Five Indian films based on aliens – F’day Spl. Article by Naveen

Did you know that the first science fiction Indian film to explore this genre was MGR’s 1963 Tamil film ‘Kalai Arasi’? The movie was the first in India to tell a story with aliens, alien abduction, alien weapons, and other futuristic technology.

Now, with Sivakarthikeyan’s science fiction film ‘Ayalaan’ releasing today, we list 5 Indian films with extraterrestrial beings that you can binge watch on OTT:

Churuli (Malayalam):

This science fiction horror film, directed by Lijo Jose Pellissery, is based on the mysterious village of Churuli. The film is about two undercover cops (Chemban Vinod and Vinay Forrt) who end up in the village while looking for a criminal. When they arrive at the village, the mood changes and an eerie mystery unfolds. Although the alien element is not explored much, the film gravitates towards the existence of extraterrestrial beings that haunt the village of Churuli. If you are someone who appreciates the technical aspects of a film more than its screenplay, this film is a must-watch.

PK (Hindi): This Aamir Khan-starrer satirical-science-fiction comedy directed by Rajkumar Hirani follows an alien named PK who is stuck on Earth after his spaceship’s remote control gets stolen. However, this visit is filled with curiosity and his childlike questions and how he finds the answers about the ‘bizarre planet’ earth form the crux of the film. The film focuses on satire and the journey of the ‘human exploration’ of an alien rather than alien exploration. The film also stars Anushka Sharma, Sushant Singh Rajput, Boman Irani and others in pivotal roles.

Koi Mil Gaya (Hindi):

Is there an early 2000s kid who doesn’t remember Jadoo from Koi Mil Gaya? This classic film holds a special place in our childhood memories. How a mysterious alien named Jaddoo gives Rohit (Hrithik Roshan) magical powers, making him smart and strong, forms the crux of the story. Directed by Rakesh Roshan, ‘Koi Mil Gaya’ was one of the first films made about extraterrestrial beings that became a blockbuster.

Joker (Hindi):

Streaming on: YouTube

This 2012 science-fiction film starring Akshay Kumar follows Agastya (played by Akshay), who works on a machine that enables communication with aliens. His father actually wants Agastya to help improve their village of Paglapur. However, Agastya starts spreading rumours about fake alien UFOs in order to gain attention and make the village famous. Eventually, real aliens arrive and establish an oil depot in the village. How he handles the chaotic situation forms the rest of the story.

Red Rain (Malayalam)

Streaming on: Sun NXT

Partially based on the real-life incident of the ‘red rain’ phenomenon that occurred in Kerala, the movie, starring Narain, revolves around Jay, a young scientist who specialises in the study of aliens and extraterrestrials. He sets out to uncover the mystery behind a series of strange occurrences in Kerala.