[ad_1]
Like every year, 2024 was full of ups and downs not only in theaters but also on OTT. Yet there was much to see throughout the year. We pick the best web series of 2024 – across genres, platforms and moods. (Also Read – HT Rewind: From Kanguva to Bade Miyan Chhote Miyan, big budget Indian films that flopped at the box office in 2024)
Poacher – Prime Video
When Alia Bhatt put her muscle behind a crime drama, it had to have some substance. Backed by his banner Eternal Sunshine Productions, this Malayalam miniseries was directed by Richie Mehta, best known for directing the International Emmy Award-winning show Delhi Crime (2019). Starring Roshan Mathew, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, Kani Kushruti and Nimisha Sajayan, the 8-episode series presented a gripping story about the ivory poaching racket in the forests of Kerala.
Read our review here.
Contents: Diamond Bazaar-Netflix
When Sanjay Leela Bhansali turns to elaborate storytelling, you pay attention. The 8-episode period drama revolved around the internal politics of Hiramandi courtesans in Lahore, Pakistan, against India’s independence movement in the 1940s. The show starred Bhansali colleagues like Manisha Koirala, Richa Chadha and Aditi Rao Hydari along with Sonakshi Sinha, Sanjeeda Sheikh, Farida Jalal, Fardeen Khan, Shekhar Suman, Adhyayan Suman, Sharmin Sehgal and Taha Shah Badusha.
Read our review here.
IC 814: Kandahar Hijack – Netflix
Anubhav Sinha also made his web series debut this year with the story of the historic hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight 814 in Kathmandu, Nepal in 1999, which changed the course of India’s fight against terrorism for decades to come. Co-produced by Anubhav and Trishant Srivastava and based on the script by Trishant and Adrian Levy, the 6-episode series features an ensemble cast of veteran actors. Artists like Vijay Verma, Pankaj Kapoor, Naseeruddin Shah, Manoj Pahwa, Kumud Mishra, Arvind Swamy, Dia Mirza, Aditya Srivastava and Dibyendu Bhattacharya made the show quite memorable.
Read our review here.
Call Me Bay – Prime Video
If these thrillers are too serious for you, we recommend Colin D’Cunha’s frothy but layered comedy. Ananya Panday plays her career-defining role of Bela Chaudhary aka Bey, a social media influencer who is rejected by her South Delhi family. Created by Ishita Moitra, this religious entertainment series traces her journey of becoming a tough news journalist in a prestigious news channel in Mumbai. The 8-episode series also stars Vir Das, Gurfateh Pirzada, Varun Sood, Vihaan Samat, Muskaan Jaffrey, Sayani Gupta, Lisa Mishra and Mini Mathur.
Read our review here.
Fabulous Lives vs. Bollywood Wives – Netflix
Season 3 of Dharmatic Entertainment’s reality show The Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives has got a new lease of life thanks to its Mumbai vs Delhi concept and new entrants. Joining the returning Bollywood wives – Neelam, Bhavana Pandey, Seema Sajdeh, and Maheep Kapoor – were the Delhi wives – Kalyani Chawla, Riddhima Kapoor, and the internet’s favorite – Shalini Pasi.
Read our review here.
Freedom at Midnight – SonyLIV
Nikhil Advani also moved towards narrative storytelling with his adaptation of Dominique Lapierre and Larry Collins’s 1975 bestseller of the same name. Recounting the 1942 to 1947 period of India’s freedom struggle and Partition, the 7-episode show stars Siddhant Gupta as Jawaharlal Nehru, Chirag Vohra as Mahatma Gandhi, Rajendra Chawla as Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. In, Arif Zakaria was featured as Mohammad Ali Jinnah.
Read our review here.
Yeh Kaali Kaali Aankhen Season 2 – Netflix
Another Netflix favorite was Siddharth Sengupta’s thrilling crime thriller titled, starring the impressive Tahir Raj Bhasin. It picks up right where season 1 left off in 2022. In fact, the second installment was described by many as an extended climax of Season 1, noting that it completely nailed it on a dramatic and narrative level. Starring Aanchal Singh, Shweta Tripathi, Saurabh Shukla, Brijendra Kala and Gurumeet Choudhary, Season 2 promises fast-paced thrills by the minute.
Read our review here.
Bandish Bandits season 2 – Prime Video
Prime Video also had a strong returning contender in the form of Anand Tiwari and Amritpal Singh Bindra’s musical romantic drama. Ritwik Bhowmik, Atul Kulkarni, Shreya Choudhary, Sheeba Chaddha, Rajesh Tailang and Kunal Roy Kapur reprise their roles from Season 1 (2020), and are also joined by Divya Dutta and scene-stealer Paresh Pahuja in this heady cocktail of romance, sociality. Vivek, and Indian classical music.
Read our review here.
[ad_2]
