New seasons, major sequels and a Partition drama headline the UAE’s weekend watchlist.
UAE audiences have a packed weekend ahead, with a mix of new streaming releases and major films arriving in cinemas.
On the big screen, India’s Independence Day weekend brings several high-profile releases. The Partition drama Batwara 1947, starring Sunny Deol and Preity Zinta, goes up against Emraan Hashmi’s much-anticipated Awarapan 2. Suriya’s family drama Vishwanath & Sons also adds to a busy Tamil and Telugu release lineup.
Streaming platforms are equally busy. Cocktail 2 makes its OTT debut following a successful theatrical run, while Netflix premieres its three-part Mourinho documentary as the Special One returns to Real Madrid. Prime Video also brings back The Traitors India for a second season packed with secrets, strategy and betrayal.
New episodes of Reacher and Women in Blue round out the weekend’s streaming options, giving viewers plenty to choose from. Here’s a guide to the biggest releases, and where to watch them in the UAE.
1) Reacher Season 4 on Prime Video
Alan Ritchson returns as Jack Reacher in the fourth season of the hit action series, which premiered on Prime Video on August 12. The new season follows Reacher after a chance encounter with a distressed stranger on a Philadelphia subway pulls him into a dangerous mystery involving a missing flash drive and powerful enemies. The eight-episode season will release weekly after its three-episode premiere.
Reacher Season 4 returns to Prime Video on August 12, with the first three episodes releasing together, followed by five weekly episodes leading up to the September 16 finale. Alan Ritchson reprises his role as Jack Reacher, the former Army investigator who travels light but never seems to stay out of trouble.
2) Women in Blue Season 2 on Apple TV
Women in Blue (Las Azules) returns to Apple TV on August 12, with new episodes releasing weekly through September 30.
The Spanish-language crime drama follows Mexico City’s pioneering all-female police unit in the 1970s. In Season 2, María is promoted to lieutenant but finds herself caught between her duty to the police and her determination to uncover the truth after the body of a student activist is discovered. The investigation soon leads the officers towards the legacy of the 1968 student massacre, exposing corruption and long-buried secrets within the department.
Women in Blue (Las Azules) returns to Apple TV on August 12, with new episodes releasing weekly until the September 30 finale. Bárbara Mori, Ximena Sariñana, Natalia Téllez and Amorita Rasgado reprise their roles as María, Ángeles, Valentina and Gabina, Mexico’s pioneering female police officers, as the story moves into a new chapter in 1970s Mexico City.
This season sees María promoted to lieutenant, while the discovery of a murdered student activist draws the Azules into a wider investigation linked to the 1968 student massacre, one of the darkest episodes in Mexico’s history. The case uncovers deep-rooted police corruption and political secrets, putting the officers under pressure both within the department and beyond it.
Miguel Rodarte, Leonardo Sbaraglia and Bruno Bichir also return to the cast. Created by Fernando Rovzar and Pablo Aramendi, the Spanish-language crime drama continues to blend its historical setting with the real-life story of Mexico’s first female police force.
3) The Traitors Season 2 on Prime Video
The Traitors India returns to Prime Video on August 13, with Karan Johar back as host and 21 celebrity contestants entering the game of deception, alliances and betrayal. The new season is set once again at Suryagarh Palace in Jaisalmer, where contestants must identify the secret Traitors among them while competing to build a cash prize.
The lineup includes Munawar Faruqui, Mallika Sherawat, Rhea Chakraborty, Shweta Tiwari, Ranveer Brar and Abhishek Malhan, among others. The second season brings new twists to the format, with episodes releasing weekly on Thursdays.
4) Mourinho on Netflix
Mourinho arrives on Netflix on August 11 as a three-part documentary series offering unprecedented access to José Mourinho as he prepares for his return to Real Madrid.
The series traces Mourinho’s rise to football management and his journey to becoming one of the sport’s most celebrated and controversial figures. It features candid interviews with stars and former colleagues including Sir Alex Ferguson, John Terry, Iker Casillas, Zlatan Ibrahimović, Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard, alongside access to Mourinho himself.
Mourinho charts the career of José Mourinho, one of football’s most decorated and outspoken managers. Filmed over two years, the three-part series follows his journey from his surprise Champions League triumph with FC Porto through high-profile spells at Chelsea, Inter Milan and Real Madrid, arriving as he begins a second stint at the Spanish club.
Beyond the trophies, the documentary explores the personality, leadership style and controversies behind Mourinho’s “Special One” persona, with unprecedented access to the manager himself. Interviews with football legends including Sir Alex Ferguson, Zlatan Ibrahimović, Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard, Iker Casillas and Eden Hazard offer further insight into his career and influence on the game.
Produced by John Battsek, known for Beckham, and directed by Joe Pearlman, the series offers an intimate look at a manager whose career has been defined as much by controversy and personality as by silverware.
5) Cocktail 2 on Netflix
Cocktail 2, which hit cinemas in June, makes its OTT debut on Netflix on August 14. The spiritual sequel to the 2012 romantic comedy stars Shahid Kapoor, Kriti Sanon and Rashmika Mandanna, with Homi Adajania directing.
The film follows Kunal, a chef, and his longtime girlfriend Diya, an architect, whose relationship comes under pressure after years together and constant questions from their families about marriage. Hoping to escape the wedding-season scrutiny, the couple heads to Sicily for a holiday, where things take an unexpected turn when Diya’s free-spirited friend Ally enters the picture. The film received mixed reviews but enjoyed a strong commercial run at the box office.
Movies to watch
1) Batwara 1947
Batwara 1947 arrives in cinemas on August 14, just ahead of India’s Independence Day, bringing a Partition-era drama to the big screen. Directed by Rajkumar Santoshi and produced by Aamir Khan, the film stars Sunny Deol, Preity Zinta and Shabana Azmi, alongside Karan Deol, Ali Fazal and Abhimanyu Singh.
Based on Asghar Wajahat’s acclaimed play Jis Lahore Nai Vekhya, O Jamya E Nai, the story follows Sikander Mirza, a Muslim refugee who moves with his family to Lahore after Partition. Their newly allotted home, however, is still occupied by Mai, an elderly Hindu woman who refuses to leave. As communal tensions and violence escalate around them, the two sides develop an unexpected bond rooted in humanity, compassion and shared displacement.
The film features music by A. R. Rahman and lyrics by Javed Akhtar. It also faces a major box-office clash with Awarapan 2, which releases in the same week.
2) Vishwanath & Sons
Vishwanath & Sons arrives in cinemas on August 14, with Suriya playing Sanjay Vishwanath, an accomplished international shooter in his 40s whose pursuit of sporting excellence has come at the expense of family and personal life. Directed by Venky Atluri, the family drama also stars Mamitha Baiju, Radhika Sarathkumar and Raveena Tandon.
As age catches up with Sanjay and family responsibilities begin to weigh on him, the arrival of Maddy, a woman in her 20s, complicates his life and forces him to reconsider his priorities and what truly matters. The film was previously known as Suriya 46 and has a runtime of 161 minutes.
3) Awarapan 2
Emraan Hashmi returns as Shivam Pandit in Awarapan 2, the long-awaited sequel to the 2007 cult hit. Directed by Nitin Kakkar, the Hindi action-romantic drama also stars Disha Patani and Shabana Azmi and releases in cinemas on August 14.
The film finds Shivam drawn back into the criminal underworld, where love, sacrifice and the possibility of redemption become central to his journey. The sequel reunites audiences with the character 19 years after the original, promising a darker story of heartbreak, revenge and redemption.
Awarapan 2 arrives nearly 19 years after the 2007 original became a cult favourite. Emraan Hashmi reprises his role as Shivam Pandit, a man shaped by love and loss who is pulled back into the criminal underworld, setting him on a new path of conflict, redemption and sacrifice.
Disha Patani joins the cast as Zara, while Shabana Azmi plays Nafisa, a formidable new antagonist. Directed by Nitin Kakkar and produced by Vishesh Bhatt, the sequel was filmed across Mumbai, Rajasthan, Bangkok and Malaysia, and features music by Mithoon, Jeet Gannguli, Amaal Mallik and Akhil Sachdeva.
The film releases in cinemas on August 14, going head-to-head with Batwara 1947 over the Independence Day weekend.
