2024 has come to an end and like every year it’s time reflect on all that we saw this year that amazed us. In this article we will focus on the best Indian web series that dropped on various OTT platforms and kept us hooked.
Well, we had a great number of shows across various genres and languages that launched in 2024. From Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s TV series debut ‘Heeramandi’, Richie Mehta’s ‘Poacher’ to new seasons of TVF’s ‘Gullak’, ‘Panchayat’, ‘Kota Factory’ and many more.
It was quite a tough task to pick just 10 out of this lot and that’s why our list extends a bit which hopefully no one’s going to mind after they see it.
P.S.: The list is in no particular order.
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
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
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
1000 Babies
Steaming on: Disney+ Hotstar
1000 Babies is a twisted crime thriller with a mind-boggingly creepy backstory. It is a howdunit thriller (than a whodunit) that respects a viewer’s intelligence and doesn’t over-simplify its ideas. Besides the taut screenplay and precise performances, it’s the technical finesse that serves like a cherry on the cake, bringing more character to the backdrop. Geographically too, there’s urgency in the proceedings.
Director: Najeem Koya
Cast: Neena Gupta, Rahman, Sanju Sivram, Adil, Joy Mathew, Srikanth Murali, Ashwin Kumar, Irshad Ali
Bandish Bandits Season 2
Streaming on: Prime Video
After a phenomenal season 1, ‘Bandish Bandits’ season 2 weaves a rich tapestry of music, tradition and drama. The show excellently explores the musical backdrop, has some terrific performances with a good blend of music, drama and romance. Though you might find certain conflicts getting a slightly convenient resolution and a mild confusion with too many subplots. Overall, it’s a must watch for music enthusiasts.
Director: Anand Tiwari
Cast: Ritwik Bhowmik, Shreya Chaudhry, Sheeba Chaddha, Atul Kulkarni, Rajesh Tailang, Kunaal Roy Kapur, Divya Dutta, Rohan Gurbaxani, Yashaswini Dayama, Aaliyah Qureshi, Saurabh Nayyar
Pill
Streaming on: Jio Cinema
Pill is a gripping, cautionary tale that educates, informs and engages. The narrative has a slow start but gains momentum with its solid drama and a flurry of twists and turns towards the end. The show doesn’t make clownish villains and heroes out of its characters. Their actions boil down to simple choices – necessity versus greed. The attention to details is another noteworthy factor in Pill.
Director: Raj Kumar Gupta
Cast: Riteish Deshmukh, Pawan Malhotra, Anshul Chauhan, Akshat Chauhan
IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack
Streaming on: Netflix
Whatsoever controversies may have surrounded this show, no one can deny it is a taut and meticulously researched mini series whose strongest pillar is its stellar, higly credible and competitive cast. It is a gripping show that engages, informs and ponders upon a dark chapter in the history of our country’s national security. It’s definitely one of those edge of the seat narrative that you will enjoy.
Director: Anubhav Sinha
Cast: Vijay Verma, Patralekhaa, Pankaj Kapoor, Naseeruddin Shah, Arvind Swami, Dia Mirza, Amrita Puri, Anupam Tripathi, Kumud Mishra, Manoj Pahwa, Kanwaljeet Singh, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, Sushant Singh, Aditya Srivastava, Rajeev Thakur, Yashpal Sharma
Raat Jawaan Hai
Streaming on: SonyLIV
This heartwarming drama presents friendship in a totally new and interesting phase of young parent, quite different from the cliched school or college days friends we usually see in Indian cinema. The show has a neat, slice-of-life screenplay where the individual identities of the characters are explored as much as the friendship, bringing in a good mix of humour, drama and conflict. Raat Jawaan Hai is all about keeping the kid in you alive, even as you raise one of your own.
Director: Sumeet Vyas and Khyati Anand Puthran
Cast: Barun Sobti, Anjali Anand, Priya Bapat, Hasleen Kaur, Priyansh Jora, Vikram Singh Chauhan
Heeramandi
Streaming on: Netflix
This Sanjay Leela Bhansali show has to be the limelight of the year given the popularity and numbers it brought in for Netflix. And it’s also the very reason it has made it to this list as well. What attracts the viewers to Heeramandi is its seductive melange of opulence and drama. The visual richness of the show is conspicuous and one could watch it just for that poetic artistry Bhansali brings to screen. Though at times it feels obsessive with grandeur taking away the essence of the story.
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Cast: Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Richa Chadha, Sanjeeda Sheikh, Sharmin Sehgal, Taha Shah, Jayati Bhatia, Farida Jalal, Adhyayan Suman, Shekhar Suman, Fardeen Khan
Snakes and Ladders
Streaming on: Prime Video
Snakes and Ladders could very easily have been a regular crime thriller set in the hills but the creative reimagination of the creators from the perspective of four street-smart school-going boys weaves in an element of innocence, humour, and camaraderie to a tale densely packed with action, drama, and thrills. The action feels realistic and the cinematography is such that it keeps the mystery alive. Moreover, a zippy score makes it even more interesting.
Directors: Bharath Muralidharan, Ashok Veerapan, Kamala Alchemis
Cast: MS Samrith, Surya Ragaveshwar, Surya Kumar, Tarun Yuvraaj, Sasha Bharen, Naveen Chandra, Nandha, Manoj Bharathiraja, Dileepan, Muthukumar, Ramchandran Durairajan, Subash Selvan, Sreejith Ravi
Freedom At Midnight
Streaming on: SonyLIV
Freedom At Midnight is a sensitive yet well crafted show centered around the politics of partition. But it isn’t just limited to the politics and is also about the wounds that are yet to heal. Though there have been questions around certain unusual casting choices, patchy makeup and styling, the show is undeniably relevant, matched by sharp filmmaking, affecting performances and sincere writing.
Director: Nikkhil Advani
Cast: Chirag Vohra, Sidhant Gupta, Rajendra Chawla, Arif Zakari, Ira Dubey, Malishka, Rajesh Kumar, KC Shankar, Cordelia Bugeja, Richard Teverson, Luke McGibney, Andrew Cullum, Alistair Findlay
Before ending the list here, we at Binged would like to make a special mention for shows like Murder In Mahim, Maamla Legal Hai, The Broken News Season 2, Lootere, Killer Soup, The Legend of Hanuman Season 4 & 5, Maharani Season 3, Illegal Season 3, Panchayat S3, Thalaimai Seyalagam, Ekam, Kota Factory Season 3, Gaanth Part 1: Jamna Paar, Fissadi, and Jai Mahendran among others.