Top Indian Web Series of 2020 [Updated]

Many OTT platforms are emerging and all are trying hard to be at the top of the game. This year, in lockdown, we witnessed releases of many web shows from free platforms like MX Players to world known platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime. Many actors who were thought to be extinct from this acting world are making come back with stronger roles. Series which are likely very long tend to become tiring easily but have an advantage of developing its characters and delivering every scene with detailing and the way the makers want. This post is dedicated to the top 25 Web Series of India released in 2020 which proves that these shows are not less than any other movies. 

25. Illegal.

Directed by Sahir Raza, and starring Neha Sharma, Piyush Mishra, and Akshay Oberoi in central roles, it about a lawyer Niharika who's principled, committed, and uncompromising towards any truth but is forced to fight a sexual harassment case whereas she wants to seek justice and fight for Mehar Salam, played amazingly by Kubra Sait. The screenplay is gripping and it keeps you invested from the first frame with its easy to catch up characters. Stream it on Voot.

24. Four More Shots Please (Season 2).

Anjana (Kirti Kulhari), Siddhi (Maanvi Gagroo), Damini (Sayani Gupta), and Umang (Gurbani) are four BFFs and this series showcases the life of these modern women and how they deal with the obstacles of their love and professional life together. It has its flaws but I can't deny that it is entertaining and enjoyable at its best. Watch it for the fresh chemistry between the four leads and natural performances. Now streaming on Amazon Prime Video. 

23. Breathe: Into The Shadows.

Directed by Mayank Sharma, this new season stars Abhishek Bachchan and Nitya Menon in main roles. When Avinash's daughter gets kidnapped, how far a father will go to save his daughter? This series might feel long and could have been shorter but with quite a decent script that offers shocking twists and turns and with Abhishek's one of the best performances to date, this is something you don't want to miss. Stream it on Amazon Prime Video. 

22. Abhay Season 2.

As the students in Lucknow start going missing, now it is up to Abhay Pratap Singh (Kunal Khemu) to get to the bottom of it. This was a decent thriller series with some amazing thrills and a chilling performance from Ram Kapoor makes it even easier to stream it. The brand new season 2 is now streaming on Zee5.

21. Panchayat. 

Staring our Jeetu Bhaiya a.k.a Jitendra Kumar who plays Abhishek Tripathi, a city boy and an engineer, due to lack of job opportunities he joins the panchayat office as a secretary in a remote place in Uttar Pradesh. How will he manage to live in a village and with villagers and work there? Watch this comedy-drama which has an ample amount of hilarious scenes and terrific performances from Jitendra Kumar, Raghuvir Yadav, and Neena Gupta to make your day. Watch it on Amazon Prime Video. 

20. JL50.

JL50 is a plane that took off 35 years ago and crashed in the present day in an area somewhere in West Bengal. Sound interesting? Then stream it. It stars Abhay Deol, Pankaj Kapoor, and Rajesh Sharma in pivotal roles and is written and directed by Shailender Vyas. It may be unfulfilling or unsatisfying but it is novel for Indian audiences. Stream it on Sony LIV. 

19. Black Widows.

When three wives together make a plan and kill their husbands, they are now surrounded by threats and danger and the wrong deeds of their husbands. Directed by Birsa Dasgupta and starring Mona Singh, Shamita Shetty, and Swastika Mukherjee in the lead roles, this series comes upfront to stand against torture against women. Besides that, it's a laughter riot and an engaging drama at the same time. Stream it on Zee5.

18. A Simple Murder. 

Mohammad Zeeshan Ayyub stars here as Manish, a middle-class man living with his wife Richa (Priya Anand). When he's assigned to kill someone but in a confusion, he kills someone else, Manish's life starts to fall apart. Everything here is shown comically and this mad comedy-drama is not very simple as the name suggests but it is captivating enough to keep you invested. Stream it on Sony LIV. 

17. Your Honor. 

When a high court judge's son gets involved in a hit and run case after injuring a biker who is the son of a gangster, what will the judge do to save his son? Will he go against the law? Starring Jimmy Shergill, Pulkit Makol, and Mita Vashisht in lead roles, this show is gripping from start to the end and it might feel long as it has 12 episodes in total, but it is worth your time. Stream it on Sony LIV. 

16. Jamtara: Sabka Number Ayega.

It revolves around a bunch of young boys running a phishing racket and a corrupt minister who wants a share of their business. There's also an idealistic police officer who wants to fight and put a stop against them. With a quite decent plot, it consists of some earnest performances from Amit Sial, Sparsh Shrivastav and Monika Panwar. You can stream it on Netflix. 

15. Bandish Bandits. 

The story moves around a classic singer Radhe (Ritwik Bhowmik) and a pop star Tamanna (Shreya Chaudhry), both aspiring and committed and focussed, but when they start to play pretending while making an album, their pretending seems to be blossoming into love. Will their music barrier will come in between them? Watch it for the superlative performances from all the actors and the beautiful classical songs composed by Shankar Ehsaan Loy. It is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video. 

14. The Gone Game. 

A murder mystery comprising of only 4 episodes stars Sanjay Kapoor, Shweta Tripathi, Shriya Pilgaonkar, Arjun Mathur, Rukhsar Rehman, Indraneil Sengupta, and Dibyendu Bhattacharya in lead roles. The most amazing thing is that this series has been shot entirely in lockdown and almost in the brim of the actor's homes. Despite its limitations, it is a well-made series. It is intriguing and thrilling and delivers some outstanding performances. Watch it on Voot. 

13. Paava Kadhaigal. 

4 episodes, four different stories, and that too by big-name directors, Paava Kadhaigal supports those who stand differently from the crowds. It tells some disturbing and unsettling stories of people who were treated as outcasts when they dared to live their life as they want. Watch it for the strong acting and impactful short gut-wrenching stories. Now streaming on Netflix. 

12. High.

Here, Shiv Mathur (Akshay Oberoi) a drug addict, comes up with a plan to save the rehab by selling a pill called 'Magic'. The show is strongly inspired by the classic show Breaking Bad and has also blatantly copied many scenes nevertheless its keeps you on your toes with its thrills and an intriguing plot. Akshay Oberoi, Shweta Basu Prasad, and Prakash Belawadi are impressive in their roles and this is surely a worth watching show. Stream it on MX Player for free. 

11. Betaal.

When the Baaz Squad lead by Tyagi (Suchitra Pillai) is assigned to clear the Adivasi land and open the tunnel for future construction work, they unleash a swarm of zombies from the dark tunnel. Also starring Vineet Kumar Singh and Aahana Kumra, it is full of edge-of-the-seat moments and delivers many enthralling scenes and jump scares with its crisp four episodes. This is worth a watch. Streaming on Netflix. 

10. Taish.

This action-packed thriller directed by Bejoy Nambiar came as surprise to me. The trailer was good but the film is just extraordinary. Released as a film and 6 part series simultaneously, the film is not new in terms of storyline. It's the same revenge drama, jealousy, betrayals, high-class people dealing with their problems but what's makes it stands different is its fine execution. The action scenes are slick and Pulkit Samrat, Kriti Kharbanda, Jim Sarbh, Sanjeeda Shaikh, and Harshvardhan Rane gave their best. Stream it on Zee5. 

09. Asur.

Asur surprised everyone with its smart and exceptional storyline. The serial killings with mythological twists backed up with amazing performances from Arshad Warsi, Barun Sobti, and Anupriya Goenka, took the OTT world by storm. It deserves to be in the top 10 and is highly recommended if you haven't seen it. Now streaming on Voot. 

08. Undekhi.

I was skipping it...but I watched the first episode and that's it, I was in. This is a strong portrayal and stands against the high-class people who think that they can get away from their wrongdoings. This series is engaging and captivates you from the first frame. It never dips for a second and delivers many heart-pumping moments and every actor has given their best. It has a total of ten episodes and is now available on Sony LIV. 

07. Paatal Lok.

If you like police investigation series, then this is for you. Starring Jaideep Alhawat as the investigating officer is the soul of this show and Abhishek Banerjee as Hathoda Tyagi can give you nightmares. It's violent, full of blood and gore, has many scenes that could hurt your sentiments but I can't deny that it is a hell of an entertaining show. You can stream it on Amazon Prime Video.

06. Criminal Justice: Behind Closed Doors.

Based on the British show, Criminal Justice, here Anauradha stabs her husband and confesses to her crime. It appears to be an open and shut case but there is more to it. This show is hard-hitting and leaves various things to your imagination and that's where it gives you the chills. What happens behind closed doors, which often many don't pay attention to it, is brought to the front. This show raises social issues about this society and the terrific performances of Kirti Kulhari, Pankaj Tripathi and Anupriya Goenka works wonders. Stream it on Disney+ Hotstar. 

05. Mirzapur Season 2.

What to say about this show!! It's the same story of a mafia don and his unruliness, where the sound of a gun is more amusing to hear than to talk like humans. But what makes this stands different is its clever and sharp-witted characters and the unforgettable and solid dialogues. Season 2 was the most anticipated show and delivered what we deserved. Season 3 has been announced and you can stream it on Amazon Prime Video. 

04. The Forgotten Army.

Directed by Ek Tha Tiger's Kabir Khan, it is based on a true story of Indian Soldiers and their struggles but somehow their story got lost and they become the forgotten army. It highlights the feeling of patriotism, sacrifice for motherland, and independence. This show is shot exquisitely and has many stunning visuals of wars and battles and gives you the feeling that you're watching a big-budget movie. Starring Sunny Kaushal and Sharvari Wagh, this is unmissable. Watch it on Amazon Prime Video. 

03. Aarya.

Starring Sushmita Sen in the titular role, when her husband is killed, will she become what she hated the most to protect her children? This first season is all about the characters and their mayhem. The series takes a great amount of time just to establish the characters, even the child roles, and trust me, it's never boring, despite its slow pace. Watch it for Sushmita's roaring performance, streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.

02. Special OPS. 

When Himmat Singh (K. K. Menon) finally learns that one person is behind the terrorist attacks, he and his team i.e, RAW agents, who are spread all over the world, aims to catch the mastermind. Directed by Neeraj Pandey, who has earlier directed films like MS Dhoni and Baby and more, delivered another tight and engaging nail-biter with solid performances from all the actors. Now streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.

01. Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story. 

Anyone could have guessed who will take the number one spot. Based on the stock market scam by the stockbroker Harshad Mehta, this series is an example of brilliance in every way. The screenplay, the dialogues, the characters even the catchy music, nothing fails to amaze. Starring Pratik Gandhi and Shreya Dhanwanthary in the central role which they excelled in every way, is a treat and gave an amazing 10-hour unforgettable experience. Based on the book The Scam: Who Won, who Lost, who Got Away, and God knows for how many years director Hansal Mehta worked on the script to make it to perfection. All's well that ends well, and Mehta's hard work paid off. Now streaming on Sony LIV. 

Others that didn't make it to the list - Taj Mahal 1989, Masaba Masaba, She, Aashram Season 1, Avrodh: The Seige Within, The Raikar Case, Kaali, Crackdown, Naxalbari, Mismatched, Dark 7 White, and Bhaag Beanie Bhaag - These are also time killing shows ranging from average to good. 

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