Streaming entertainment in India has truly come of age in recent years. 2023 has been a particularly great year for Indian OTT content. The year witnessed a huge number of excellent shows releasing on myriad streaming platforms.
The impressive assortment of shows straddled diverse genres and remarkable storylines. Digital audiences have been treated to crime chronicles, comic capers, mafia memoirs, erotic escapades, and even hair-raising horror dramas thrown in for good measure.
With so many scintillating shows on streaming platforms, each one better than the next, it is certainly a tough task to choose the best web series of 2023.
But choose we must!
So here is our Big Binged Yearender: Top 50 Best Indian Series Of 2023 –
50. Iru Dhuruvam S2 – Sony LIV
Starting the list with a thriller, Iru Dhuruvam continues working on the remains of the first season. Though this season offers pretty weak writing, other aspects of it manage to make it an ‘ok-ish’ watch. Arun Prakash manages to offer good direction, but the second season is definitely a Prasanna show through and through. Also, the series ends with a pretty open tone, leaving room for future seasons.
49. City Of Dreams S3 – Disney Plus Hotstar
Hotstar’s own Indian House Of Cards is one of the most interesting political dramas currently streaming in the OTT space. The series is definitely thrilling, but it continues its temperament problems from the earlier seasons. Besides great character development, Priya Bapat and Atul Kulkarni again manage to steal the show.
48. Choona – Netflix
From India’s House Of Cards to India’s Money Heist, Choona, as the name suggests, doesn’t really deliver on its promises. Choona takes us on a rollercoaster of emotions, especially vengeance towards a known politician. It also has a good balance of humor and action, making it a good watch, but again, the writing pulls the credibility down a bit.
47. First Act – Prime Video
Adopting a serious tone, First Act focuses on a crucial aspect of the entertainment industry. The Docu Series focuses on the position of children in the industry as many former child stars narrate their tales. With shorter episode length and the spice of reality, this can be a good watch if you love documentaries.
46. Sandeep Bhaiya – YouTube
The first one from the beloved Aspirants universe and that too one of the most beloved characters, Sandeep Bhaiya showed massive potential but again, fails to deliver. Streaming on YouTube, this can be an easy watch for the fans of the universe as Sunny Hinduja nails the role once again. The show also showcases a good mixture of the past and present as Sandeep Bhaiya manages to make his way as a reputed government officer. It again has the same flaw as the character build-up would have been a tidbit better. Keeping that aside, it was loved by the fans.
45. The Village – Prime Video
The horror thriller looks good at first glance but fails to draw a lot of attention. An adaptation of a graphic novel, it does a fair job but couldn’t do justice to the substantial material. The lack of production is really visible through the series, and paired with a very mediocre screenplay, it fails to leave a mark. Aadukalam Naren and Muthukumar come out as two of the most important pillars of the show as they manage to pull off good onscreen performances.
44. Asur S2 – JioCinema
Suffering from second-season syndrome, Asur repeats the mistakes made by Sacred Games. The first season hits all the right spots, but the second one becomes mediocre with time. Building on the golden base of season 1, this also takes a deep dive into the minds of DJ, Nikhil, and Subh but again, becomes really predictable at some instances. Warsi does a phenomenal job as DJ, but the ending of the show does leave a bad taste among the viewers. Also, the horizon looks bright as there is still room for a questionable third season.
43. Half CA – Amazon MiniTV
From Sandeep Bhaiya’s IAS journey to a journey of a CA, India is slowly building a student verse of its own. Ahsaas manages to pull off the struggles of the students of CA whose world is really less discovered for the viewers. Gyanendra Tripathi also showcases his skills and manages to build a good character on screen. The screenplay had a lot of room to grow but that remains the only big flaw of the show as Half CA does promise full entertainment.
42. Taali – Jio Cinema
Sushmita Sen’s portrayal of the popular transgender activist Shreegauri Sawant is nothing short of amazing. She acts like a gem in this series and gives one of the best acting performances of her career. Her voice and mannerisms will impress the audience. The show explores the inspiring and transformative journey of the bold and fearless transgender activist Shreegauri Sawant. It is a well-made series.
41. Vadhuvu – Disney Plus Hotstar
Serving as the official Telugu remake of the hit Hoichoi series Indu, Vadhuvu is a perfect dose of sarcasm and suspense. It takes some time to build itself, but after the second episode, it takes our excitement to a whole new level. It also benefits from well-written characters and terrific performances, particularly from the leading lady, Avika Gor.
40. Chamak – Sony LIV
Chamak is undoubtedly one of the best SonyLIV originals this year. It captivated viewers with its stellar performances, impactful narrative, and soulful music. Speaking of performances, Paramvir Cheema and the veteran actor Manoj Pahwa shined the most in this project. Overall, it is an intriguing mystery thriller with lots of entertainment.
39. Dayaa – Disney Plus Hotstar
The year 2023 turned out pretty brilliant for JD Chakravarthy. In addition to his compelling performance in Taaza Khabar, the actor also mesmerises viewers with his portrayal of a freezer van driver in Dayaa. The series earned mostly positive reviews, with special praise directed towards the leading man’s performance. Dayaa’s life turns upside down after he finds a dead body inside his vehicle, causing big troubles for himself and his best buddy.
38. Taaza Khabar – Disney Plus Hotstar
Taaza Khabar marked the OTT debut of the prominent YouTuber Bhuvan Bam, who plays the protagonist, Vasant ‘Vasya’ Gawade, in the series. It is a rags-to-riches story with just enough twists and turns to keep you hooked. Apart from the leading man, the rest of the cast, including Mahesh Manjrekar, Shriya Pilgaonkar, JD Chakravarthy, Deven Bhojani, Shilpa Shukla, and more, do a brilliant job as well.
37. Rana Naidu – Netflix
Rana Naidu was a well-directed and written series for Netflix. It also maintained a balance between crime and family drama. The duo of Rana Daggubati and Venkatesh Daggubati looks in fine form. Overall, it is an engaging series from creator Karan Anshuman.
36. Class – Netflix
Class is one of those rare Indian adaptations that actually does justice to its source material: the hit Spanish teen drama series, Elite. Touching a wide range of social issues, such as homophobia, corruption, income inequality, casteism, child neglect, and more, this Netflix series not only serves as a brilliant and gripping series but also bestows several new talents like Anjali Sivaraman, Gurfateh Pirzada, and Piyush Khati.
35. Chhotolok – ZEE5
This Indranil Roychowdhury creation turned out to be one of the best Bengali shows of 2023. Uplifted by talents like Indrani Haldar, Damini Benny Basu, and Gaurav Chakrabarty, Chhotolok serves as a perfect crime thriller. It was praised for its performances, gripping storyline, music, and engaging pace.
34. Koose Munisamy Veerappan – ZEE5
Tamil documentary series ‘Koose Munisamy Veerappan’ is a gripping account of Veerappan’s life and times, using footage shot by acclaimed journalist Nakkeeran Gopal, for his Tamil publication, Nakkheeran. Nakkeeran Gopal was the first journalist to venture into the dense forests and interview Veerappan in his den several times. The series is directed by Sharath Jothi, and produced by Prabhavathi RV.
33. Koffee With Karan Season 8 – Disney Plus Hotstar
Filmmaker Karan Johar’s popular chat show has garnered brilliant views as always. Viewers just can’t seem to get enough of the master director’s intimate chats with Bollywood celebrities. The show is now in its eighth season, and still going strong.
32. Made In Heaven Season 2 – Prime Video
Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti’s new season of Made In Heaven is a mixed bag – a few compelling stories, several misses, a delightful new character and more. The series that centres on the drama and shenanigans, not to say, the patriarchy and the misogyny, around the big fat Indian wedding, enjoyed a commendable Season 2.
31. Charlie Chopra And The Mystery Of Solang Valley – Sony LIV
Master storyteller Vishal Bhardwaj ventures into web series territory with his adaptation of a classic Agatha Christie murder mystery. Headlined by rising star WamiQa Gabbi as snarky detective Charlie Chopra, the series follows her as she investigates a series of murders triggered by the death of a former army man.
30. Sweet Kaaram Coffee – Prime Video
Directed by Bejoy Nambiar, the feel-good Tamil series follows three women of different generations living in the same house, as they try to put themselves ahead of the people they are bound by. Starring Lakshmi, Madhoo and Santhy Balachandran as leads.
29. The Romantics – Netflix
Netflix’s ode to the film legacy of Yash Chopra and his YRF films. Through never-seen-before archival footage and one-on-ones with industry bigwigs, the four-part documentary series touches upon the far-reaching impact of Yash Chopra and his son Aditya Chopra on the Hindi film industry. A well-made and well-researched series.
28. Mathagam – Disney Plus Hotstar
Tamil series Mathagam is a gripping gangster drama, created and directed by Prasath Murugesa. It delves deep into the nexus between cops and gangsters in Chennai. The events of the series take place over one long day, in 30 hours, forming a taut, tense drama.
27. Save The Tigers – Disney Plus Hotstar
Telugu series Save The Tigers is a hilarious buddy comedy, centred on three married men who are henpecked and harassed by their dominant wives. The ‘tigers’ who need saving in the series are these three henpecked husbands. The story of ‘Save The Tigers’ revolves around how the three men find kinship due to their shared sorrow of ‘wifely’ harassment. Directed by Teja Kakumanu, the series is well-made and fun.
26. Kumari Srimathi – Amazon Prime Video
The series features Nithya Menen in the titular role of a 30-year-old woman Srimathi, who is not willing to get married. She wants to get her ancestral house back but to achieve that, she must overcome many obstacles in her village.
25. Kaalkoot – Jio Cinema
The crime drama series follows a determined police officer (Vijay Varma) and his attempt to solve an acid attack case while dealing with his own personal problems.
24. Aspirants Season 2 – Amazon Prime Video
It revolves around the relationship between three friends Abhilash, Guri, and SK and how they deal with their respective careers and friendship. It also features Sunny Hinduja as Sandeep bhaiya, whose ideologies clash with IAS officer Abhilash’s belief system.
23. Saas Bahu Aur Flamingo – Disney+ Hotstar
The crime drama series features Dimple Kapadia as a ruthless matriarch who rules a secret drug empire. But her pursuit of finding her heir sparks a succession war.
22. The Freelancer – Disney+ Hotstar
Neeraj Pandey’s action thriller revolves around a daredevil rescue mission undertaken by a fearless mercenary (Mohit Raina) to extract a young girl (Kashmira Pardeshi) from war-torn Syria.
21. Cinema Marte Dum Tak – Amazon Prime Video
The six-part docuseries gives us a sneak-peek behind-the-scenes look into the world of the B-grade film industry / pulp cinema of the 1990s period.
20. Ayali – ZEE5
It revolves around a teenage girl, who aspires to become a doctor. But her village follows an age-old practice of not educating the women and getting them married at a very young age.
19. School of Lies – Disney+ Hotstar
The mystery thriller revolves around the sudden disappearance of a 12-year-old boy from a private boarding school, thereby revealing some dark secrets about the place.
18. Mumbai Diaries Season 2 – Prime Video
The second season of the medical drama Mumbai Diaries delves deeper into the personal and professional lives of doctors and medical staff at Bombay General Hospital, highlighting their struggles, triumphs, and sacrifices.
17. Aarya Season 3 Part 1 – Disney+ Hotstar
The third installment of the popular crime drama Aarya, where the titular character confronts new threats and moral dilemmas while protecting her family and seeking justice. It is extremely well-made with an even tighter script and higher stakes. The only pain is Illa Arun who seems too over the top for the intense character she has been given.
16. Bambai Meri Jaan – Prime Video
The gangster drama series is set in the heart of Mumbai, exploring the lives of ordinary people as they navigate love, loss, ambition, and challenges in the city of dreams. It resonated well with the audience, particularly the character of Avinash Tiwary who nailed it to perfection.
15. Scam 2003 – Sony LIV
A financial crime drama based on the stock market scam of 2003 in India, highlighting the greed, manipulation, and corruption leading to the downfall of several institutions and individuals. Obviously, it could not recreate the magic of Scam 1992 but it was a nice show nonetheless.
14. The Night Manager – Disney+ Hotstar
A gripping spy thriller that follows the story of a former soldier recruited by an intelligence agency to infiltrate a notorious arms dealer’s organization, risking his life and uncovering a dangerous conspiracy. It is a remake of a BBC Show of the same name and it is a remake done right.
13. Kerala Crime Files – Disney+ Hotstar
A crime anthology series based on true cases in Kerala, showcasing the complexities and intricacies of criminal investigations and the challenges faced by the police in solving them. It is the first Malayalam original by Hotstar and a really great start per se.
12. Dhootha – Prime Video
A supernatural horror series that follows the journey of a man whose life was predicted in a newspaper. Naga Chaitanya did a really great job and Dhootha proves that the genre of horror has a lot more potential than what we imagine it to be.
11. Kaala Paani – Netflix India
A thrilling crime drama set in the picturesque locales of Kerala, delving into the lives of a police officer and a young man entangled in a web of deception, love, and betrayal. It got great reception and love from the audience who praised the performances and dark storyline.
10. The Hunt For Veerappan – Netflix
Netflix’s The Hunt For Veerappan is sharp, precise and perfectly paced. The narrative it weaves around the notorious bandit’s rise, rule and fall is disturbing, but riveting at the same time. The gritty and compelling docuseries delves deep into the mind and making of the dreaded gangster through archival footage and numerous one-on-one chats with prominent people associated with Veerappan’s life.
9. Dahaad – Prime Video
Prime Video and Excel Entertainment’s ‘Dahaad’ is a serial killer murder mystery, set in small-town Rajasthan. More than the crime drama, what makes Dahaad a riveting watch is the searing social commentary at the heart of the story, and the damning indictment of the ills plaguing patriarchal Indian society.
8. Farzi – Prime Video
Prime Video and Raj & DK’s Farzi is set in the backdrop of the widespread menace of counterfeit currency in India. A gifted but struggling sketch artist Sunny (Shahid Kapoor) is caught up in the world of crime, and uses his artistry to design and publish fake currency that looks and feels as good as the original. Farzi is a terrific addition to the evolving web series space in India.
7. The Railway Men – Netflix
Netflix’s ‘The Railway Men’ is set in the backdrop of the devastating 1984 Bhopal Gas Tragedy in the Union Carbide factory located in the centre of the city. It recounts the bravery of unsung heroes of the tragedy who showed unprecedented courage to steer as many victims to safety as they can.
6. Guns And Gulaabs – Netflix
Netflix and Raj & DK’s ‘Guns And Gulaabs’ is set in small town India of the nineties. The sleepy little town of Gulaabganj is a hotbed of crime, owing to its vast cultivation of opium. A big-ticket drug deal draws out the daggers amongst rival drug gangs.
5. Scoop – Netflix
Netflix and Hansal Mehta’s ‘Scoop’ tells the story of an ambitious crime reporter, Jagruti Pathak (Karishma Tanna), who is falsely implicated in the murder case of her fellow journalist and thrown into prison after being accused of conspiring with gangster Chhota Rajan in the murder.
4. Trial By Fire – Netflix
Netflix’s Trial By Fire is a compelling watch, a riveting retelling of the devastating fire that engulfed Uphaar Cinema in June 1997, and the relentless 25-year-long fight for justice, of bereaved parents Neelam and Shekhar Krishnamoorthy, who lost both their teenaged kids in the fire.
3. Rocket Boys Season 2 – Sony LIV
Sony LIV’s ‘Rocket Boys’ centres on the endeavours of Indian science’s towering luminaries, Homi J Bhabha (Jim Sarbh) and Vikram Sarabhai (Ishwak Singh), and their struggles to establish India’s nuclear and space programs, respectively. The story gets more intense in Rocket Boys Season 2, as the CIA, along with moles in the Indian establishment, attempt to scuttle India’s ambitious project to create its own nuclear bomb.
2. Kohrra – Netflix
Netflix’s ‘Kohrra’ is set in the backdrop of rural Punjab. A young NRI is found dead in a rural field just days before his wedding. When two world-weary cops, the veteran Balbir Singh (Suvinder Vicky) and his young subordinate Amarpal Garundi (Barun Sobti), dig deeper into the murder, it opens up a stink-hole of conspiracies and secrets.
1. Jubilee – Prime Video
Prime Video and Vikramaditya Motwane’s ‘Jubilee’ centres on the early days of Hindi cinema in Bombay, the city of dreams. Blending fact with fiction, the series tells the story of the rise of Hindi film stars of yesteryears, juxtaposed against the glamour, deceit, betrayals, manipulations that were a part of filmdom back in the forties and fifties.
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