It’s a miracle that we just started April and there are already a few amazing releases to binge. This week, from 1st to 7th April, has a diverse range of movies and TV series to choose from. Add these to your next watchlist!
Parasyte: The Grey (5 April 2024)
Based on the sci-fi horror manga, Parasyte by Hitoshi Iwaaki, Parasyte: The Grey is a South Korean live-action adaptation that strays away from the main plot of the manga. Long-time fans of the original manga might hesitate to watch the series. However, South Korean entertainment has a stronghold in the horror genre, especially when it comes to depicting supernatural monsters. Parasyte: The Grey is directed by Yeon Sang-ho, who previously created the famous zombie horror Train to Busan (2016). His style and writing have the creative potential to do Parasyte justice.
Ripley is a crime psychological thriller designed to keep you on the edge of your seat. Starring Andrew Scott as the titular character, this series is based on Patricia Highsmith’s The Talented Mr. Ripley (1955). This will be a short and sweet 8-episode series about Tom Ripley (Scott) stepping into a life of deception, fraud and murder.
Initially released for theatre on 24 November 2023, Farrey is a thriller-heist film by Soumendra Padhi. This film is the official Indian remake of the Thai movie, Bad Genius (2017). Alizeh Agnihotri is stunning in her role, starring as the main character – Niyati. Some viewers have described the vibe as straight-up horror rather than a thriller so buckle in!
How To Date Billy Walsh is a fluffy British romantic-comedy, directed by Alex Pillai. It revolved around the childhood best friends, Amelia (Charithra Chandran) and Archie (Sebastian Croft), the latter of whom has a crush on her. When he plans to confess, Amelia falls for Billy Walsh (Tanner Buchanan). Archie plans to sabotage this new love but ends up comedically bringing them closer. If you want something light to watch, How to Date Billy Walsh is perfect.
Coming soon on Amazon Prime Video!
Star Trek: Discovery – Season 5 (4 April 2024)
Originally piloted in 2017, Star Trek: Discovery is still going strong. This series follows the crew of USS Discovery, their journey beginning a decade before the events of the original Star Trek. You witness the fall and eventually rise of Michael Burnham, played by Sonequa Martin-Green, and her crew. Season 5 sets a more adventurous tone with their goal of finding an ancient power but they aren’t the only ones. Star Trek: Discovery is a great start to your Star Trek journey!
The Oscars is an event for movie enthusiasts worldwide. On 11 March 2024, the 96th Academy Awards was held, and the selected films were among the strongest. Let’s explore which films were nominated (and won!) and where you can stream them.
Barbie
Now let’s get the obvious ones out of the way first. Greta Gerwig’s Barbie was the pinnacle of the 2024 movie culture and theatre-going experience. With pretty much everyone dressed in pastels to match the movie’s vibes, Barbie meant a lot to people with its message of feminism and freedom of expression. It resonated with a diverse demographic.
Barbie (2023)
Where can you stream it? You can stream it on JioCinema or rent it on Amazon Prime for 149.
Nominations received: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor – Ryan Gosling as Ken, Best Supporting Actress – America Ferrera as Gloria, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, Best Original Song – “I’m Just Ken” and “What Was I Made For?”
Oppenheimer
Here’s the other half of Barbie. We all are familiar with Barbenheimer and Oppenheimer’s success was a blast. This is one of Christopher Nolan’s best films to date and another brilliant performance by Cillian Murphy that makes sitting through 3 hours of political and scientific jargon worth it.
Oppenheimer (2023)
Where can you stream it? You can stream it on JioCinema or rent it on Amazon Prime for 119.
Nominations received: Best Picture, Best Director – Christopher Nolan, Best Actor – Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer, Best Supporting Actor – Robert Downey Jr. as Lewis Strauss, Best Supporting Actress – Emily Blunt as Kitty Oppenheimer, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Sound, Best Original Score
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
The ambitious and thrilling animated movie revolving around what it means to be the Marvel superhero Spider-Man was the most visually attractive film in 2024. With the vibrant artistic styles and emotional storytelling, you could never go wrong with watching Across the Spider-Verse again. Weaving you right into their (spider) web sets the tone for the next instalment.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)
Where can you stream it? You can stream it on Netflix, or rent it on Amazon Prime or Zee5 for 99.
Nominations received: Best Animated Feature.
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar’s ensemble cast was a guaranteed winner by Wes Anderson. His ability to adapt Roahl Dahl’s stories is unmatched in the industry. Bringing out the weird and the wonderful of Dahl’s narratives is impressive and a well-deserved nomination.
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023)
Where can you stream it? You can stream it on Netflix
Nominations received: Best Live-Action Short.
American Fiction
In his directorial debut, Cord Jefferson based American Fiction on the 2001 novel Erasure by Percival Everett. It does justice to the satirical genre where the performances sold the story and the characters behind the mess of it all.
American Fiction (2023)
Where can you stream it? You can stream it on Amazon Prime.
Nominations received: Best Picture, Best Actor – Jeffrey Wright as Dr. Thelonious “Monk” Ellison, Best Supporting Actor – Sterling K. Brown as Dr. Clifford “Cliff” Ellison, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score.
Past Lives
A strong directorial debut, Celine Song’s beautiful and symbolic romantic film Past Lives made it big. The profound performances by every cast member and the incredible chemistry made it on par with Barbenheimer. Greta Lee, who plays Nora Moon, gained critical acclaim for her performance.
Past Lives (2023)
Where can you watch it? You can watch it on Amazon Prime (Lionsgate subscription required).
Nominations received: Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay.
Damsel is Netflix’s latest fantasy film that didn’t quite hit their maximum potential. Directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, the movie starts by informing the viewers it isn’t the typical “damsel in distress” trope. For the most part, they kept their promise but at the cost of an inspiring ending. Their main selling point is that their leading lady, Elodie, is played by Millie Bobby Brown. Brown nails the role given to her in every way possible but it only makes the audience want more out of the movie.
Elodie and Henry
Marriages and Rituals
Damsel follows the engagement of Elodie and Henry, played by Nick Robinson, after receiving a proposal from the Queen of Aurea and Henry’s mother, Queen Isabelle (Robin Wright). She and her familyset course to Aurea to scope out the kingdom and also help their poverty-struck community. Henry and Elodie don’t hit it off right away until they discover their shared love for travel. However, not all seems rosy as Lady Bayford (Angela Bassett) instinctively feels something is off.
Angela Bassett as Lady Bayford
Elodie, despite her stepmother’s advice, does not break off the engagement but everything takes a turn when she is deceived into a deadly ancient “ritual” deep in the mountains. It strikes a series of thrilling events where she has to successfully evade and survive against a dragon looking for her next sacrifice. The dragon is voiced by Shohreh Aghdashloo, whose deep, gravelly voice brings a hint of terror to the story. Brown’s performance is the saving grace of the movie’s overall lack of nuance.
People praise the VFX of the dragon
So What Went Wrong?
The biggest criticism of the movie is that every aspect had wasted potential. The harsh environment could have been utilised more effectively or at least emphasised and explored. The characters deserved fleshed-out arcs with better chemistry. More than that, the ending of the film was predictable and boring. Brown’s performance was inspiring to young girls who need a strong leading female protagonist of their age. However, the overall message the ending conveys is nothing short of lazy. The poor writing choices and inability to fully employ the creative freedom the fantasy genre allows you are disappointing.
Netflix is known to spend a big chunk of its money on content generation which has been wildly criticized by both the trades and fans over the years. Netflix dropped $200 million for the film Red Notice which featured Ryan Reynolds and The Rock in prominent roles back in 2021 making it the most expensive direct-to-stream film of that year. This was followed by The Gray Man which was yet another humungous project budget-wise with its $200 million budget in 2022. Now, it looks like Netflix is finally getting a hold of its expenses and winding down its spending for 2023.
Netflix cuts costs
Netflix is reportedly planning to implement extensive budget cuts in 2023 in order to make the streaming platform more profitable. It was not long ago when Netflix revealed that it will be taking down the password-sharing option in order to increase profits. The Wall Street Journal reported that the streaming mogul is planning to cut down its spending by $300 million in 2023. The cost-cutting methods are limited to just cutting down expenses for now and the company is not expected to venture out to any layoffs at least for now.
Back in 2022, Netflix lost a sizeable chunk of subscribers amounting to 1 million which has prompted the company to cut costs and maximize profits. The streaming giant’s recent actions towards the password-sharing crackdown hints that the company is still seeking an increase in subscriptions.
The company’s decision to cut down costs means that the platform will likely produce lesser original content this year. Netflix has already been in troubled waters over canceling fan-favorite original shows. Halting or canceling shows furthermore in order to cut costs could result in greater fan scrutiny. Netflix stands at an interesting spot right now with increasing fan disappointment and decreasing costs for production. It undoubtedly has to charter these troubled waters with efficiency in order to go past this phase.
With the advancement of technology and the emergence of the digital era, on-demand video streaming services have snowballed in recent years. With the Covid-19 outbreak and the ensuing shutdown, OTT services among Indian customers has increased. Unlike most businesses, the Covid-19 outbreak changed the media and entertainment industry forever. If the previous decade saw the rise of movie theatres, 2020 proved to be the year of OTT culture, with cineplexes and movie theatres closing for most of the year. The pandemic caused widespread devastation throughout the world.
People were forced to stay home and enjoy entertainment and other media through over-the-top (OTT) services when sporting events, theatres, and other public places were closed. These service companies experienced tremendous growth during the lockdown. Despite the sluggish return to normalcy, this expansion will continue for many years. According to industry and internet search statistics, viewing on OTT platforms grew in April 2020, particularly in smaller towns and cities. Although net viewing has been significantly more significant than in the months preceding the epidemic, the initial effect has not been successfully sustained across all platforms.
People are drawn to social media and OTT services to keep themselves occupied. According to industry analysts, the lockdown has increased the viewing of OTT players like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Voot Select, Hotstar, and Eros Now. The number of new consumers has also risen. There are now over 30 OTT players and 10 music streaming applications available to meet various entertainment and media interests.
As the internet streaming viewership grew beyond millennials and urban centres, and homemakers and retirees became OTT consumers, regional streaming applications that cater to non-Hindi and non-English markets proliferated. Many regional portals, such as Oho Gujarati, Hoichoi, Aha, and NeeStream, have witnessed a significant increase in demand for regional content.
Dil Bechara, starring Sushant Singh Rajput, had the highest opening ever on Disney+ Hotstar in July. This was just one of several web platform success stories this year. Similarly, Kay Kay Menon’s Special OPS, Sushmita Sen’s Aarya, and Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story, Manoj Bajpayee’s Family Man were among the most popular web series on OTT. The Indian OTT market is estimated to reach Rs 237.86 billion (US$3.22 billion) by FY25, up from Rs 42.50 billion (US$576.73 million) in FY19.
Netflix’s dark, heavily dramatic, anti-hero lead show YOU recently returned for a third season with a bang, and like the previous two seasons, the third season quickly became one of the most discussed shows on Netflix. The show’s first two seasons featured the relentlessly creepy-stalker Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley) and were packed with all the right ingredients required for a psychological thriller, but season 3 brings a new setting to the show.
Yes, season 3 of YOU takes us to an entirely new place called Madre Linda, a fictional town in the California suburb as Joe and his equally bloodthirsty wife Love Quinn (Victoria Pedretti) decide to escape the hustle and bustle of New York and Los Angeles to deliver a better future to their newborn. However, in a nosy suburb, it gets hard for Joe and Love to stay unnoticed by the people, which puts the season’s suspense on the top tier.
In season three, Joe is not operating alone as he used to in the last two seasons. Now, he has a companion to help him with the aftermath of the killing, which shifts the fundamental geometry of how the show works. The stalker-narrated murder drama shows Love to be even more erratic than Joe, keeping up the thrill of the show. The third season features the continuation of Joe’s fraught relationship with Love and, of course, a lot of slayings in the neighbourhood.
The bizarre third season of the show manages to pull us into Joe and Love’s world of hatred, revenge and power politics by crafting an ironic take on a suburban murder mystery. The series has already been renewed for a fourth season as Joe is not satisfied with the love of his life and is going to look for ‘the one’ in the next one. So, until Mr Joe Goldberg shows up again with a new twisted murder story, watch these 5 breathtaking shows to feed your thrilling hunger.
Bates Motel
Platform – Peacock
Seasons – 5
In YOU, Joe Goldberg has created almost the same level of magic as Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960) but with multiple twists, misleads and surprises. The show depicts Joe having a tough life growing up but didn’t converge more on why he turned up as into a psychopath. Meanwhile, Bates Motel, which is based on the storyline of the iconic horror film Psycho, shows how Norman Bates grew up to become a serial killer. The show has a similar theme to YOU, and fans will see shades of Joe’s relationship with his mother in Norman (Freddie Highmore) and Norma’s (Vera Farmiga) connection, where Norman is dealing with constant manipulation that leaves him wanting independence and turns him into a serial killer.
Mindhunter
Platform – Netflix
Seasons – 2
David Fincher is a modern-day master filmmaker of dark, moody and disturbing films. He debuted on an OTT platform with a hit show, House of Cards, the first TV show produced by a studio for Netflix. Later on, he produced and directed a few episodes of a masterpiece called Mindhunter, a show based on a non-fiction crime book titled Mindhunter: Inside the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit. Fans of YOU will enjoy the dark theme, unsettling characters and gripping suspense of Mindhunter that stars Jonathan Groff and Holt McCallany in the lead. The show is set in the 70’s/80’s and revolves around two special agents of the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit who try to get into and understand the brains of notorious serial killers, including Ed Kemper, Charles Manson, and the Son of Sam.
Dexter
Platform – Amazon Prime / Hulu
Seasons – 8
Dexter, one of the oldest crime thriller TV shows, is set to hit screens with a new season, Dexter: New Blood. The celebrated TV series’s titular character, Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall), acts and functions similar to YOU’s charming and brilliant Joe Goldberg. Like Joe, Dexter, too, believes in strategies and planning that always help him stay 10 steps ahead to protect himself and predict the worst. Dexter, who plays the role of a forensic technician by day and serial killer by night in the show, is very much senior to Joe. He has survived eight seasons dodging the law, defending his actions, and even successfully raising a family while still being a murderer. If you love YOU, you’re going to see a massive bit of Joe in every move of Dexter.
Hannibal
Platform – Amazon Prime / Hulu
Seasons – 3
The Silence of the Lambs is probably one of the best psychological horror films made in Hollywood, and its lead character, the cannibalistic serial killer Dr Hannibal Lecter, is the scariest character we’ve ever witnessed in Hollywood movies. Hannibal is an American psychological horror-thriller television series that runs on NBC, and its lead, Dr Hannibal Lecter, has an ability to fool everyone around him, very relevant to Joe Goldberg. The NBC series focuses on the complex but emotional relationship between the brilliant psychiatrist Dr Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen) and the FBI criminal profiler and hunter of serial killers, Will Graham (Hugh Dancy). Together they trace complex serial killers by thinking like a serial killer, but Hannibal has something mysterious that Will is unaware of.
Killing Eve
Platform – Hulu
Seasons – 3
We have seen women playing the role of a psychopath in very few Hollywood films, but when they did, they did it with full passion. Kathy Bates and Charlize Theron won the Academy Award for Best Actress by playing the roles of a psychopath in Misery (1990) and Monster (2003), respectively. The Emmy award-winning spy series, Killing Eve, is one such show that depicts similarities with Joe Goldberg’s YOU. The British spy thriller follows a wild game of cat and mouse between psychopathic assassin Villanelle (Jodie Comer) and badass British intelligence investigating officer Eve Polastri (Sandra Oh). The 3-season Hulu series is binge-worthy and will remind Joe’s obsessive love-hate relationship throughout YOU.
Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, and Amazon Prime Instant Video are just some of the clear examples of successful OTT content delivery services. DirectTV’s lucrative sports package and HBO’s popular Game of Thrones series are just some of the top OTT streaming content that can be streamed across multiple screens and portable devices. As Ott content is delivered over a broadband connection to the Internet, consumers also have more options.
The dramatic rise of nimble (OTT) content providers like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video challenges this dominance, reduces revenue, and threatens growth. Consider how OTT services have changed the way we consume television and the media in a very short space of time. If the network-wide and communications-wide transformation is to deliver anything, we could see a similar revolution with the arrival of over-the-top service providers (OTTs), a cocktail of innovative services, the widespread popularity of smart devices, and a hint of widespread and widely available broadband.
As network operators develop home technologies to unlock the low latency and high capacity of 5G, OTT providers and broadcasters will have the opportunity to offer their viewers services ranging from live sports, 4K and 360 videos, headcam recording, virtual reality, and other immersive experiences. Shortly, 5G is expected to disrupt the way we consume content and global OTT operators are aware of this well. It will pave the way for the fourth industrial revolution with high-speed wireless connectivity, AR and VR apps, autonomous vehicles, personalization based on consumer preferences, access to continuous health monitoring through IoT and Smart City devices, and the development of exciting and innovative services.
The Internet of Things ( IoT ) is an emerging network of smart devices and sensors including many everyday items that begin to send and receive data. New York, 2020 – Analysts predict that the Internet of Things will eventually connect 20 billion devices, and these devices will generate data that can be managed and analyzed. The Internet is part of a broader challenge to America’s network infrastructure, which is likely to see a surge in traffic, owing to the increasing use of virtual reality, machine learning, and other emerging data-intensive technologies.
The latest trend in the OTT video streaming arena is the introduction of the Internet of Things (IoT). In this scenario, OTT and video platform players compete with each other to increase their subscriber base through monetization to the IoT and since OTT enables data sharing between IoT devices and OTT services there is attractive potential. In a highly competitive OTT/video platform landscape, the skilled use of data is critical to success and requires the full deployment of technologies such as AI, machine learning, automation, and IoT.
The phenomenal growth of OTT applications is largely due to improved accessibility of content via high-speed Internet, the high-quality streaming capacity of devices, and advances in technology analysis and artificial intelligence. This outbreak has led to an increase in content consumption across devices, with consumers switching from using Amazon Fire Stick and Google Chromecast to the new era of smart TVs for OTT consumption. There are new monetization opportunities for existing networks and OTT service providers to take advantage of performance improvements and cost reductions.
While we use IoT (Internet of Things) technologies, consumers will use voice shopping in the future to maintain an effortless lifestyle. The first hurdle for OTT streaming is that other technology providers will continue to meet consumer expectations. The relationship between OTT service providers and network operators will be more akin to a merger and acquisition.
In recent years, major internet companies such as Google, Facebook, and Microsoft, as well as leading OTT content providers such as Netflix have heavily invested in infrastructure such as data center space and network capacity. Digital natives and OTT competitors can piggyback on this expansive infrastructure, including the last mile services that connect consumers to the content they want to see, and they can benefit from it in a variety of ways. In the Internet of Things (IoT), there are huge untapped opportunities to bring content to portable devices like this, Miller says.
The answer is to use the Internet of Things (IoT), machine learning, and other self-service technologies to interact with customers on a personal level. The IoT is a hybrid network with optical fiber in new locations and many, many wireless connections, according to network infrastructure experts, which increases data capacity and coverage density with small cells and distributed antenna systems. OTT and IT mobile networks are not the only areas to be affected by the IoT.
Digital Home Services (DHS) combines emerging technologies such as Oracle, IoT, AI, mobile chatbots, and remote video to support advanced digital customer management and deliver the next-generation digital home services. Replay consists of pre-integrated OTT back-end components (CMS, SMS, OTT Middleware, engagement, usage analysis, content discovery, and ad tech solutions) together with world-class UI / UX design and application development to enable our customers to experience satisfaction and grow their business.
It changes the way we consume media, underpins the business case for new services, and offers attractive prices that reach end consumers. Market forces such as exponential growth in content and a realignment of distribution models are forcing a realignment and investigating how industry technologies such as AI, immersive reality, IoT, and 5G can be leveraged.
The FCC, major pay-TV providers, and technology startups are engaged in a multi-party dispute over the future of broadcasting television content via set-top boxes and TV app ecosystems. OTT is a media service or streaming media service offered to viewers via the Internet. The term over the top (OTT) refers to the provision of audio and video content to users over the Internet without subscribing to traditional satellite providers.
The integration of Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant into OTT platforms and streaming services will provide more user-friendly and easier search options for content, voice commands, and an enhanced customer experience through artificial intelligence. Part of the OTT model is generally an IoT experience that breaks the shackles that bind us to our old approach, with each iteration enriching the user experience and expanding the possibilities of the service.
Also read : How are Utility Tokens different from Security Tokens?
Getting bored with the Work From Home scenario and looking for a gateway to entertainment? Then OTT platform is the most valid answer for you. Back then, OTT was considered as a second alternative for entertainment purposes due to theatres and several other outdoor activity options, but with the arrival of Covid-19, the whole concept of entertainment has changed in a moment.
Earlier, we used to see the same bunch of actors on OTT platforms, but today, the time has come where even Bollywood Superstars want to join the OTT parade to stay relevant. Content-driven stories backed by well-executed performances eased OTT platforms to reach the peak of the success, and in the coming days, we can expect a high-level competition here as well.
The OTT platforms are packed with great content and eagerly waiting to release their most-awaited shows to keep us entertained throughout 2021. To save your valuable time, we have compiled a list of the 10 most-awaited upcoming OTT releases on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Zee 5, Sony Liv and Disney+Hotstar in 2021.
1. The Family Man, Season 2: Amazon Prime Originals
The series is created-directed by Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK, the duo who entertained us previously with films like Go Goa Gone and Stree. The action-thriller series features Manoj Bajpayee as Srikant Tiwari, a middle-class man secretly working as an intelligence officer who struggles to balance his professional and personal life, the plot and the character itself was a breather from monotonous stories. The 10-episodic first season was so gripped, and the way it ended left the viewers in turmoil. Now, it’s been more than a year, and the viewers still can’t get enough of Shrikant’s life, though Season 2 was initially scheduled for release on 12th February but has been postponed until June, and the wait is still on.
2. Sex Education, Season 3: Netflix
The British comedy-drama follows the story of Otis Milburn, a socially awkward teenage son of the sex therapist mother. He starts his high school sex clinic along with Maeve Wiley, a social outcast and a classmate, to help fellow students out with their sex-related issues. Over the two seasons, a lot has happened between Otis and Maeve’s life, and after two heartbreaking season endings, Sex Education is renewed for the third season. The series has earned a lot of appreciation for their expert exploration and the way they handled sensitive topics like sexuality, family and relationships; there’s a lot to learn from the series; even adults could learn a thing or two from it. The third season is not yet officially scheduled to release, but it is rumoured to release in June or July of this year. Till then, keep your fingers crossed and buzz about the fate of Otis and Maeve’s relationship.
3. Rudra – The Edge of Darkness: Disney+ Hotstar
Disney+ Hotstar has done a decent job creating successful shows like Criminal Justice, Aarya, Special Ops, and now they’re venturing out with Rudra: The Edge of Darkness, starring one of the biggest superstars of Bollywood, the action-hero Ajay Devgn. The series is an official remake of English actor Idris Elba’s psychological crime drama television series Luther, which has five seasons. Ajay Devgn will be seen in a role of a city cop, and the series will be his grand entry into the digital space. The series is produced by Applause Entertainment, renowned for making mind-blowing shows like Criminal Justice, Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story, Hostages and The Office.
4. Stranger Things, Season 4: Netflix
Created by the Duffer Brothers, Stranger Things is a popular American science-fiction horror television series set in the 1980s in the fictional town of Hawkins, where the story helps us explore the concept of a parallel dimensional world, referred to as the upside-down. Stranger Things has attracted record viewership on Netflix and has a broad, active and international fan base. One of the main leads from the series, Millie Bobby Brown, who played the character of Eleven, emerged as a teenage sensation. The third season quite ended on a sad note, and ever since, fans have been waiting desperately for season 4 as it will showcase Jim Hopper’s fate and the forthcoming threat in Russia.
5. Kota Factory, Season 2: Netflix
Created by TVF Originals, Kota Factory is one of the most popular and celebrated web series in India, starring newbies Mayur More, Ranjan Raj, Alam Khan in the lead, along with TVF’s veteran-star Jitendra Kumar. The comedy-drama about IIT aspirants is set in Kota and follows the story of a 16-year-old Vaibhav, played by Mayur More and what happens ahead when he shifts to the Hostel in Kota. The first season was released on the TVF app and YouTube simultaneously and received a fantastic response from critics, complimenting the monochrome setting and the realistic portrayal of coaching centres in India. The series has been renewed for another season, but this time on Netflix.
6. Special Ops 1.5, Season 2: Disney+ Hotstar
Created and directed by acclaimed Bollywood director Neeraj Pandey, Special OPS is an espionage-thriller web series. The series stars Kay Kay Menon as Himmat Singh in the lead and follows his work in the Research and Analysis Wing. His task force team of five agents living in various parts of the world aims to catch the mastermind of several similar patterned terrorist attacks. The plot is inspired by several espionage missions undertaken by India in the last two decades. After the success of the first season, Disney+ Hotstar is developing a prequel of Special Ops that will follow the prior life of its lead, Himmat Singh.
7. Delhi Crime, Season 2: Netflix
The only Indian web series to win a precious International Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series, Delhi Crime, is a Netflix Indian original series created by Richie Mehta. Starring Shefali Shah in the lead as DCP Vartika Chaturvedi, the series is based on the 2012 Delhi gang-rape case that took place in South Delhi. The series follows the story in the aftermath of the gang rape, where Delhi Police strives to find out the culprits guilty for the attacks and death of the female victim. The new season is already in the production work, and it will be a distinct project, focussing on a new set of characters and a fresh story on a new crime.
8. Sunflower: Zee5
Sunflower is a Zee5 original, quirky black-comedy web series directed by Vikas Bahl and will feature actor-comedian Sunil Grover in the lead. Produced by Good Co and Reliance Entertainment, the story revolves around a middle-class housing society in Mumbai called “Sunflower”, where a murder occurs. The murder mystery is scheduled to be released on 11th June 2021.
9. Ray: Netflix
Directed by Ishqiya director Abhishek Chaubey along with Cannes nominee Vasan Bala and National Award winner Srijit Mukherji, Ray is an anthology web series that includes an adaptation of four short stories from celebrated filmmaker and writer Satyajit Ray. The series features a mixed genre, where stories will take us through from a satire world to a psychological thriller. The series features a stellar cast, from Manoj Bajpayee, Gajraj Rao, Kay Kay Menon, Harshvardhan Kapoor to Ali Fazal and many more. Abhishek Chaubey has directed the part featuring Gajraj Rao and Manoj Bajpayee, while Srijit Mukherji and Vasan Bala have helmed other segments of the anthology.
10. Finding Anamika: Netflix
The upcoming thriller-drama web series is created by Bejoy Nambiar, and Karishma Kohli marks the debut of Madhuri Dixit-Nene into the OTT world. Along with Madhuri, the suspenseful family drama stars Sanjay Kapoor, Manav Kaul, Lakshvir Saran, Suhasini Muley and Muskkaan Jafari in the lead. The story will follow the journey of a global superstar vanishing into a void.
