That web-shows are going to stay in the Indian entertainment scene has been long established by now. However, the arrival of shows such as Made In Heaven and Delhi Crime indicate that the quality is only on the rise. The general consensus has been that these shows are turning points in the OTT medium. Aamir Khan is said to be contemplating a show based on the Mahabharata and Amazon Prime keeps alive the Breathe franchise, with Nithya Menen joining Abhishek Bachchan and Amit Sadh for the second season. An increasing number of mainstream filmmakers and actors are opening up to the prospect of creating shows for this medium.
Here’s a look at some shows that are currently making waves.
Made In Heaven (Amazon Prime)
While Hindi filmmakers have largely been milking the celebratory nature of weddings, filmmakers Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti portray the happenings behind a wedding in Made in Heaven. Starring Shobita Dhulipala and Arjun Mathur as wedding planners Tara and Karan, the show uses weddings as a platform to hold a mirror to society and discuss topics such as homosexuality, infidelity, senior love, and so on.
Delhi Crime (Netflix)
Richie Mehta’s seven-part series Delhi Crime is based on the 2012 Delhi gang-rape incident. Starring Shefali Shah and Adil Hussain as police officers, Delhi Crime has been mostly shot in New Delhi. It also stars Denzil Smith, Rasika Dugal, Rajesh Tailang and Yashaswini Dayama. The makers put in six years on research, and were granted access to hundreds of pages of legal documents that were part of the investigation. The show has been appreciated for portraying a largely neglected face of the police.
21 Sarfarosh: Saragarhi 1897 (Netflix)
Though Akshay Kumar’s Kesari has now made popular the Battle of Saragarhi, this little known show that originally aired on Discovery Jeet preceded the movie. Directed by Raj Acharya and featuring TV star Mohit Raina in the lead, the show was appreciated for its authentic portrayal of the battle of Saragarhi where 21 Sikh soldiers of the British Indian army faced off against 10,000 Afghan tribesmen. The show was subsequently picked up by Netflix.
Four More Shots Please! (Amazon Prime)
Four More Shots Please! tells the story of four Mumbai-based women who, after meeting at a bar, turn out to become best friends. They regularly meet to discuss life, relationships and everything else. Starring Kirti Kulhari, Sayani Gupta, Bani J and Maanvi Gagroo, the show has been directed by Anu Menon. It also features Milind Soman, Lisa Ray, Neil Bhoopalam and Prateek Babbar. The crew, including showrunner Rangita Pritish Nandy, comprises mostly women.
Hey Prabhu (MX Player)
Udaan actor Rajat Barmecha makes his digital debut with Hey Prabhu. Directed by Shashanka Ghosh, who is best known for Khoobsurat and Veere Di Wedding, Hey Prabhu’s protagonist is a social media influencer. With thousands of followers, Tarun Prabhu has a thriving social media life but his real life is anything but perfect. The show attempts to project the contrast between the virtual life and real life of a millennial.
Soulmates (Youtube)
What are the odds of running into a schoolmate upon arriving at a hill station looking for a girl? What are the odds that this schoolmate is a girl? Despite starting off on such an implausible premise, Soulmates, featuring Priyanshu Painyuli and Anshul Chauhan, adopts a realistic approach for the remainder of the show. The interesting bits of the show involve the protagonists engaging in long conversations, reminiscent of Before Sunrise.
