Say goodbye to waiting days or weeks for a new episode of your favorite TV shows – those times are long gone. The rise of web series on OTT platforms has completely transformed the way we consume entertainment. People now indulge in binge-watching their beloved TV shows and web series all in one go, thanks to the added advantage of limited episodes that keep the audience hooked without any unnecessary dragging of the storyline, a stark contrast to the never-ending sagas of Ekta Kapoor’s popular serials.
Initially popular in the US and catering mainly to English-speaking audiences, the concept of web series has rapidly evolved and gained immense popularity in India too, thanks to the proliferation of OTT platforms. Notably, Indian web series are now garnering global acclaim, securing top ratings worldwide.
The popularity of Indian web series witnessed a significant surge around the end of 2017, and since then, there has been no turning back. Channels like TVF and AIB, which originated as YouTube channels, spearheaded the trend of short story content in India. Their tremendous success caught the attention of OTT platforms, which started roping in big names like Manoj Vajpayee and Ajay Devgan to further promote Indian web series.
If you find yourself bored with conventional TV shows or seek recommendations for an exciting weekend binge, this article is your ultimate guide. We will walk you through some of the most cherished best Hindi web series that you simply cannot miss. Expect to find IMDb ratings, where to watch them, and insightful reviews of each new Hindi web series, enabling you to make a quick yet informed decision about which the best Indian web series to explore. Our comprehensive list covers the most fantastic Hindi web series across all major OTT platforms, including Hotstar, Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Sony Liv, with the latter being particularly popular. So without further ado, here is our handpicked collection of the top Indian web series of all time.
Best Indian Web Series List (2024 Updated) –
1. The Family Man (2019)
Manoj Bajpayee makes his debut on the internet as Srikant Tiwari, a regular middle-class man and government employee, who well, isn’t all he seems to be. He works for a special cell of the National Intelligence Agency, which is saddled with the responsibility of protecting the nation from terror threats. The main character (Srikant) tries to balance his highly demanding and secretive job with his simple, domestic life. It emerges as one of the best indian web series of 2019.
Cast: Manoj Bajpayee, Priyamani, Sharib Hashmi, Neeraj Madhav, Pawan Chopra, Kishore Kumar, Gul Panag, Shreya Dhanwanthary, and Sundeep Kishan
Original network: Prime video
Seasons: 2
IMDb: 8.6/10
2. Bekaaboo (2019)
Based on the best-selling novel “Black Suits You”, this series is based on the story of Kiyaan Roy’s obsession with becoming a best seller author, and his bestselling erotica novel gifts him a life that appears as perfect as a dream. However, the deepest corners of his heart desire a different kind of pleasure; a wild pleasure that comes with pain. One day he realizes that someone has been watching him and knows his secret.
Someone, who is equally obsessed with the pleasure in pain. Surprised at his luck and tempted by the opportunity, he sets out to explore his dark fantasies with her. But things turn out to be wilder than his imagination and he ends up on the verge of losing everything he ever had-right from his reputation and career to his family and fiancee. Will Kiyaan be able to reclaim his perfect life, or lose it all in this chase for the thrill in pain?
Cast: Rajeev Siddhartha, Priya Banerjee, Madhussneha Upadhyay, Jitendra Hirawat, Ananditaa Tina, and Trishna Mukherjee
Original network: ALT Balaji
Season: 1
IMDb: 8.2/10
3. College Romance (2018)
College Romance is a story of three BFFs: Karan, Trippy, and Naira; who fall in love and their ridiculous romantic stories take off. College and Romance are great nostalgic elements for people who have graduated and for those who are still in college, romance among other things has been the center of their world. Thoroughly entertaining with a mixture of Yaar, Pyaar, and Bakchodi.
Cast: Manjot Singh, Apoorva Arora, Keshav Sadhna, Hira Ashar, Gagan Arora, and Shreya Mehta
Original network: TVFPlay
Season: 1
IMDb: 9/10
4. Apharan (2018)
Rudra Srivastava, a senior inspector with Uttarakhand police is lured into kidnapping a young girl at her request. The plot begins with a simple plan to extort money in exchange for her release. When the chain of events goes wrong and a series of lies unfolds, he realizes that he is now a part of a deadly conspiracy. Will he be able to escape the outcome of his choices or become a victim of the web of lies? It is considered one of the best web series of 2018 by critics.
Cast: Nidhi Singh, Arunoday Singh, Varun Badola, Saanad Verma, Sanjay Batra, Mahie Gill, Pawan Chopra, and Neha Kaul
Original network: ALT Balaji
Seasons: 2
IMDb: 8.4/10
5. Mirzapur (2018)
Mirzapur is a typical gang war drama in which people are ready to go to any extent for securing power. Right from the first scene itself, this Indian web series establishes the world you’re in. This seemingly lawless land is ruled by Akhanda Tripathi aka Kaleen Bhaiya. Carrying out a carpet business as a cover, Kaleen Bhaiya carries out every illegal activity imaginable like dealing in desi kattas (guns), drugs, and blackmail to name a few.
His son Munna, is extremely hungry for power and wishes to take over control from his father as soon as possible. In walks two brothers – Guddu and Bablu Pandit joining Kaleen’s business activities as they catch his attention thanks to their impressive hustling skills. This doesn’t sit too well with Munna as he considers them to be an obstacle in his way to securing power. It is considered one of the best hindi web series of 2018 by critics.
Cast: Ali Fazal, Pankaj Tripathi, Divyenndu, Rashika Dugal, Shweta Tripathi, and Vikrant Massey
Original network: AmazonPrime video
Season: 2
IMDb: 8.5/10
6. Kota Factory (2019)
Dedicated to Shrimati SL Loney Ji, Shri Irodov Ji, and Maanniya HC Verma Ji, ‘Kota Factory’ is TVF’s latest original. This series is India’s first black and white web series. The web series stars Jitendra Kumar, Ahsaas Channa, and Alam Khan. It is the story of every IIT aspirant who goes to Kota for preparing to crack his entrance but ends up preparing for his life.
Cast: Jitendra Kumar, Ahsaas Channa, Alam Khan, Mayur More, and Ranjan Raj
Original network: TVF Play
Seasons: 2
IMDb: 9.1/10
7. Yeh Meri Family (2018)
Summer is a festival, not a season.” declares a 13-year-old Harshu – an average boy from an average family. Within a few minutes of the Indian web series, the message is very clear. TVF wants you to go on a nostalgia ride through their Indian web series. The Indian web series is filled with elements of nostalgia like hearing cricket commentary on the radio, talking on cordless phones while drinking Rooh Afza, phantom cigarettes, and WWF trump cards.
Cast: Vishesh Bansal, Mona Singh, Revathi Pillai, Akarsh Khurana, Ruhi Khan, and Prasad Reddy
Original network: TVF Play
Season: 1
IMDb: 9.1/10
8. Gullak (2019)
The Viral Factor(T.V.F) original available on SonyLIV didn’t create much buzz in the mainstream and is worth a binge on a bad day when all you want to feel is warm and nostalgic. A loud middle-class north-Indian Mishra family with Sunday Mornings, house repairs, chupke sutta, and ice cream after dinner with a tinge of drama is relatable to anyone and everyone. The snarky remarks by one parent and another constantly saving you, are perfectly captured in these 5 episodes of feel-good family comedy. Pro tip: Don’t skip the title track, thank me later. Set in quaint by-lanes in the heart of India, Gullak is a collection of disarming and relatable tales of the Mishra family. Watch out for Season 2.
Cast: Jameel Khan, Geetanjali Kulkarni, Vaibhav Raj Gupta, Harsh Mayar, and Sunita Rajwar
Original network: TVF Play
Season: 2
IMDb: 9.1/10
9. Made In Heaven (2019)
This Indian web series follows the life of two Indian wedding designers. These two, and the brides and grooms they are serving, often lie to get their way. But, like most of us who also lie, cheat, or deceive to get by in life, they do not always get away with things and are unable to find closure. Again, much like in real life, the Indian web series shows us the deep dark truth behind the seemingly perfect face of the rich Delhi wedding scene.
Cast: Arjun Mathur, Sobhita Dhulipala, Kalki Koechlin, Jim Sarbh, Shashank Arora, and Shivani Raghuvanshi
Original network: Amazon Prime Video
Season: 1
IMDb: 8.3/10
10. Delhi Crime (2019)
The Nirbhaya rape case was an incident that shook the entire nation. Several years have passed since the tragedy but the people of the country have still not forgotten. It was a crime that made headlines across the world, and as detail after shocking detail of the case got out, it left us stunned with the horror of it all. So while many web series in hindi focused on the incident and what were the factors that drove the culprits towards such a heinous act, Netflix puts light on how the Delhi Police went about the job of catching the criminals during the fragile political conditions.
If nothing else, watching this series will make you truly appreciate the efforts of policemen in our country. Being a police officer in a country like India is truly a thankless job. Despite being relentless at work for hours at stretch, they’re treated as a virus filled with corruption. If you are a Netflix subscriber, here are the best Indian web series you can watch on NetFlix.
Cast: Shefali Shah, Rasika Dugal, Rajesh Tailang, Adil Hussain, Jaya Bhattacharya, Denzil Smith, Gopal Dutt, Aakash Dahiya, and Avijit Dutt
Original network: Netflix
Season: 1
IMDb: 8.5/10
11. Criminal Justice (2019)
Criminal Justice is a crime thriller and court drama rolled into one. The Hotstar original is based on the 2008 BBC show of the same name. It is a show that keeps you glued throughout the 10 episodes. Having a bunch of the finest actors in Bollywood at the moment does kick things up a notch. Every actor is in sync with the dark, gripping mood of a crime that isn’t as simple as it seems. If you love the thriller genre, here are the best Hindi thriller web series you must watch.
Cast: Anupriya Goenka, Vikrant Massey, Pankaj Tripathi, Jackie Shroff, Rituraj Singh, Ninand Kamat, and Jagat Rawat
Original network: Hotstar
Season: 1
IMDb: 8.1/10
12. The Raikar Case (2020)
Based on true events, Raikar Case is about the murder of Tarun Naik Raikar and all the secrets it unfolds. The Raikar family is revered for their affluent business and political relations in Goa’s Bilocham Village. When Tarun dies, their whole family starts falling apart opening their truth to the world. A story about love, family, deceit, and secrets that tear us apart. Is truth greater than family?
Cast: Atul Kulkarni, Ashwini Bhave, Parul Gulati, and Neil Bhoopalam
Original network: Voot original
Season: 1
IMDb: 7.3/10
13. Asur: Welcome to Your Darker Side (2020)
This crime-thriller, mostly referred as best webseries on voot will engage you till the end describing gruesome murders and depicting the darker side of everyone. The series starts with Barun Sobti in a foreign country with his wife and daughter and at the same time, he gets an offer from the crime branch in Mumbai when he gets direct images of victims from Mumbai which enthralls him for joining back.
Cast: Arshad Warsi, Barun Sobti, Anupriya Goenka, Ridhi Dogra, Sharib Hashmi, Amey Wagh, and Pawan Chopra
Original network: Voot originals
Season: 1
IMDb: 8.4/10
14. Illegal (2020)
Politics of law firms and the fight between truth and dishonesty, where justice is measured against billable hours and the lawyers are seldom on the right side of the law. Niharika is a fierce lawyer with bold character. Her life starts taking a different turn when she joins the top law firm in the country where she fights for a woman who is on the death penalty and the other about sexual harassment in the workplace.
Cast: Neha Sharma, Akshay Oberoi, Piyush Mishra, Satyadeep Mishra, and Vubbra Sait
Original network: Voot originals
IMDb: 7.5/10
15. Pataal Lok (2020)
Pataal Lok is a crime thriller web series that made a blast in the Indian market, quite literally. The crime thriller is based on a story of a Delhi cop played by Jaideep Ahlawat who lands an investigation case for an assassination gone wrong, and throughout his journey, he discovers the dark and twisted truths of the justice system and the media. The realistically written, gory scenes may not be for the faint-hearted but once the viewer moves past it to the powerful acting and a storyline that will stick one to the screen for all the nine episodes, comes out confused and angry about “the good, the bad and the ugly” in India as the producer Anushka Sharma rightly said. Pataal Lok explores the worst factors and instincts of humankind and the gruesome reality of India’s grassroots.
Cast: Jaideep Ahhawat, Swastika Mukherjee, Neeraj Kabi, Abhishek Banerjee, and Gul Panag
Original network: Amazon Prime Video
Season: 1
IMDb: 7.5/10
16. Panchayat (2020)
Panchayat encapsulates the journey of an engineering graduate who for lack of a better job option joins as a secretary of a panchayat office in the remote village of Phulera, Uttar Pradesh. In the backdrop of rural U.P, Panchayat covers real-life everyday issues in the most subtle and comedic way possible. The ordinary life of an engineering graduate Abhishek portrayed by our very Jeetu bhaiya who takes a job in Phulera as a Gram Secretary takes a U-turn from his aspirations of big city life and a huge paycheck. The beautifully and hilariously written rural characters especially Neena Gupta’s Manju Devi and Brij Bhushan Dubey playing her husband portray the sense of community and the simple life of an Indian village. Panchayat is cruising through some light-hearted socially relevant comedy that makes you feel warm and want for more.
Cast: Jitendra Kumar, Neena Gupta, and Raghubir Yadav
Original network: Amazon Prime Video
Season: 1
IMDb: 8.8/10
17. What The Folks? (2017)
What The Folks, a family comedy, is a story of Anita and Nikhil who struggle with their family responsibilities while dealing with their personal lives. It features the hardships and satire of a man staying with his in-laws. This series is breaking stereotypes, overcoming generation gaps, and loving one another despite a stark difference in world views.
Cast: Esha Chopra, Veer Rajwant Singh, Deepika Amin, Renuka Shahane, Shishir Sharma, Kriti Vij, and Dhruv
Original network: Dice media
Season: 3
IMDb: 8.2/10
18. Twisted (2017)
Twisted is an Indian erotic thriller web series by Vikram Bhatt. It is a sexy, mysterious, and intellectual murder series. If you’re a lover of well-crafted thrillers that leave you in a dither when you least anticipate it, then Twisted should be the next on your watchlist.
Cast: Nia Sharma, Namit Khanna, Tia Bajpai, Tanvi Vyas, Dilnaz Irani, and Neeraj Malviya
Original network: Jio Cinema
Season: 2
IMDb: 7.1/10
19. Metro Park (2019)
This indian web series is about Indian Gujarati Family Living in Metro Park in America. Payal and Kalpesh Patel and their children. It is a Typical Gujarati Family who doesn’t let go of their Indian Gujju roots. It is a story of Indian migrants living in the US and their relationships in an American neighborhood. There is a Drama, Love, and Comedy that keeps you encapsulated.
Cast: Purbi Joshi, Omi Vaidya, Vega Tamotia, Ranvir Shorey, and Pitobash Tripathy
Original network: Eros Now
Season: 2
IMDb: 8.2/10
20. Smoke (2018)
Set in Goa, Smoke explores the dark web of drugs, mafia, and power. With the cartels at war, who will survive? Spread over 11 overlong episodes, Smoke examines the chaos that ensues after two members of Moshe Barak’s cartel are murdered in what is taken to be an open declaration of war by a rival gang. Instead of fighting back, the ruthless Barak (Alter) says he will strike a deal with the rival Duman network so that they can split profits and avoid more bloodshed.
Cast: Jim Sarbh, Kalki Koechlin, Mandira Bedi, Gulshan Devaiah, Amit Sial, and Tom Alter
Original network: Eros Now
Season: 1
IMDb: 8.8/10
3 comments
I have seen 6 out of these and they are actually worth watching. I was looking for some more suggestions to watch. Will definitely go for the rest.
You can check the list now.
Hope you will love watching the latest ones!
I have seen almost all of them and can totally say that Indian web series have upped their game in recent times.