The web series trend has been growing in India for some time, but it boomed in 2020. This was the year that OTT platforms went fully mainstream and gained the attention of the masses. It brought about a vast number of new Indian shows, some of which were exceptionally well received. 2021 is expected to be an even bigger year for this form of entertainment. But before looking into the future, let’s remember some of the great offerings that came about in 2020.
The Casino
The casino industry is taking India by storm at the moment, thanks to the greater availability of the internet in the country. It has blown up to such an extent that sites have emerged like Genesis Casino in India. The well-known site is alluring itself to players there with its artwork and page design, along with bonuses that are specifically geared towards Indian players.
Needless to say, the time was ripe for a web series based on gambling games. The Casino – My Game, My Rules aired in 2020 on ZEE5 and ran for ten episodes. The thriller from the directorial duo of Hardik Gajjar and Tushar Bhatia was packed full of suspense, intrigue, and, of course, a satisfying amount of gambling action. It also gave debuts to potential future stars of Indian screen, Karanvir Bohra and Mandana Karimi.
Aarya
Disney+ Hotstar is one of the most popular entertainment subscription services in India at the moment, and this is thanks to the sheer wealth of great content that’s been dropping on the platform over the last year. One of the standout offerings is Aarya, a Hindi language crime drama from Ram Madhvani and Sandeep Modi.
The nine-episode series is based on the Dutch offering, Penoza, and is about a young woman who joins a mafia organization as a means to get revenge for her husband’s murder. The series garnered a highly positive response from critics, and Sushmita Sen was lauded for her performance in the title role. Due to the incredible popularity of the show, it has already been announced that a second season is in the pipeline.
Palatal Lok
Palatal Lok literally translates to “Hell,” and is a crime drama on Amazon Prime Video. The show follows a police detective who is tasked with investigating a botched assassination attempt. It was based on the 2010 novel, The Story of My Assassins, by Tarun Tejpal.
This gritty and dark thriller is arguably the best of the bunch when it comes to web series in India in 2020. It was nominated for and won numerous awards, and was also ranked as the number one Hindi Film/Series of 2020 by The HuffPost India and The Indian Express. Some have even hailed this as the best Indian series of all time.
2021 will most certainly bring about sequels to some of these amazing series for fans to get excited about. The best thing is, though, that these shows have set a precedent and raised the bar for television in the country. Now, people are going to come to expect great quality when it comes to web series.