The year 2021 is on the verge of ending and like last year, this one too was quite exciting for Indian OTT audiences. Indian OTT platforms have been churning out some fine streaming audiences. Some of them became instant favorites amongst OTT viewers while some others couldn’t click with the target audience. In this article, we have compiled a list of the top ten Indian web series that came out in the year 2021 and entertained us with their brilliance.
10. Special Ops 1.5 (Streaming on Disney+ Hotstar)
Created by Neeraj Pandey, ‘Special Ops 1.5’ is a spy-thriller show that belongs to the same universe as the acclaimed series ‘Special Ops’ helmed by the gifted filmmaker and it featured Kay Kay Menon in the lead role. The show chronicles the engaging backstory and the formative years of its protagonist – the relentless R&AW analyst Himmat Singh. It also features Vinay Pathak, Aftab Shivdasani, and Gautami Kapoor, amongst others.
9. Aarya Season 2 (Streaming on Disney+ Hotstar)
Based on a Dutch series called ‘Penoza’, Aarya’s first season revolved around the titular protagonist (Sushmita Sen), and how she is forced to manage her husband’s (Chandrachur Singh in a wonderful cameo) illegal drug business after he is murdered by a mysterious killer. How the naïve housewife turns into a fierce woman in order to protect her family forms the rest of the show’s plot. The show’s second season further delves into the struggles of Sushmita Sen’s titular character as a ‘working mother’ and her attempt to keep her children safe while dealing with the Russians, her own family, old enemies, and the cops.
8. Mumbai Diaries 26/11 (Streaming on Amazon Prime Video)
It’s a gripping medical thriller show which follows the extraordinary events in the emergency room of Bombay General hospital set amidst the backdrop of the abominable 26th November 2008 Mumbai attacks. The plotline primarily revolves around the hospital’s staff members and how they concurrently deal with the patients and the terrorists. It features a talented cast that includes Konkona Sen Sharma, Mohit Raina, and Shreya Dhanwanthary, amongst other talented cast members.
7. Aranyak (Streaming on Netflix)
The Netflix crime drama series starring Raveena Tandon, Parambrata Chatterjee and Ashutosh Rana revolves around the investigation of a missing foreign teenage tourist by two disparate cops which leads them to a mythical killer creature lurking in the forest.
6. Gullak Season 2 (Streaming on SonyLIV)
The show follows the extraordinary tales of an ordinary North Indian small-town family comprising parents Santosh Mishra, Shanti Mishra, and their two sons Annu and Aman. The episodes revolve around quotidian yet heart-warming subjects like sibling fights, the sons’ tantrums, etc. A must-watch web series for those who want to relax and unwind and a break from the world of crime dramas and soap operas.
5. Mandaar (Streaming on Hoichoi)
Acclaimed actor Anirban Bhattacharya has turned director for this adaptation of William Shakespeare’s renowned play Macbeth. It features Debasish Mondal in the titular role and also features Sohini Sarkar, Debesh Roy Chowdhury, and Anirban Bhattacharya in important roles. Previously, Vishal Bhardwaj had also made a film ‘Maqbool’ based on the same play starring Irrfan Khan, Tabu, and Pankaj Kapur.
4. Kota Factory Season 2 (Streaming on Netflix)
‘Kota Factory’ is a show that narrates the aspirations and struggles of IIT-JEE aspirants. The goings-on take the viewers near the banks of the Chambal River in the bustling Rajasthani city – Kota. The story is told from the perspective of an IIT aspirant named Vaibhav (Mayur More) and transports us to the world of coaching centers, the student life at Kota, mess food, student-teacher bonding, and innocent romantic rendezvous. Season 2 further moves forward with Vaibhav’s interesting story arc.
3. Tabbar (Streaming on SonyLIV)
‘Tabbar’, which means family in Punjabi, is a truly gripping family drama-thriller that narrates the tale of the members of the middle-class Singh family in Jalandhar. When an unfortunate accident occurs, to what extent can the family’s patriarch – a former cop (Pawan Malhotra) and other members go to save their family from a powerful man (Ranvir Shorey), forms the rest of the show’s plot.
2. Aspirants (Streaming on YouTube, TVF Play)
‘Aspirants’ revolves around the relationship between three friends Abhilash (Naveen Kasturia), SK (Abhilash Thapliyal), and Guri (Shivankit Singh Parihar). Their story is narrated in two timelines. One timeline follows the three friends and their relationships while toiling to crack the grueling UPSC exam. The other timeline takes us back to the present where one of the friends is now an IAS officer, but their camaraderie has for some reason taken a hit. It’s the only Indian show from 2021 that’s on the IMDb top 250 list.
1. The Family Man Season 2 (Streaming on Amazon Prime Video)
Created by Raj & DK, the show follows the daredevil adventures of a middle-class family man (brilliantly played by Manoj Bajpayee), who balances his quotidian family life with an elite, high-risk job of being a world-class spy. While keeping his job a secret from his family, the show follows his mission to protect his country from terrorists at any cost. The Family Man S2 managed to even surpass major filmmaking parameters of the critically acclimated opening season.
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