HT Rewind 2024: From Heeramandi to Freedom At Midnight, check out our picks of this year’s best web series | Web Series
Like every year, 2024 was full of highs and hiccups, not only in cinemas but also on OTT. Yet there was a lot to binge-watch throughout the year. We pick the best web series of 2024–across genres, platforms, and moods. (Also Read – HT Rewind: From Kanguva to Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, big-budget Indian films that failed at the box office in 2024)
Poacher – Prime Video
When Alia Bhatt put her might behind a crime drama, it had to have some substance. Backed by her banner Eternal Sunshine Productions, this Malayalam miniseries was helmed by Richie Mehta, best known for directing the International Emmy Award-winning show Delhi Crime (2019). Starring Roshan Mathew, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, Kani Kusruti, and Nimisha Sajayan, the 8-episode series provided a gripping narrative around the ivory poaching racket across the jungles of Kerala.
Read our review here.
Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar -Netflix
When Sanjay Leela Bhansali turns to long-form storytelling, you take note. The 8-episode period drama revolved around the internal politics of the tawaifs of Heeramandi in Lahore, Pakistan, back in the 1940s, set against India’s Independence Movement. The show starred returning Bhansali collaborators like Manisha Koirala, Richa Chadha, and Aditi Rao Hydari, along with Sonakshi Sinha, Sanjeeda Sheikh, Farida Jalal, Fardeen Khan, Shekhar Suman, Adhyayan Suman, Sharmin Segal, and Taha Shah Badusha.
Read our review here.
IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack – Netflix
Anubhav Sinha also made his web series debut this year with the retelling of the historic hijacking of Indian Airlines flight 814 in Kathmandu, Nepal, back in 1999, which changed the course of India’s fight against terrorism for decades to come. Co-created by Anubhav and Trishant Srivastava and based on a screenplay by Trishant and Adrian Levy, the 6-episode series boasted a seasoned ensemble cast. The likes including Vijay Varma, Pankaj Kapur, Naseeruddin Shah, Manoj Pahwa, Kumud Mishra, Aravind Swamy, Dia Mirza, Aditya Srivastava, and Dibyendu Bhattacharya made this show a fairly memorable one.
Read our review here.
Call Me Bae – Prime Video
If these thrillers are too grim for you, we recommend Collin D’Cunha’s frothy yet layered coming-of-age comedy. Starring Ananya Panday in her career-defining role of Bella Chowdhary, aka Bae, a social media influencer rejected by her South Delhi family. Created by Ishita Moitra, this Dharmatic Entertainment series traces her journey to become a hard news journalist at a reputed news channel in Mumbai. The 8-episode series also stars Vir Das, Gurfateh Pirzada, Varun Sood, Vihaan Samat, Muskkaan Jaferi, Sayani Gupta, Lisa Mishra, and Mini Mathur.
Read our review here.
Fabulous Lives Vs Bollywood Wives – Netflix
Season 3 of Dharmatic Entertainment’s reality show The Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives got a fresh lease of life thanks to its Mumbai vs Delhi concept and new entrants. Joining the returning Bollywood wives – Neelam, Bhavana Pandey, Seema Sajdeh, and Maheep Kapoor – were the Delhi wives – Kalyani Chawla, Riddhima Kapoor, and internet’s favourite – Shalini Passi.
Read our review here.
Freedom at Midnight – SonyLIV
Nikkhil Advani also moved to long-form storytelling with his adaptation of Dominique Lapierre and Larry Collins’ 1975 bestseller of the same name. Recounting the period of 1942 to 1947 of India’s freedom struggle and Partition episode, the 7-episode show featured Sidhant Gupta as Jawaharlal Nehru, Chirag Vohra as Mahatma Gandhi, Rajendra Chawla as Sardar Vallabbhai Patel, Arif Zakaria as Mohammad Ali Jinnah.
Read our review here.
Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein season 2 – Netflix
Another returning Netflix favourite was Sidharth Sengupta’s pulpy crime thriller headlined by an impressive Tahir Raj Bhasin. It starts exactly where Season 1 left off in 2022. In fact, the second instalment was described by many as an extended climax of season 1, given it’s on a dramatic and narrative high throughout. Also starring Anchal Singh, Shweta Tripathi, Saurabh Shukla, Brijendra Kala, and Gurmeet Choudhary, season 2 promised a pacey thrill-a-minute ride.
Read our review here.
Bandish Bandits season 2 – Prime Video
Prime Video had a formidable returning contender too, in the form of Anand Tiwari and Amritpal Singh Bindra’s musical romantic drama. Ritwick Bhowmik, Atul Kulkarni, Shreya Chaudhary, Sheeba Chaddha, Rajesh Tailang, and Kunaal Roy Kapur reprised their roles from season 1 (2020), and were joined by Divya Dutta and a scene-stealing Paresh Pahuja in this heady cocktail of romance, social conscience, and Indian classical music.
Read our review here.
