as he effortlessly straddled the line between righteousness and ruthlessness. It is his screen presence that anchors the film and elevates it from a stylish crime saga to a stirring tale of power, loyalty, and legacy.

5 best Mohanlal-Mammootty films that you should watch on OTT if you love Malayalam cinema

KANNUR SQUAD (2023):

What sets this investigative thriller (directed by Roby Raj) apart is not just the premise — a police squad tracking down the perpetrators of a gruesome homicide in North Kerala — but the way it’s staged. Led by ASI George Martin (Mammootty), the narrative retools the conventional manhunt by grounding it in both realism and emotional depth. As the team journeys across the country in a battered Tata Sumo, the viewer is drawn into a procedural that’s immersive, textured, and quietly absorbing — almost like a fly on the wall. While the film honours the genre’s staples — chases, confrontations, and bursts of stylised action — it never loses sight of its emotional core. Mammootty’s George Martin is a picture of efficiency and quiet grit, yet the film allows him moments of subtle heroism, striking a fine balance between restraint and mass appeal. The action, though minimal and grounded, is executed with a flair that draws applause without ever veering into excess. The ensemble is another strength — the characters are not mere archetypes but come with defined arcs and vulnerabilities, making their stakes feel personal. This emotional layering builds toward a redemptive finale that is both cathartic and narratively earned. Meanwhile, the antagonist is written with clear moral polarity, his irredeemable nature heightening the viewer’s sense of justice and closure by the end.

KAITHI (2019):

The premise is deceptively simple: when a group of police officers seize a massive cocaine haul and stash it in a hidden cell within the commissioner’s office, the drug cartel retaliates by drugging the very men who carried out the bust. As chaos erupts, one officer — spared due to a medical condition — must race against time to save his unconscious colleagues. With no one else to turn to, he enlists the help of a parolee, Dilli (Karthi), setting the stage for a relentless overnight odyssey. The brilliance of the film (directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj) lies not in its narrative complexity but in how it transforms this premise into a tightly wound, edge-of-your-seat thriller. The journey — essentially a night ride to the hospital — unfolds with an escalating sense of urgency, packed with breathless chases, hand-to-hand combat, shootouts, and ingeniously choreographed stunts. Every roadblock feels like a boss level in a video game, pushing the tension to new heights. What elevates the film further is the mythic dimension given to Dilli. Though an everyman on paper, he is shaped into a near-mythical figure — stoic, formidable, and unbeatable. And his physical prowess and strategic grit lend a convincing sense of heroism. Despite an army of mercenaries hell bent on stopping him, Dilli remains an unstoppable force. In fact, watching him navigate this gauntlet is what makes the ride so enthralling.

PETTA (2019):

When an ageing man walks into a raucous college hostel and effortlessly restores order, it’s immediately clear that Kaali (Rajinikanth) isn’t just another disciplinarian — he’s a man with a formidable past. As the narrative unfolds and his old enemies surface, Kaali’s backstory roars to life in full throttle. What follows is unmistakably a Baasha-style resurrection — an unabashed tribute to the superstar’s legacy, both on and off screen. The Karthik Subbaraj film leans heavily into the Rajinikanth mythos, with the director consciously embracing every familiar trope: the slow-motion swagger, the comedic interludes, the slick cigar flips, and the string of punchlines that land with practised precision. It's formulaic, yes — but also proudly so. The film is less about narrative novelty and more about celebrating the enduring charisma of Rajinikanth in full form. Adding to the spectacle are strong turns by Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Vijay Sethupathi, who elevate the stakes and make the face-offs with Rajinikanth crackle with tension and star power. For die-hard fans, this is a cinematic festival — a greatest-hits compilation of Rajinikanth’s screen persona, delivered with knowing self-awareness and crowd-pleasing flair.

5 Big-Screen Blockbusters You Can Now Stream At Home

Neelima+Menon

OTTplay Top 10 Movies

Sasivadane

Nikka Zaildar 4

Karmanye Vadhikaraste

OTTplay Top 10 Shows

Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah

Maharani

Indian Idol