Globally renowned international entertainment database portal IMDb has revealed two India exclusive separate lists of the top ten most popular Indian films and web series which came out in the year 2021. As per IMDb, these films and series have consistently remained popular with IMDb users. Here’s the full list of the titles along with their OTT platforms.
Top 10 Most Popular Indian Films
10. Haseen Dillruba (Streaming on Netflix)
It’s a one-of-its-kind mystery thriller film that revolves around the murder investigation of a husband (Vikrant Massey) where the wife (Taapsee Pannu) is the suspect, and her description of their thorny marriage and infidelity adds further layers of mystery around the case. Is she telling the truth to the cops or is actually behind her husband’s murder, is narrated in further reels.
9. Drishyam 2 (Streaming on Amazon Prime Video)
‘Drishyam 2’ was helmed by Jeethu Joseph and featured veteran actor Mohanlal in the lead role. The sequel film is set six years after the events of ‘Drishyam’. Georgekutty’s family is still living under the fear of the impending consequences of the police investigation for the senior cop’s missing son. When the investigation comes back again to haunt his family, how the protagonist tries to deal with the situation to protect his family, forms the film’s plot.
8. Shiddat (Streaming on Disney+ Hotstar)
Directed by Kunal Deshmukh (Jannat, Tum Mile), ‘Shiddat’ is a romantic drama that narrates two parallel love stories which feature Radhika Madan, Sunny Kaushal, Mohit Raina, and Diana Penty in the lead roles.
7. Karnan (Streaming on Amazon Prime Video)
This Tamil language action film stars Dhanush in the titular role of a fearless and conservative villager and how he valiantly fights for the rights and justice of the oppressed village people
6. Mimi (Streaming on Netflix, Jio Cinema)
The film revolves around a poor woman and an aspiring actress (Kriti Sanon in a terrific form) who accepts an offer from a foreign couple – to become a surrogate mother for their child. However, due to an unforeseen incident, the goings-on take an unexpected turn in the protagonist’s life. The film also features Pankaj Tripathi in a beautifully etched role.
5. Sardar Udham (Streaming on Amazon Prime Video)
The intense historical drama ‘Sardar Udham’ starring Vicky Kaushal in the titular role is based on the life of the Indian revolutionary Udham Singh, who had assassinated former lieutenant governor of Punjab Michael O’Dwyer in London. The assassination was done to avenge the mass killings of many Indians at the barbaric Jallianwala Bagh massacre that happened on 13th April 1919 in Amritsar.
4. Master (Amazon Prime Video, Zee5, SunNXT, MX Player)
Another Tamil action film on this list, ‘Master’ revolves around the parallel stories of the film’s titular protagonist (played by Vijay), who is an alcoholic professor sent to a juvenile school, and its antagonist (Vijay Sethupathi), who is portrayed as a hardened gangster who deploys children for criminal activities. And what happens when eventually their plotlines intersect for their explosive face-off.
3. Sooryavanshi (Netflix)
Sooryavanshi is the fourth movie that belongs to Rohit Shetty’s cop universe film series comprising Singham and Simmba films. Sooryavanshi revolves around the titular cop DCP Veer Sooryavanshi (Akshay Kumar), who heads the Anti-Terrorism Squad and his attempt to avert a terrorist attack in Mumbai. The film also features Katrina Kaif, Ajay Devgn, Ranveer Singh, and Jackie Shroff in important roles.
2. Shershaah (Streaming on Amazon Prime Video)
Helmed by Vishnuvardhan, ‘Shershaah’ narrates the inspiring story of the courageous Captain Vikram Batra, a Param Veer Chakra awardee who was martyred in the Kargil War in the year 1999. In the film, Sidharth Malhotra had essayed the titular role of the incredibly brave Indian soldier.
1. Jai Bhim (Streaming on Amazon Prime Video)
Directed by T. J. Gnanavel, ‘Jai Bhim’ is an intense courtroom investigative drama that starts off with the story of a man from a primitive tribal community who is accused of stealing from an affluent house. Thereafter, he is taken into police custody and eventually goes missing. The man’s pregnant wife takes the help of an upright High Court advocate Chandru (Suriya) to find her missing husband. How the lawyer fights for the justice of the tribal couple, forms the rest of the film’s plot.
Top 10 Most Popular Indian Web Series
10. 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 others.
9. November Story (Streaming on Disney+ Hotstar)
It’s a seven-part mystery thriller show that revolves around an ethical hacker (played by Tamannaah Bhatia), who must save her father, a reputed crime novelist suffering from Alzheimer, from getting arrested for a murder committed in his own house.
8. Grahan (Streaming on Disney+ Hotstar)
Based on a book called Chaurasi written by Satya Vyas, this web series follows the investigation by an IPS officer to unearth the truth regarding her own father’s possible involvement in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. During the investigation, secrets are revealed about a love story amidst the 1984 riots.
7. Ray (Streaming on Netflix)
The Netflix anthology series ‘Ray’ spanning multiple genres is an on-screen adaptation inspired by four short stories by the legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray. The series has been created by Sayantan Mukherjee and directed by Srijit Mukherji, Abhishek Chaubey, and Vasan Bala. We recommend you especially watch the two segments namely ‘Bahrupiya’ starring Kay Kay Menon and ‘Hungama Kyun Hai Barpa’ starring Manoj Bajpayee and Gajraj Rao.
6. Candy (Streaming on Voot Select)
Richa Chadha and Ronit Roy play a corrupt cop and a distressed professor respectively in this whodunnit web series. The disparate duo team up to investigate the murder of a high school student amidst the backdrop of the titular candy sold to children.
5. Sunflower (Streaming on Zee5)
Zee5’s crime-thriller web series ‘Sunflower’ helmed by Vikas Bahl is a murder mystery with Sunil Grover in the lead role of a halfwit resident of a middle-class society called Sunflower. His careless and laid-back attitude brings him at the center of the murder investigation that happened within society’s premises.
4. The Last Hour (Streaming on Zee5)
The show’s plot revolves around an experienced cop (played by Sanjay Kapoor), who teams up with a local shaman (Karma Takapa) to solve a murder mystery. And the mysterious shaman is blessed with a secret gift by which he is somehow able to talk to dead people’s spirits to witness the last hour before their death.
3. The Family Man (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.
2. Dhindora (Streaming on YouTube)
Helmed by Bhuvan Bam, the comedy show boasts of a highly impressive IMDb rating of 9.7 based on more than 1 lakh user votes. The slice-of-life story narrates the happening of a typical middle-class family and their regular problems.
1. Aspirants (Streaming on YouTube)
The show 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. A gem of a show and, needless to say, a must-watch.
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