We are already half way through the year and it’s time we recollect the best Indian web series that have come up till now in 2024. While many shows have arrived, not all could make a lasting impact on our minds but we have curated a list of the top 10 Indian shows that entertained us so far.
During the process of making this list it became quite clear that The Viral Fever was the front runner when it came to delivering some of the best shows of the year. Some big names like Sanjay Leela Bhansali made his foray into the world of web series with an epic drama. Also, the list consists of returning seasons of many of the already popular shows.
Without further ado, here we present to you the list (in no particular order) of top 10 Indian shows in the first half of 2024 that stood out from the rest:
Panchayat Season 3
Streaming on: Amazon Prime Video
One of the most awaited show of the year was TVF’s ‘Panchayat’ season 3 and despite its impressive nature this new season wasn’t the treat everyone was expecting. The plot seems to have digressed a bit from its simplistic and heartwarming tone but still managed to do well because of the perfect casting and well etched characters.
Director: Deepak Kumar Mishra
Cast: Jitendra Kumar, Neena Gupta, Raghubir Yadav, Faisal Malik, Chandan Roy, Sanvikaa
Kota Factory Season 3
Streaming on: Netflix
In this third season, the lead trio is all set to face the examination they had been preparing for till now. Meanwhile Jeetu Bhaiya is on the verge of mental breakdown and is looking beyond Kota. The show once again offers an insight and a nuanced understanding of the student’s trauma not just in their studies but also the problems that come along with teenage. The latest addition to the cast Tillotma Shome impresses and brings freshness to the show. The last two episodes are all hearts. Although the show gets excessively preachy and information heavy and lacks newness this time.
Director: Pratish Mehta
Showrunner: Raghav Subbu
Cast: Jitendra Kumar, Mayur More, Ranjan Raj, Alam Khan, Revathi Pillai, Ahsaas Channa, and Rajesh Kumar, Tillotama Shome
Paruvu
Streaming on: Zee5
This crime drama is a thrilling, spine chilling take on a social evil. The performances in this Telugu show are just phenomenally exceptional with every actor doing justice to their characters be it Nivetha Pethuraj, Naresh Agastya, Naga Babu or Praneeta Patnaik. The makers smartly camouflage the perils of a social evil in the garb of an arresting thriller. They have also created a strong bunch of characters with differences in ideologies and caught in their own web of mystery. The plot is superb and layered and the narrative is fast paced that keeps you on the edge throughout. Though it might get too heavy at times with overdose of twists.
Creator: Pavan Sadineni
Director: Siddharth Naidu, Rajashekhar Vadlapati
Cast: Nivetha Pethuraj, Naresh Agastya, Naga Babu, Praneeta Patnaik, Bindu Chandramouli, Sammeta Gandhi, Raj Kumar Kasireddy, Moin, Dil Ramesh, Sunil Kommisetty.
Poacher
Streaming on: Amazon Prime Video
‘Poacher’ is Richie Mehta’s masterly investigative drama that’s like a love letter to Mother Nature. Originally created in Malayalam, the series is a spine-chilling thriller about a group of Indian Forest Service officers, NGO workers, police constaables and good samaritans risk their lives trying to track down the biggest elephant ivory poachers in the history of India and bring them to justice. The show is outstanding with arresting narrative, splendid performances and terrific technical finesse. The only drawback might be the occasional monotony.
Director: Richie Mehta
Cast: Nimisha Sajayan, Roshan Mathew, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, Ankith Madhav, Kani Kusruti, Suraj Pops, Ranjitha Menon, Vinod Sharawat, Sanoop Dinesh
Gaanth Part 1: Jamna Paar
Streaming on: Jio Cinema
This show is inspired from the infamous Burari case and is fourth such show made on the incident. Made as a police procedural drama, the show is more of a sociological study of the environment that drives crime, examining it through the lens of the police force, media and an ignored nurse in a neighbourhood. There’s drama, suspense, and gritty performances with a few cinematic exaggerations and sluggish pace at times.
Director: Kanishk Varma
Cast: Manav Vij, Monika Panwar, Saloni Batra, Gaurav Mishra, Gopal Dutt, Shravan Borana, Naved Aslam, Ajit Koshy, Neha Iyer, Rajesh Tailang, Bachan Pachehra, Sidharth Bhardwaj
Gullak Season 4
Streaming on: SonyLIV
Once again the Mishra family charms their way into the audience’s hearts with this fourth season. It serves as a natural extension of the show and does not look forced at any point. The show’s writing is such that there’s an old world charm in a modern day setting. The dynamics are taking a shift in this middle class household as children are coming-of-age and parents have to adapt to accommodate. The way they handle the troubles that come their way, the joys and sorrows they share feel so realistic that it touches somehwere deep inside the heart and makes you feel sitting next to them.
Director: Amrit Raj Gupta, Palash Vaswani, Shreyansh Pandey
Cast: Jameel Khan, Geetanjali Kulkarni, Vaibhav Raj Gupta, Harsh Mayar, Sunita Rajwar, Shivankit Singh Parihar
The Legend of Hanuman Season 4
Streaming on: Disney+ Hotstar
An animated fantasy drama, this new season of ‘The Legend of Hanuman’ is an appealing retelling of the Ramayana. This time Hanuman is up against Raavan’s mighty brother Kumbkaran. The show’s long format helps dive into details and tap into many layers. The storytelling is enriching and brings in newer perspectives. There’s technical finesse in the show’s world building that looks grand.
Creators: Sharad Devarajan, Jeevan J. Kang, Charuvi Agrawal
Voice artists: Sanket Mhatre, Surbhi Pandey, Damandeep Singh Bagan, Vikrant Chaturvedi, Richard Joel, and Sharad Kelkar
The Broken News Season 2
Streaming on: Zee5
If the delectably scripted first season was about two influential media houses with contrasting approaches to journalism, the battle gets personal, bitter and uglier in the second instalment of ‘The Broken News’. It’s bigger, exaggerated but still engaging because of its immersive narrative, fabulous performances and incisive look into journalism.
Director: Vinay Waikul
Cast: Sonali Bendre, Jaideep Ahlawat, Shriya Pilgaonkar, Indranil Sengupta, Faisal Rashid, Sanjeeta Bhattacharya, Kiran Kumar and Taaruk Raina
Maharani Season 3
Streaming on: SonyLIV
Following Bheema Bharti’s death, the blame falls on Rani Bharti who faces unjust imprisonment for three years while Navin Kumar assumes the CM position. What follows is a chilling narrative of vengeance and Huma Qureshi dominating this massy political drama. After a rousing debut season, and an equally excellent second season, ‘Maharani’ dips somewhat in grip and pace in its latest Season 3. Good performances, massy story and non-preachy stance are some of the highlights of this season.
Creator: Subhash Kapoor
Cast: Huma Qureshi, Amit Sial, Pramod Pathak, Kani Kusruti, Vineet Kumar, Anuja Sathe, Dibyendu Bhattacharya
Thalaimai Seyalagam
Streaming on: Zee5
A Tamil political thriller drama by Vasanth Balan, ‘Thalaimai Seyalagam’ revolves around an immersive experience into the cutthroat world of Tamil Nadu politics. This dense and mostly engaging drama has some powerhouse performances. The potent premise is channelised efficiently to explore the larger idea of justice and many facets of human behaviour – insecurity, greed and the lust for power. The writing of the show is impressive with terrific attention to details. Though there’s patchy staging and needless exaggeration at places.
Director: Vasanth Balan
Cast: Kishore, Sriya Reddy, Kani Kusruti, Bharath, Remya Nambeesan, Y. G. Mahendran, Santhana Bharathi, Shaji Chen, Adithya Menon
Other than the above, some other notable shows that have premiered in first half of 2024 are ‘Illegal’ Season 3, ‘Cubicles’ Season 3, ‘Inspector Rishi’, ‘Heeramandi’, ‘Industry’, ‘Uppu Puli Kaaram’, ‘Lantrani’, ‘Perilloor Premiere League’, ‘Lootere’, ‘Maamla Legal Hai’ and ‘Killer Soup’.
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