Year 2020 has witnessed the release of an impressive assortment of shows that 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.
We sifted through all the scintillating shows that premiered on various streaming platforms, each one better than the next. After careful consideration, we arrived at a definite list that can be rightly called the best 50 shows of this year. Please note that this list is only devoted to Hindi language shows on OTT.
Here then is our Massive and Definitive List Of Top 50 Web Series Of 2020, starting from Number 50, making its way to Number 1!
50. Rasbhari
Platform: Amazon Prime Video
Rasbhari is a coming of age story of a young boy Nandu in Meerut, who falls for his new, sexy English teacher, Shanoo Madam. She is shown as the fantasy of every man, old or young. Within, no time she becomes the talk of the town. The show portrays how sexually suppressed Indians are. The show also throws light on the subject of patriarchy, hypocrisy, and how both genders play a role in it.
49. Never Kiss Your Best Friend
Platform – Zee5
Adapted from Sumrit Sahi’s novel of the same name, Never Kiss Your Best Friend follows two childhood friends Sumer and Tanie who meet again after 5 years. They start off as they ended their friendship 5 years ago and eventually grow close. Ultimately there comes a time when they realise that they are inseparable from each other and are in love. The story follows both Tanie and Sumer going through ups and downs together in their lives and between themselves.
48. Madhuri Talkies
Platform: MX Player
Madhuri Talkies is a revenge drama whose premise is relevant in today’s time. The series focuses on the story of a Banaras based resident who wants to take revenge on the people who gang-raped his lover Puneeta. He is further enraged when he sees that the video of the rape is being widely circulated and takes an oath to extract revenge from everybody that was involved. Madhuri Talkies sheds light on how the law and order don’t always assist you and sometimes you are forced to take matters into your own hands.
47. Lal Bazaar
Platform: Zee5
Zee5’s Lal Bazaar is the story of a rookie cop who investigates the murder of Ruby who is a prostitute. The case slowly starts to cause a lot of trouble and when another unit is assigned to this case, things start to go haywire as bodies start to pile up. Suranjan Sen is your typical cop who is willing to take the law into his hands. His unit gets involved and this brings us to the main story of Lal Bazaar. Why was Ruby so important and why has her investigation led to so many deaths forms the main premise of the show.
46. Crackdown
Platform: Voot Select
After the success of some of its initial original series, Voot Select released ‘Crackdown’ which centres around the Indian Intelligence agency, who find a victim but realise that they could land a bigger fish if they use this opportunity correctly. RP and Zorawar (Saqib Saleem and Iqbal Khan) do not get along very well with each other yet work together to disarm the threat to the nation. Crackdown also stars Shriya Pilgaonkar in a lead role and this thriller is a great way to engage the audience and keep them hooked to the screen.
45. Bhalla Calling Bhalla
Platform: Zee5
Zee5’s Bhalla calling Bhalla was shot entirely in the lockdown and showcases the different quirks and nuances of the Bhalla family. The lockdown forces all the members of the family to stay in different parts of the country thus making them realise the importance of family and the security that it provides. This lockdown special tries to show that despite all of our differences our family will always play an important role in our lives, especially in times of difficulty.
44. Betaal
Platform: Netflix
This Indian zombie series follows a group of Indian soldiers as they invade the Betaal Mountains and search for Naxalite rebels. They accidentally break a very old curse that was keeping the “Betaal spirit” in place. Once the spirit breaks free, it decides to take revenge by attacking the soldiers with the help of the dead bodies of the British East India Company.
43. Hostages Season 2
Platform: Disney+ Hotstar
Season 2 of the famous Hotstar series “Hostages” takes off exactly after a week of the happenings at the end of Season 1. Prithvi is hell bent on taking revenge from Chief Minister Handa. New characters are introduced in the new season, and the plot tightens around Prithvi and his team. Will Prithvi succeed in eliminating the corrupt Handa this time around?
42. Four More Shots Please S2
Platform: Amazon Prime Video
It is the second season for the series and the season starts from a point where it has been some time since the incidents of Season 1. None from the group of 4 are talking to each other though they fondly remember each other. It takes a trip to Istanbul for them to get back on track. While Damini is going back and forth between Jeh and Dr. Aamir, Umang is still not over Samaira and goes back to her as soon as she knows she is in depression. Siddhi is still trying to find her forte and she thinks standup comedy is it for her while Anjana struggles in her career and her personal life. As the four friends solve each other’s problems, they learn to enjoy life and not forget that they are there for each other.
41. High
Platform: MXPlayer
The show takes a look at the deep, dark world of drugs and the narcotics trade through the goings on at a drugs rehab centre. Shiv Mathur is a recovering drug addict who uncovers sinister happenings at the drug rehab centre that cures him of his addiction. The centre is connected with people in the drug business and a part of a flourishing drugs network.
40. Mannphodganj Ki Binny
Platform: MX Player
This MX original series follows a young girl Binny Bajpai who is turning 21 very soon. Because of her “coming of age”, her family decides to fix a match for her with an eligible bachelor. Binny has other plans in mind when two members of her family come with two very different suitors. What will Binny decide – choose the poor yet loving kind, choose the rich and sophisticated kind or choose somebody/ do something else entirely?
39. MUMbhai
Platform – Alt Balaji
MUMbhai was Alt Balaji’s attempt at making a gangster drama set in the 90s. The show follows a ruthless encounter specialist named Bhaskar Shetty who is feared by every gangster in Mumbai. But there is another whom everyone dreads – Rama Shetty, the most wanted ‘bhai’ of Mumbai who eventually rose to the top in the ranks of criminals. Now facing off against each other, the situation is tricky as both share a common past.
38. Marzi
Platform – Voot Select
Marzi is a mystery drama which follows the lives of Sameera Chauhan and Anurag Saraswat. Sameera Chauhan is a young woman who works as a teacher in a school, while Anurag is a respected surgeon. The two meet and go on a dinner date. Everything turns out perfect for the both of them as they get intimate after the dinner. The day after, Sameera claims that she has been raped and is confident that it’s Anurag who has done it. While there is no evidence to support the claim, Anurag himself is troubled by the claims. Who’s right?
37. Bhaukaal
Platform: MX Player
This crime-drama is based on Muzzafarnagar’s SSP Naveen Sikhera, an honest police officer, who is determined to clean the city of its criminals and bring people out of the fear of local gangs. He equips himself with the task of reforming the police force and ruining the plans of criminals trying to take control of the city. The last part of the series has gripping moments and is a decent watch for all those cop drama lovers.
36. Taj Mahal 1989
Platform: Netflix
A charming periodic romance drama set in the Lucknow of late 80s, Taj Mahal 1989 is an anthology of multiple love stories across various age groups. There’s a professor couple, University students, an old friend and his lover and a teen couple; how all these characters cross paths forms the crux of the story, each of which is linked to Taj Mahal either metaphorically or literally. The show offers some very fine performances and beautifully explores the deeper, unexplored layers of relationships. The ending of Taj Mahal 1989 is something to look out for.
35. Code M
Platform: Zee5/ALTBalaji
Code M is a mystery-thriller where two civilians are killed in an encounter and branded as terrorists. A military lawyer is brought in to sweep it all under the carpet. But as she proceeds with the case, she gets her hands on some shocking revelations that change the scenario from being an open and shut case to a complicated one. The show offers a good setup, with a few plot twists and a decent ending.
34. Mismatched
Platform: Netflix
A romantic comedy that mainly follows a tech needy girl Dimple and an old school romantic boy Rishi, Mismatched is a show that is just plain, simple and fun to watch. The show might look a little clichéd in parts but hits the right notes when it comes to capturing the butterfly emotions of first love/crush. The six-part series is well cast and offers the right mix of fun and emotions. Also, the music and BGM are other highlight points of the Netflix series.
33. Bicchho Ka Khel
Platform – Alt Balaji
Bicchho Ka Khel is a crime comedy set on the scenic locations of Varanasi. The story follows Akhil Shrivastav a young aspiring writer who lives and works with his father – Babu, in his sweet shop. Both father and son get entangled in a web of deceit created by some powerful people which leads to the murder of Babu. Akhil realises that the person behind him is Anil Chaubey a lawyer and decides to take revenge on him. But Anil Chaubey is the father of Akhil’s girlfriend – Rashmi.
32. Naxalbari
Platform: Zee5
The story revolves around Special Task Force agent Raghav Joshi who goes deep into a village in Maharashtra called Gadchiroli where the uprising of Naxals is becoming a menacing issue. He goes deep into the place to understand and unravel as to what actually has been going on. It was earlier a blast that made an impact and led the police and the government to take a look into it. As the show progresses one realises that the terrors were not just related to the blast or the village. The agents soon realise that it is forming a revolt that is spreading its wings into the bigger cities of the country to harm people and grab attention. It is now a matter of national security as secrets start to come out.
31. Mentalhood
Platform: Zee5 & ALTBalaji
Karishma Kapoor debuts in a web series for the first time in this dual-platform running digital series. Follow five moms and one dad as they navigate their lives and adjust to their children’s needs while staying strong for each other as well as their spouses.
30. Flesh
Platform: Eros Now
The show is an 8 episode miniseries starring Swara Bhaskar in the lead as a rowdy police officer, who often gets in trouble due to her rude behaviour and her way of solving crimes. This time, a case lands up on her desk that leads her directly to a human trafficking scene that is going around. The show shuffles between Mumbai and Kolkata, a 16 year old is abducted and this lady officer takes it upon herself to take out the ones that are in on the human trafficking scene.
29. Abhay
Platform: Zee5
Zee 5’s Abhay is a Kunal Khemu starrer and tells us the story of Abhay Pratap Singh who is the chief of the Special Task Force as he returns to solving gruesome and hideous crimes. But this time there is a twist as a kidnapper who is always a step ahead challenges him and Abhay requires his help to locate missing children. Abhay is a great watch for those who love dark and gory thrillers as this series has some twisted scenes which help us get a better understanding of the psyche of the criminals. Ram Kapoor and Kunal Khemu nail their roles in this thriller.
28. Bhaag Beanie Bhaag
Platform: Netflix
The story follows a young woman, Beanie Bhatnagar as she tries to create a career for herself in stand-up comedy while facing the scrutiny of her disappointed parents, struggling through her disappointing love life and fighting against her own inner critic. Swara Bhasker has given a terrific portrayal of Beanie.
27. The Raikar Case
Platform: Voot Select
When the youngest son of a powerful business family in Goa, the Naik Raikars is found dead, the world around them comes to stop. As the police rules out suicide, their investigation leads them to discover that every member of Naik Raikars has some dark secret to hide.
26. Hasmukh
Platform: Netflix
Hasmukh follows the journey of a stand-up comedian who wants to pursue his dream of becoming a renowned comedian. He initially works under Gulati, a comedian himself, but ends up killing him and taking his place in a show. This is where his journey of becoming a full-fledged comedian begins. He tries for shows but he realises that he can’t go ahead until and unless he kills someone. Along with his manager Jimmy, Hasmukh is able to get himself into a show and he finally feels like his dream is becoming a reality. This is where things start going south as his past catches up with him.
25. SHE
Platform: Netflix
SHE follows the story of an introvert Mumbai police constable Bhumika who has just come out of an abusive, sexually inactive marriage. Being the only earning member in her family and in a quest to prove her worth professionally, she somehow gets to be a crucial part of an anti-narcotics operation. While trying to honeytrap a drug baron and his boss, Bhumika discovers not only her dormant sexuality but also her true potential. The biggest highlights of SHE is its unique premise and the excellent performances by the stellar cast.
24. Hundred
Platform: Disney+ Hotstar
Young Netra Patil finds out that she has a terminal illness and has only 100 days to live. An ambitious cop ACP Saumya Shukla (portrayed by the brilliant Lara Dutta) meets her and decides to turn her into an undercover agent. The duo tries to fulfil their goals in the next hundred days which leads to insanity, action sequences and some heartfelt moments mixed with some subtle yet brilliant comedy.
23. A Simple Murder
Platform – SonyLIV
A Simple Murder is a dark comedy thriller. Manish, an aspiring entrepreneur is broke and lives the mundane life everyday with his wife, Richa. Richa is having an affair with her boss unknown to Manish. His life turns upside down when he is handed a hit job of a politician’s daughter. But the fun begins when he murders another woman who was the love of a cold-blooded assassin.
22. Breathe Into the Shadows
Platform: Amazon Prime
Breathe into the shadows is a psychological drama that centres on the life of a psychiatrist whose little daughter gets kidnapped and what ensues in utter pandemonium. With a stellar cast of Amit Sadh, Abhishek Bachchan, and Nitya Menen playing pivotal roles in the series, one is bound to be glued to the screen as the story continues to take twists that keep you hooked to the central theme of the story.
21. Aashram
Platform – MX Player
Aashram is the series which brought back Bobby Deol into the limelight. He plays the role of a self- proclaimed godman named ‘Baba Nirala’. The Prakash Jha directorial follows Baba Nirala and how he is worshipped as a god by his blind followers who’ll do anything for him. He is like a god in the city of Kashipur. While from the outside Baba Nirala seems to be a perfect godman, there are deep secrets inside as he is nothing but a conman and a womanizer.
20. Avrodh
Platform: SonyLiv
Avrodh is the story of the surgical strikes that were undertaken by the Indian army to avenge the attacks on the Indian soldiers in Uri. Stalwarts like Neeraj Kabi and Amit Sadh play pivotal roles in this series as it gives us a more in-depth understanding of what went on behind the scenes of this retaliation. There have already been other blockbuster projects which have been made on this incident and thus the story isn’t something new but a few of the finer details have been showcased to give us a better understanding of what happened.
19. The Gone Game
Platform: Voot Select
A taut and gripping web series, The Gone Game follows the Gujrals who are stuck at different places during the pandemic. Sahil Gujral who has returned from Thailand has quarantined himself as a necessary precaution. Soon enough he starts to show several possible symptoms of Coronavirus which bothers his family. After few days, news comes out from Sahil’s wife that he died in the hospital because of Coronavirus. But Sahil’s father and sister doubt the news and decide to investigate. Is Sahil alive?
18. The Forgotten Army
Platform: Amazon Prime Video
Based on true events, The Forgotten Army is about how the soldiers of the Indian National Army, organised by Subhash Chandra Bose, have largely become a forgotten chapter in history now. The series takes us down that memory lane and shows how people, both and women, at that time had come together to fight for their homeland and struggled for its independence. Strong performances by the lead actors are the lifeline of the show.
17. Pushpavalli S2
Platform: Amazon Prime Video
With a unique narrative, wonderful characterisation and a satirical tone through the series, Pushpavalli season 2 begins with Pushpavalli getting engaged to Vidyuth on her mother’s insistence. But she hasn’t moved on from the humiliation and rejection she got from Nikhil and plans to seek vengeance from him. For this she relocates to Bangalore, gets her old job back at the library and stays secretly at Vasu’s PG, all on the false premise of spending time with his new fiancé. Though this new season is a little eccentric in parts, it is entertaining for the most of it. Sumukhi Suresh is fabulous as Pushpavalli, as in season 1.
16. Your Honor
Platform: SonyLiv
An upright judge is mired in a problematic situation when he discovers that his son in involved in a hit and run accident. The judge is compelled to put his upright honesty and principles aside in order to save his only offspring. But a dogged police officer and his team aim to nail the actual perpetrator of the crime. A gripping story unfolds, as it is a race against time and his principles for the judge to save his son from a certain life sentence.
15. Undekhi
Platform: SonyLIV
Undekhi is a gripping crime drama that keeps one engaged till the end. Two murders, at two different places, but connected by a common thread – the story is a telling account of the excesses of the privileged in India. A terrific Dibyendu Bhattacharya, Apeksha Porwal and Surya Sharma hold the show together, keeping us on the edge of our seats. Harsh Chhaya, Ankur Rathee, Anchal Singh and Abhishek Chauhan, form the rest of the cast of this fast-paced, engaging thriller.
14. Churails
Platform: ZEE5
Churails is a Pakistani show, directed by Asim Abbasi and starring a delectable cast of Sarwat Gilani, Yasra Rizvi, Nimra Bucha, Meher Bano and Omair Rana. Brought to India by ZEE5 under its Zee Zindagi label, Churails is a vastly entertaining show that exposes the patriarchal mind-set of the Indian subcontinent. Four women from different strata of Pakistani society get together to start a secret society that specialises in putting wayward men in their place. It is a fun, irreverent and poignant show.
13. Afsos
Platform: Amazon Prime Video
Written by Anirban Dasgupta and Dibya Chatterjee, directed by Anubhuti Kashyap, and starring Gulshan Devaiah, Anjali Patil, Aakash Dahiya, Robin Das and Heeba Shah, Afsos is a delicious black comedy that straddles traditional Indian concepts of death and the afterlife. A depressed man fails to achieve his goal of committing suicide despite several attempts. He hires a professional assassin to finish off the job. When he changes his mind midway, there begins a hilarious cat and mouse chase, and then a shocking turn of events.
12. A Suitable Boy
Platform: Netflix
Mira Nair and BBC One’s adaptation of Vikram Seth’s expansive novel is a visual and sensorial delight. The superb direction and nuanced storytelling enhance the narrative and adapt it to modern sensibilities. Writer Andrew Davies does a marvellous job to restrict the bloated novel to a crisp plot. The performances are the highlight of the show, particularly those by Tanya Maniktala, Ishaan Khatter, Namit Das, Tabu, Mahira Kakkar, Ram Kapoor, Rasika Dugal, Vivek Gomber, Shahana Goswami and Aamir Bashir.
11. Bandish Bandits
Platform: Amazon Prime Video
Bandish Bandits features a refreshingly different story at its core, set against the backdrop of Shankar Mahadevan’s breathtaking music and the stunningly beautiful Jodhpur. The clash of modern versus traditional ¬¬– in both values as well as the style of music – is portrayed in an engaging way. The ensemble cast of Naseeruddin Shah, Atul Kulkarni, Rajesh Tailang, Amit Mistry, Sheeba Chaddha, Ritwik Bhowmik, Kunaal Roy Kapoor, Shreya Chaudhary, amongst others, do full justice to the terrific storyline.
10. Jamtara
Platform: Netflix
Netflix’s Jamtara has a unique and refreshing story at its core. It documents the real story of the flourishing phishing industry set in the tiny dusty town of Jamtara in Jharkhand. A bunch of Jamtara youngsters dupe big city folk into parting with their credit card details on flimsy grounds, and then siphon off their savings within minutes of getting the details. Things turn difficult for the gang when, on the one hand, the local don wants a slice of the pie; while on the other, the police slowly close in on them.
9. Illegal
Platform: Voot Select
Voot Select’s Illegal takes a hard, harsh look at the Indian legal system through the eyes of a young upcoming lawyer, Neharika Singh. Two high-profile cases form the crux of the story – a 15-year case of a woman on death row, which Neharika has to fight pro bono. And another, current one, involving the rape of her colleague at her previous law firm. The cases bring to the fore the stark realities of the judicial system (and justice) like no other.
8. Aarya
Platform: Disney Plus Hotstar
Aarya marked the return to showbiz of Bollywood diva and former Miss Universe Sushmita Sen. Sen plays a widowed mother of three who takes on the big bad world of the illegal drug trade after the death of her husband. In doing so, she storms every male bastion, turning into a tigress to protect her kids from harm. The slow-burn style of storytelling lends gravitas and panache to the series.
7. Mirzapur 2
Platform: Amazon Prime Video
Mirzapur 2 was easily one of the most-awaited sequels of an Indian web show, after the stupendous success of its predecessor Mirzapur. Steeped in the testosterone-fuelled, violence-driven world of Mirzapur, the show brought back popular characters such as Kaleen Bhaiya, Guddu Pandit, Munna Tripathi, and spawned new lynch-pins Beena Bhabhi, Golu and Chief Minister Madhuri. The sequel turned out to be as entertaining and gripping as the original.
6. Panchayat
Platform: Amazon Prime Video
Panchayat captures the spirit of the heartland of Uttar Pradesh with all its quirks. The homegrown flavour of Panchayat adds to its allure. This show is an interesting tweak to the Swades universe – where an urban-bred youngster discovers his country’s roots the hard way. It imaginatively casts a light on the struggles of a millennial in coming to terms with rural politics and man-management. Jeetendra Kumar shines in this TVF series.
5. Special Ops
Platform: Disney Plus Hotstar
Special Ops offers an intimate glance into the world of Indian Intelligence, the edgy, thankless lives of intelligence officers, often fraught with danger and how their contributions have remained invaluable in keeping terrorists at bay. Through the protagonist Himmat Singh, the show traces the journey of his team of specialised officers, in nabbing the mastermind behind six terror attacks over two decades, Hafiz Ali. The show is directed by Neeraj Pandey, the uncrowned King of spy dramas in the Indian entertainment space.
4. Paatal Lok
Platform: Amazon Prime Video
An impending attack on a top-rated journalist is foiled. Inspector Hathiram Choudhary is tasked with getting to the bottom of the case. As the story progresses, it unravels the underlying realities in the country – where the idea of justice is skewed, subjective, and varies from land to land. On a deeper level, Paatal Lok is an exploration of the human psyche, while also mirroring the various issues that the country is grappling with – religious extremism, gender sensitivity, caste-based violence, media accountability to name a few.
3. Asur
Platform: Voot Select
A series of gruesome murders has set the law and order machinery on edge. Forensic expert Nikhil Nair is called in to investigate the serial murders. As Nair delves into the murders, along with his junior, he is stunned by the reality and the delusional mindset of the serial killer, who fails to get a hang of the thin line between myth and reality. It is a compelling story of myth, science, and investigation, narrated with rootedness and a great eye for detailing.
2. State Of Siege 26/11
Platform: ZEE5
State of Siege 26/11 chronicles the horrifying terror attacks on Mumbai on 26th November 2008, narrated from the perspective of the courageous counter-attack by India’s elite NSG Commandos. The show focuses on the counter-attack of the NSG bravehearts, the planning that went into the operation, and its actual execution. It is a fast-paced, slickly produced, superbly told story of courage and conviction.
1. Scam 1992
Platform: SonyLIV
The top position in our list of Top 50 Web Series Of 2020 is most definitely deserved by SonyLIV’s Scam 1992. The show tells the story of the biggest stock market scam in India, the stock market scam of 1992, orchestrated by Big Bull Harshad Mehta. The series is based on Sucheta Dalal and Debashis Basu’s tell-all book, The Scam. It traces the spectacular rise and crushing fall of Harshad Mehta. Director Hansal Mehta has woven a gripping, immersive narrative, ably reproduced on screen by the astonishing performance of Pratik Gandhi as Harshad Mehta.
This then was our massive effort in bringing you the Top 50 web series of the year 2020. Hope you enjoyed going through it!
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