The year 2022 proved to be one of consolidation and economy in the Indian streaming entertainment industry. Nearly every streaming platform churned out fewer web series this year, from biggies like Netflix, Prime Video and Disney Plus Hotstar, or the relatively smaller, homegrown ones like ZEE5 and SonyLIV.
The year also saw some excellent web shows in languages other than Hindi. Tamil and Telugu series really shone this year, to the extent that it’s a Tamil web series that has topped our annual list of “Top 50 Web Series on Indian OTT 2022”.
Without further ado, let’s get down to the business of listing the Top 50 Web Series on Indian OTT in 2022. Read on –
50. Fall – Disney+ Hotstar
The Tamil language mystery thriller web series follows a young woman named Divya (played by Anjali), who loses her memory 24 hours before her suicide attempt. As she attempts to unravel the truth, she soon realizes that she can’t trust anyone.
49. Fingertip Season 2 – ZEE5
Directed by Shivakar Srinivasan, the tech thriller series revolves around the lives of six persons who are in some way affected by the digital world and how their lives intersect with each other. Some of these characters are portrayed as victims while some are the wrongdoers in a world replete with cybercrime.
48. Physics Wallah – Amazon miniTV
The series is based on the life of Alakh Pandey (played by Shriidhar Dubey) – the founder of the ed-tech start-up Physics Wallah. It revolves around how the extraordinary Allahabad-born teacher built a revolutionary platform for students despite his hardships and struggles.
47. Masoom – Disney+ Hotstar
The six-episode psychological thriller series is a remake of the Irish show ‘Blood’ and features Boman Irani and Samara Tijori in the lead roles as a father-daughter duo. Set in Punjab, the show’s underlying story revolves around how the daughter confronts her father and wants to uncover the stark truth behind her mother’s mysterious death – a buried secret that everyone wishes to be remained hidden from her.
46. Tamil Rockerz- SonyLIV
The Tamil-language thriller series follows Rudra(Arun Vijay) as he heads a special team aimed at finding the lawbreakers behind the torrent site Tamil Rockerz and preventing a highly anticipated film from being leaked online.
45. The Great Indian Murder- Disney Plus Hotstar
The mystery drama series is based on the bestselling novel ‘Six Suspects’ and stars Richa Chadha(Fukrey) and Prathik Gandhi(Scam 1992). When notorious industrialist Vicky Rai gets killed at a party, the main suspects are the guests – both invited and uninvited.
44. Rangbaaz: Darr Ki Rajniti- ZEE5
The political environment around the 2010 Bihar elections raises a question mark on the fate of an imprisoned ex-MLA and MP of Dhiwan. The series traces the rise and fall of ‘Saheb’ Haroon Shah Ali Baig, a gangster-turned-politician, who was much loved and feared in Bihar.
43. Criminal Justice: Adhura Sach- Disney Plus Hotstar
The legal drama series starring Pankaj Tripathi, Shweta Basu Prasad, Purab Kohli and Swastika Mukherjee follows the murder case of a teenage celebrity. With her brother as the prime suspect, Madhav Mishra(Tripathi) takes up the case but realises he has to first tackle his client’s lies.
42. Saas Bahu Achaar Pvt Ltd- ZEE5
Based in the historic lanes of Chandni Chowk, Old Delhi, ‘Saas Bahu Aachar Pvt. Ltd.’ revolves around Suman(Amruta Subhash) who constantly struggles to set up an achaar business and kickstart her entrepreneurial journey. In this struggle with pure-hearted intent of getting her kids back from her ex-husband, Dilip, her support system is her ex mother-in-law.
41. Duranga – ZEE5
The crime thriller series is the Indian adaptation of the Korean series ‘Flower of Evil’. Ira(Drashti Dami) begins investigating multiple murders by the suspected accomplice of a serial killer, and it leads her to discover some revelations about her husband’s(Gulshan Devaiah) twisted past.
40. Gaalivaana – ZEE5
A crime and murder mystery, Gaalivaana centres on the twin murders of a newly married couple, and its dark and devastating consequences on their families who seek retribution and vengeance. Directed by Sharan Koppisetty, starring Raadhika Sarathkumar, Sai Kumar, Chandini Chowdary, Nandini Rai, Chaitanya Krishna, Thagubothu Ramesh, among others.
39. Breathe Into the Shadows Season 2 – Amazon Prime Video
Unhinged serial killer J (Abhishek Bachchan) has a new accomplice in his murder spree this season of Breathe: Into The Shadows. Victor (Naveen Kasturia) is an equally disturbed character, but is also tech-savvy and polished in his crimes. Which puts both on the radar of ACP Kabir Sawant (Amit Sadh).
38. Aar Ya Paar – Disney Plus Hotstar
Aar Ya Paar centres on a young tribal braveheart (Aditya Rawal), who takes on a greedy corporate honcho (Ashish Vidyarthi) and a corrupt power-hungry cop (Sumeet Vyas), to save his pristine tribal land from the mining mafia.
37. Parampara Season 2 – Disney Plus Hotstar
Parampara Again takes the crime drama forward, with family, power and politics being the main driving factors. Jagapathy Babu and R. Sarath Kumar play brothers Mohan Rao and Naidu. Naidu is wily, ruthless and selfish, and uses his brother for political gains. The real drama begins when their sons, played by Naveen Chandra and Ishan, step into the world of power politics.
36. Anantham – ZEE5
Directed by V. Priya, Anantham stars Prakash Raj, Sampath Raj, John Vijay, Arjunan, Mathew Varghese and Indraja. The series features a family home that witnesses poignant life stories of the people that live at different times in that home.
35. Dharavi Bank – MX Player
Powerful ganglord Thalaivan (Sunil Shetty) rules over his criminal fiefdom from the slums of Dharavi. JCP Jayant Gavaskar (Vivek Oberoi) is tasked with bringing down Thalaivan and his gang at any cost.
34. Sutliyan – Zee5
Sutliyan literally means soft ropes. That is what keeps an average Indian family together and it is a typical family drama. On the occasion of Diwali, the family comes home but COVID had already snatched away the head of the family.
33. Pitchers Season 2 – Zee5
After 7 long years, Pitchers came back. Zee5 grabbed this jackpot and viewers loved it too. Although Jeetu and some charms were clearly missing in the second season, Pitchers was a win-win for both Zee5 and TVF.
32. Abhay Season 3 – Zee5
Abhay Season 3 is more violent, raw, and even dark. Abhay is now head-on against a cult leader played by Vijay Raaz. Belief can make anyone go rogue and Abhay has to do everything for stopping it.
31. Apharan Season 2 – Voot Select
After the successful first season, the second season of Apaharan is on a grander level. Within just a month, RAW loses 9 officers, and the task of catching the mastermind behind stretches as far as Serbia.
30. Rudra: The Edge of Darkness – Disney+ Hotstar
Ajay Devgn starred in this big and buzzy series which is a remake of the BBC series Luther. DCP Rudra finds a hardcore criminal in a pathetic state and later investigations keep the show running.
29. Masaba Masaba Season 2 – Netflix
The show starring Masaba Gupta and Neena Gupta is the fictionalized story of Masaba’s real life. The Netflix series deals with her daily life where she tries to bring a balance between her professional and personal life.
28. The Fame Game – Netflix
When India’s most famous actress goes missing, the search for her chips away at the flawless facade of her life and family, revealing painful truths. Madhuri Dixit nails her part and how we wish she got movies with meatier parts like Anamika Anand.
27. Tanaav – SonyLIV
An official remake of the Israeli TV series Fauda, the gripping socio-political thriller set in 2017, revolves around the conflict between state-run Special Task Group (STG) and insurgents in the Kashmir Valley. If you’ve liked the original, the remake might or might not work for you.
26. Mad Company – Aha
A passionate actor and popular movie star, AK founds MAD company that provides emotional service to clients in need. AK’s nemesis Amaran on the other hand owns a news channel. He commands his team that ruining MAD company’s reputation is his only goal. This uneven show, still has its moments and a lovely core idea.
25. Putham Puthu Kaalai Vidiyaadha – Amazon Prime Video
This anthology series consists of five episodes, set during the second wave of covid-19 pandemic times. Halitha Shameem’s Loners and Madhumitha’s ‘Mouname Paarvayaai’ are the highlights.
24. Kaiyum Kalavum – SonyLIV
This laugh riot brings together a compulsive thief and an unlucky pickpocket. Each time they pull off a theft, they find themselves close to each other. One of the good regional shows this year that deserved more eye-balls.
23. Maharani Season 2 – SonyLIV
The story of Maharani season 2 is based on real life events and characters like Shilpi-Gautam Murder, Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) and 2000 Bihar Legislative Assembly elections. Huma Quresh is the life of the series and Sohum Shah gives the right anchor.
22. Vilangu – ZEE5
‘Vilangu’ centres around a police officer Paridhi who struggles to balance his personal and professional life as he gets caught up in three back-to-back cases. These include a jewellery theft in a house, a decomposed dead body without a head and a cold-blooded murder. The series follows Paridhi as he comes across unexpected events during the perplexing investigation.
21. Qubool Hai? – Aha Video
Amid poverty and hardships in Talabkatta, a father is forced to sell his 12-year-old daughter (Ameena) to a rich old man. Meanwhile, Bhanu, a new police officer in Talab Katta Police Station, decides to take on the dark business of child trafficking. During this process, he happens to discover many uncovered facts.
20. The Broken News – ZEE5
‘The Broken News’ follows the story of two Indian news channels which have opposing principles that leads to a fierce rivalry. The dynamic journalists attempt to balance their lives while facing an uncertain future.
19. Recce – ZEE5
Set in Tadipatri, Andhra Pradesh in the year 1992, a greedy and lust filled son hires people to kill his father not realising he will end up failing to his own demise. When a police officer starts investigating the murders, he uncovers the underbelly of familial relationships that when consumed by jealousy, lust and greed, makes even one’s own families lethal.
18. Undekhi Season 2 – SonyLIV
After a cliff-hanger ending in season 1, ‘Undekhi’ season 2 has a new character Abhaya rescuing Koyal. Meanwhile Teji and Daman come together to fight back the Atwals who will go to any lengths to bury the truth, remove the pawns who come in their way and keep the real operations of their pharmaceutical business partners, Azra-Esher under wraps.
17. CAT – Netflix
‘CAT’ is a crime thriller series about an innocent man who is thrown into a deep, drug trafficking conspiracy between gang lords, cops and political powers. It’s the story of a former police informant who must become an informant once again and come to terms with his dark past to save his brother’s life.
16. Human – Disney+ Hotstar
‘Human’ is a medical thriller directed by Vipul Amrutlal Shah and Mozez Singh. It stars strong actors like Shefali Shah, Kirti Kulhari and Vishal Jethwa. The 10-episode show tells the story of medical scams, human drug testing and tries to expose scams of large private hospitals and nexus between pharma companies.
15. Vadhandhi: The Fable of Velonie- Amazon Prime Video
The mystery thriller ‘Vadhandhi’ is written and directed by Andrew Louis and is the second collaboration of Pushkar & Gayatri with Prime Video. The series tells the story of the murder of a beautiful young girl and an obsessed police officer who investigates the case.
14. Pettaikaali – Aha Tamil
‘Pettaikaali’ is directed by Raj Kumar and stars actors like Kalaiyarasan, Sheela Rajkumar and Bala Hasan. The show is based on the bull-chasing sport of Tamilnadu, ‘Jallikattu’ and comprises 8 episodes.
13. Mukhbir: The Story of a Spy – Zee5
The 8 episode spy thriller is directed by Shivam Nair and Jayprad Desai and stars Prakash Raj, Zain Khan Durrani, Adil Hussain and Harsh Chhaya. Mukhbir is the story of a spy who goes to Pakistan to gather information after the Sino-India war.
12. Ghar Waapsi – Disney+ Hotstar
‘Ghar Waapsi’ is a family drama directed by Ruchir Arun and stars Vishal Vashishtha, Atul Shrivastava, Vibha Chibber, Anushka Kaushik. It revolves around Shekhar who returns to his hometown after losing his job but keeps it a secret.
11. Mai: A Mother’s Rage – Netflix
Starring Sakshi Tanwar, Raima Sen, Wamiqa Gabbi, Prashant Narayanan, ‘Mai’ is a gritty revenge tale where a grieving mother tries to find out the criminals behind her daughter’s death. The 6-episode thriller is directed by Anshai Lal and Atul Mongia.
10. Jamtara Season 2 – Netflix
‘Jamtara: Sabka Number Aayega’ S2 is directed by Soumendra Padhi and has a cast of actors like Sparsh Srivastava, Amit Sial, Monika Pawar, Anshumaan Pushkar, Dibyendu Bhattacharya etc. It is the sequel to the Netflix original Jamtara, based on cyber criminals in Jamtara, a small town of Jharkhand.
9. Khakee: The Bihar Chapter – Netflix
Khakee is Neeraj Pandey’s Netflix debut and stars Karan Tacker and Avinash Tiwari in the lead. The Netflix original is based on IPS officer Amit Lodha’s well-known book ‘Bihar Diaries’, which centres on the largest ever police manhunt in Bihar, to capture wily criminal Chandan Mahto.
8. Delhi Crime Season 2 – Netflix
Richie Mehta and Tanuj Chopra’s directorial ‘Delhi Crime S2’ stars actors like Shefali Shah, Rasika Dugal, Adil Hussain, Rajesh Tailang and others. The second season focuses on DCP Vartika Chaturvedi’s endeavor to capture the notorious and dangerous ‘Chaddi Baniyan Gang’, that has wreaked havoc in Delhi.
7. Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein – Netflix
‘Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein’ is a romantic crime thriller directed by Sidharth Sengupta. It stars Tahir Raj Bhasin, Shweta Tripathi, Anchal Singh in the lead roles. The daughter of a rich and powerful politician falls in love with a simple boy and marries him against his wishes, thus kicking off a chain of events.
6. Gullak Season 3 – SonyLIV
Jameel Khan, Geetanjali Kulkarni, Vaibhav Raj Gupta and Harsh Mayar reprise their respective roles in The Viral Fever’s Gullak Season 3, as the Mishra family continue to entertain us with their shenanigans.
5. Hush Hush – Amazon Prime Video
Directed by Tanuja Chandra, and starring Juhi Chawla, Ayesha Jhulka, Karishma Tanna, Kritika Kamra, Soha Ali Khan and Shahana Goswami, Hush Hush tells the story of five interconnected women, whose lives get upended when a shattering event occurs, exposing a web of lies, deceit and betrayal.
4. Rocket Boys – SonyLIV
Directed by Abhay Pannu, ‘Rocket Boys’ tells the inspiring story of two extraordinary men Dr. Homi Jehangir Bhabha and Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, and how they pioneered India’s Space and Nuclear Programmes. It also shows the rise of A.P.J Abdul Kalam as a young talent in India’s space and defence technologies.
3. Guilty Minds – Amazon Prime Video
‘Guilty Minds’ is a courtroom drama, written and directed by Shefali Bhushan and Jayant Digambar Somalkar. It stars Shriya Pilgaonkar, Varun Mitra, Sugandha Garg, Satish Kaushik, among others, and centres on intriguing court cases and their resolutions, while focusing on their moral and legal repercussions.
2. Panchayat Season 2 – Amazon Prime Video
Directed by Deepak Kumar Mishra, Panchayat Season 2 sees Jitendra Kumar, Raghubir Yadav, Neena Gupta, Chandan Roy, Faisal Malik reprise their respective roles in The Viral Fever’s quaint and quirky slice-of-life drama.
1. Suzhal: The Vortex – Amazon Prime Video
‘Suzhal: The Vortex’ is a crime thriller created by Pushkar and Gayatri, starring Kathir, Aishwarya Rajesh, R. Parthiban, Harish Uthaman, Sriya Reddy, among others. Suzhal tells the story of a small-town, close-knit community in the Nilgiris, where multiple stories of kidnapping and arson unfold, which go back to the childhood trauma of the protagonist.
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