MUMBAI: The year 2020 might have not been one of the best years but it definitely gave some amazing web series. While being quarantined at home in the lockdown, the OTT platforms turned out to be a boon for TV and movie buffs. Plenty of shows were released on OTT platforms like Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Voot Select and Disney+Hotstar that entertained the viewers within the comfort and safety of their homes.

1 Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story

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Pratik Gandhi as Harshad Mehta in Scam 1992.

Scam 1992 adapted from journalist Sucheta Dalal and Debashish Basu's book The Scam: Who Won, who Lost, who Got Away, is one of the biggest hits of 2020. The series stars Pratik Gandhi, Sharib Hashmi, Shreya Dhanwanthary, Hemant Kher and Nikhil Dwivedi in lead roles. Scam 1992 follows the life of Harshad Mehta, a stockbroker who took the stock market to dizzying heights and his catastrophic downfall.

2 Asur

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Arshad Warsi and Barun Sobti played lead in Voot Select's Asur.

Voot Select's Asur, starring Arshad Warsi and Barun Sobti, is another must-watch of 2020. The crime thriller takes us to Varanasi when Nikhil Nair (Barun Sobti) returns to CBI to solve a case involving a dangerous killer. He reunites with his former mentor Dhananjay Rajpoot (Arshad Warsi) and together the duo try to get hold of the ‘Asur’ that lurks in the darkness.

3 Special Ops

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Special Ops has been directed by Neeraj Pandey.

The Disney+ Hotstar VIP series boasts of a stellar cast, which includes Kay Kay Menon, Karan Tacker, Muzzamil Ibrahim, Meher Vij, Saiyami Kher Divya Dutta, Vinay Pathak and Sharad Kelkar. Based on a 19-year-old manhunt for 2001 Parliament attack accused, the espionage thriller has excellent performances. The series was directed by Neeraj Pandey.

4 Panchayat

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Raghuvir Yadav, Chandan Roy and Jitendra Kumar in a still from Panchayat.

Amazon Prime Video's Panchayat will win your heart with its realistic storytelling.The amazing ensemble cast of Panchayat, which includes Jitendera Kumar, Neena Gupta and Raghuvir Yadav, was a cherry on the cake. The series traces the journey of an engineering graduate Abhishek (Kumar), who for lack of a better job option joins as secretary of a panchayat office in a remote village of Uttar Pradesh.

5 Jamtara - Sabka Number Ayega

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Jamtara - Sabka Number Ayega began streaming on Netflix in January this year.

Jamtara was Netflix's first India original. The series says a riveting tale of a sleepy district of Jharkhand that emerged as the biggest den of digital crime a few years ago. Directed by Soumendra Padhi, Jamtara, stars Amit Sial, Sparsh Shrivastav, Anshumaan Pushka, Monika Panwar and Aksha Pardasany. The crime thriller is about how a lucrative phishing business run by school dropouts grabs the attention of a politician, law enforcement agency and media.

6 Four More Shots Please! 2

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Four More Shots Please! Season 2 stars Kirti Kulhari, Maanvi Gagroo, Bani J and Sayai Gupta.

The desi Sex and The City wowed the viewers. The series got a humongous response from the viewers and was one of the most-watched India originals on Amazon Prime Video. The new season picks up the story from where it was left in the second installment. Created by Rangita Pritish Nandy and directed by Nupur Asthana, the show stars Sayani Gupta, Kirti Kulhari, Bani J and Maanvi Gagroo in the lead.

7 Aarya

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Sushmita Sen made a comeback with Aarya.

Sushmita Sen made a powerful digital debut with Disney+Hotstar VIP series. Aarya, based on Dutch series Penoza, keeps its viewers hooked with an intriguing storyline. Directed by Ram Madhvani, the show also stars Chandrachur Singh, Sikander Kher, Ankut Bhatia, Namit Das and Manish Choudhary, among others.

8 Code M

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Jennifer Winget in a still from Code M.

Jennifer Winget turned a fauji for her digital debut on ALTBalaji and Zee5. The binge-worthy series revolves around Monica Mehra (Winget) who is summoned by her mentor to solve what seems like an open and shut case. As Monica begins her investigation, facts unravel and the case turns out to be murder rather than an encounter. The series also stars Tanuj Virwani and Rajat Kapoor.

9 Mirzapur 2

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Mirzapur 2 premiered on October 23.

One of the most-anticipated web shows of 2020, Mirzapur 2, has to be on your binge-watch list. The sequel to a successful Season 1 witnessed Ali Fazal as Guddu Pandit attempt to take over the throne of Mirzapur from the Kaleen Bhaiya (Pankaj Tripathi) after losing his brother Bablu (Vikrant Massey) and wife Sweety (Shriya Pilgaonkar).

10 State of Siege: 26/11

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Arjun Bijlani, Vivek Dahiya and Arjan Bajwa play NSG commandos in State of Siege 26/11.

Based on Sandeep Unnithan’s book Black Tornado: The Three Sieges of Mumbai 26/11, the series gives a true account of the various events that turned into the prolonged terror siege of Mumbai on November 26, 2008. The crime thriller throws light on the lesser-known facts and the challenges faced by NSG commandos during the rescue operation. Directed by Matthew Leutwyler, the State oF Siege stars Arjan Bajwa, Arjun Bijlani, Vivek Dahiya, Mukul Dev and Sid Makkar.

11 Paatal Lok

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Paatal Lok stars Neeraj Kabi, Jaideep Ahlawat and Abhishek Banerjee.

Paatal Lok, a gritty crime thriller from Amazon Prime Vide, is one of the must-watch web shows on 2020. Directed by Avinash Arun Dhawre and Prosit Roy, the series stars Jaideep Ahlawat, Neeraj Kabi, Abhishek Banerjee and Gul Panag in lead roles. From the plight of journalism to the politics of the country, everythig is nicely woven in the series.

12 Undekhi

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SonyLiv's crime thriller Undekhi premiered on July 10.

The SonyLiv series is a gripping thriller packed with strong performances. Directed by Ashish R Shukla, Undekhi stars Harsh Chhaya, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, Ankur Rathee, Anchal Singh, Abhishek Chauhan and Surya Sharma. The series is based on true incidents and depicts the two aspects of the society - the power-drunk influential people who think they can get away with anything and the oppressed, subjected to years of torture, who finally decide to bring themselves to justice.

13 Crackdown

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Directed by Apoorva Lakhia, Crackdown stars Saqib Saleem, Rajesh Tailang, Shriya Pilgaonkar and Iqbal Khan.

Directed by Apoorva Lakhia and written by Suresh Nair, Crackdown packed a punch on Voot Select. The series stars Saqib Saleem, Rajesh Tailang, Iqbal Khan, Shriya Plilgaonkar and Waluscha De Sousa in pivotal roles. The series will get you hooked with regular twists and turns in the storyline.

14 Abhay Season 2

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Abhay 2 is one of the most-watched web shows of Zee5 in 2020.

Kunal Kemmu returned as Abhay Pratap Singh with the second season of Abhay. The sequel had power-packed performance from Ram Kapoor as the main villain. Asha Negi and Nidhi Singh, Chunky Panday, Bidita Bag, Raghav Juval, Indraneil Sengupta and Asheema Vardhan joined Kemmu in the new season. The thriller revolves around Abhay, a sharp investigating officer who understands a criminal’s mindset. 

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15 Mentalhood

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Mentalhood is about the daily struggles of every mother and their personal coping mechanism for it.

Starring Karisma Kapoor, Sandhya Mridul, Shilpa Shukla, Tillotama Shome, Shruti Seth, Dino Morea and Sanjay Suri, Mentalhood takes the viewers through the topsy-turvy world of mothers and how they manoeuvre their way through unreasonable expectations and eccentricities to raise their children. The series marked Karisma's comeback and digital debut.

16 She

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Aaditi Pohankar in a still from Netflix's She.

Netflix series She stars Aaditi Pohankar in the lead role. She plays the pivotal role of a female constable, Bhumika Pardesi, who goes undercover to bring down a drug cartel. Written by Imtiaz Ali and directed by Arif Ali and Avinash Das, the crime thriller tells a woman's story of sexual awakening and subsequent self-empowerment.

17 Never Kiss Your Best Friend

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Nakuul Mehta and Anya Singh in a still from Never Kiss Your Best Friend.

Never Kiss You Best Friend, a Zee5 original, stars Nakuul Mehta and Anya Singh in lead role. The story revolves around two best friends, Tanie and Sumer, who meet after 5 longs years and how their heart-warming story redefines the rules of friendship. The series is based on Sumrit Shahi’s best selling novel Never Kiss Your Best Friend.

18 The Forgotten Army

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Sunny Kaushal played the lead role in The Forgotten Army.

Director Kabir Khan did a magnificent job of bringing to life a forgotten chapter of Indian history in The Forgotten Army, the Amazon Prime original. With just five episodes, the series is totally binge-worthy. The series star Sunny Kaushal and Sharvari in lead roles.

19 Aashram

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Bobby Deol as Baba Nirala in Aashram

Bobby Deol-starrer Aashram Season 1 released in August this and while the second season premiered on MXPlayer in November. The series revolves around the corruption and crime that happens under the guise of faith. Aaditi Pohankar, Darshan Kumar, Chandan Roy Sanyal, Adhyayan Suman, Anupriya Goenka and Tushar Pandey also play key roles in the show.

20 Taj Mahal 1989

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Neeraj Kabi and Geetanjali Kulkarni in a still from Taj Mahal 1989. Picture courtesy: Netflix

Taj Mahal 1989, a Netflix India original, is the story of four couples of different age groups, dealing with the politics of love. The series is a tribute to the year 1989, that in a sense, was the year of transformation. Set in Lucknow, the series gives you a hang of what romance was like in a time before Tinder. 

SOURCE – INDIA TV 

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