In 2025, OTT series were entertaining enough, even though most were in the crime genre.
The ones that crossed two seasons, like The Family Man, Panchayat, Delhi Crime, Maharani and Special Ops have been sent to the OTT Hall Of Fame.
Deepa Gahlot picks the top 10 OTT shows of the year.
Black Warrant
Where to watch: Netflix
Created by Vikramiditya Motwane and Satyanshu Singh, this dark prison drama is about a young jailer, who, when exposed to the hellhole that is Tihar Jail, has to struggle to hold on to his honesty and humanity.
A breakthrough role for Zahan Kapoor, the show saw excellent performances from Rahul Bhat, Paramvir Cheema, Anurag Thakur and Sidhant Gupta as well.
Paatal Lok Season 2
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
The first season of this show was so good, it was a feat to better it.
Directed by Avinash Arun Dhaware, Delhi cop Hathiram Chaudhary (Jaideep Ahlawat), who has already been through the deepest dungeons of crime and corruption in the first season, is persistent enough to follow a tough case that ties into a much larger conspiracy involving murder, drugs, greed and the insurgency-affected state of Nagaland.
Dabba Cartel
Where to watch: Netflix
Anything that Shabana Azmi does is worth a look.
In this series directed by Hitesh Bhatia, she plays a sharp older woman, who leads a group of women in the cut-throat narcotics trade, as they deliver drugs in innocuous looking tiffin boxes.
Dupahiya
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
This comedy series may be inspired by the Panchayat universe, but under Sonam Nair’s direction, it captures the amusing chaos that ensues when, in a village free of crime, a motorbike, meant for a young woman’s dowry, gets stolen.
Khakee: The Bengal Chapter
Where to watch: Netflix
Created by Neeraj Pandey and directed by Debatma Mandal and Tushar Kanti Ray, the show sets an honest cop, played by Jeet, combating the crime-politics-corruption nexus of Kolkata.
Khauf
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
Urban horror at its most nail-biting!
Created by Smita Singh and directed by Pankaj Kumar and Surya Balakrishnan, this show is about a young woman who moves to a hostel in Delhi, unaware of the sinister history of the room she has occupied.
Black White And Grey: Love Kills
Where to watch: SonyLIV
Director Pushkar Sunil Mahabal uses an inventive mockumentary format to tell a complex story of serial killing, forbidden love, class conflict and deception.
Lafangey: Sapne, Dosti, Duniya
Where to watch: Amazon MX PLayer
This Prem Mistry directorial makes the cut simply because it is one of the few that tells a relatable story of three ordinary middle-class young men trying to get by in an over competitive job market.
The Hunt: The Rajeev Gandhi Assassination Case
Where to watch: SonyLIV
Nagesh Kukunoor’s gripping crime thriller follows the high-profile investigation into the Rajiv Gandhi assassination, led by a CBI Special Investigation Team. Using archival footage, interviews and fictional recreation, the show probes the planning of the attack and the conspiracy behind it.
Saare Jahan Se Achha
Where to watch: Netflix
IndiaDirected by Sumit Purohit, this series focuses on a hardworking spy Vishnu Shankar (Pratik Gandhi), who has to race against time to prevent Pakistan from getting its hands on an atomic bomb.
Photographs curated by Satish Bodas/Rediff
