Weekend Watch: From Lust Stories 3 to Daayra, what to watch on OTT and in theatres

As the third week of September gets underway, audiences have a packed lineup of entertainment options across theatres and streaming platforms. While cinemas are bringing crime thrillers, action comedies, horror and relationship dramas, OTT platforms are lining up anthologies, action thrillers, crime dramas, period romances and international series.

Whether you're looking for a big-screen release or something to stream at home, here's a look at the key films and shows releasing across the week.

OTT releases this week

Among the biggest digital premieres this week is Lust Stories 3, which arrives on Netflix on September 18. The third instalment of the anthology brings together filmmakers Vikramaditya Motwane, Kiran Rao, Shakun Batra and Vishal Bhardwaj. The four stories explore love, desire, intimacy, vulnerability and the complexities of modern relationships. The ensemble cast includes Konkona Sen Sharma, Radhika Apte, Vijay Varma, Abhishek Banerjee, Aditi Rao Hydari, Ali Fazal, Radhika Madan and Siddharth.

Another major release is Irumudi, which streams on Netflix from September 18. The multilingual action-drama stars Ravi Teja, Priya Bhavani Shankar and Baby Nakshathra. It follows an alcoholic father with a violent past who has settled into a quiet family life and decides to undertake an Ayyappa Deeksha at his daughter's request.

For Malayalam cinema fans, Thudakkam arrives on JioHotstar on September 18. The action thriller marks Vismaya Mohanlal's acting debut. Directed by Jude Anthany Joseph, the film follows Meenu, a martial arts practitioner living with her father in Idukki. Her life changes after a dangerous encounter with a contract killer, forcing her to fight for survival and protect her family.

Also releasing on September 18 is The Scandal on Netflix. The Korean period romance drama is set during the Joseon Dynasty and follows Lady Cho, played by Son Ye-jin, and Cho Won, played by Ji Chang-wook, as they become involved in a high-stakes seduction game. What begins as a wager soon develops into a complicated web of desire and manipulation.

Meanwhile, You+Me - Against the World premieres on Amazon Prime Video on September 18. Based on Emma Green's bestselling trilogy, the series follows aspiring filmmaker Alma and Vadim, a rebellious man with a troubled past. Their relationship develops while working on a film project, but an anonymous stalker soon threatens their romance.

Crime thriller Kattalan also arrives on SonyLIV on September 18. Set along the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border, the film revolves around a violent turf war between rival ivory-poaching syndicates. Maari recruits Antony, a feared poacher, to take down a rival operation, setting up a confrontation between competing criminal networks.

The week also brought several other releases. Neagley, the Reacher spin-off starring Maria Sten, arrived on Amazon Prime Video on September 16, following Frances Neagley as she investigates the mysterious death of a friend from her military past.

Slow Horses Season 6 also premiered on Apple TV on September 16, with Gary Oldman returning as Jackson Lamb alongside the dysfunctional Slough House team. The season adapts Mick Herron's Joe Country and Slough House.

Horror fans can also stream Lee Cronin's The Mummy on JioHotstar from September 17. The film follows a couple whose daughter returns home eight years after disappearing in Egypt, only for the reunion to take a terrifying turn when they discover that she is carrying an ancient demonic parasite.

For viewers looking for a crime-comedy, Waiting Hai arrived on September 16. The series revolves around an illegal digital market for Indian Railways Tatkal tickets, with Divyenndu playing railway police officer Sugam Mishra and Bhuvan Arora as computer expert Afroz Hamza.

In theatres this week

One of the biggest Hindi theatrical releases this week is Daayra, which hits cinemas on September 18. Directed by Meghna Gulzar, the thriller stars Kareena Kapoor Khan as DCP Ajooni Kohli IPS and Prithviraj Sukumaran as DCP Raman Kumar IPS. The story follows the two police officers as a major crime puts them on opposite sides of the same investigation, raising questions around morality, accountability, guilt and justice.

Also releasing on September 18 is Vibe, written and directed by Kunal Kemmu. The action comedy stars Kemmu alongside Preity Zinta and follows two friends whose ordinary lives take an unexpected turn when they become caught up in a terrorist plot. Their situation soon turns into a high-stakes mission.

For viewers looking for a murder mystery, Love Lottery releases in theatres on September 18. Starring Akshay Oberoi and Heli Daruwala, the film follows Kartik, a married man who becomes the prime suspect after his wife is found murdered. As he tries to prove his innocence, hidden relationships, buried secrets and conflicting statements complicate the case.

Horror fans can head to cinemas for Resident Evil, which also releases on September 18. Directed by Zach Cregger, the film stars Austin Abrams as Bryan, a medical courier who becomes trapped in the middle of a deadly outbreak while attempting to deliver a package to a remote hospital. The film is being released in English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.

The Uprising also joins the theatrical lineup on September 18. Starring Andrew Garfield, the historical epic is set against the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381 and follows a rebellion against King Richard II. Directed by Paul Greengrass, the film releases on September 18.

Practical Magic 2, starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, also arrives in theatres on September 18. The sequel returns to the story of sisters Sally and Gillian Owens, with a new generation of the Owens family facing mysterious developments.

The bigger picture

The September 14–20 release week brings a diverse mix of entertainment across streaming platforms and cinemas. OTT services are offering everything from relationship anthologies and multilingual action dramas to Korean period romance, crime thrillers and returning international series. The theatrical lineup spans Hindi thrillers and comedies, Hollywood horror, historical drama and regional releases.

Whether you want to catch Kareena Kapoor Khan and Prithviraj Sukumaran in Daayra, watch Kunal Kemmu and Preity Zinta in Vibe, enter the Resident Evil universe, or stream Lust Stories 3, Irumudi and Thudakkam, there are plenty of options across the week and into the weekend.