From crime dramas to psychological thrillers, the past year saw many interesting Indian series, writes Akhila Damodaran
Apharan
The crime drama on ALTBalaji stars Arunoday Singh, Nidhi Singh and Mahie Gill. The story is about a celebrated cop, who lands himself in a situation where he is desperate not only for money, but to fight for his one true love - his wife. In his fight for survival, he has to dapple through a kidnapping that leads to a case of an unknown murder. The series takes a turn when he has to investigate his own crime, trying to get out of the web of lies. The show directed by Siddharth Sengupta has received 9.2/10 ratings on IMDb.
Damaged
Launched in June, this psychological crime drama on Hungama has received more than 25 million views. It is the story of a female serial killer, Lovina Birdy, played by Amruta Khanvilkar. The show gives her perspective, explaining what made her who she is.
Memories
The series on Viu takes the audience through the story of Rohit Roy’s character, an anchor of a news channel. Known for his upfront interviews, he also unearths secrets with his unusual superpower, which makes him a trusted aide of the police. He often helps police solve cases, but the story gets its twist when he gets involved in a high-profile case. The show has received 8.1/10 on IMDb.
Sacred Games
The thriller based on Vikram Chandra’s book with the same name released in July on Netflix. The show starring Rajshri Deshpande, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Radhika Apte and Saif Ali Khan. Police officer Sartaj Singh receives an anonymous tip about the location of criminal overlord Ganesh Gaitonde. He embarks on a chase around Mumbai in what becomes a dangerous cat-and-mouse game. The show has received 8.9/10 ratings from IMDb.
Broken But Beautiful
The show on ALTBalaji is directed by Santosh Singh. Starring Vikrant Massey, Harleen Sethi, Simran Kaur Mundi and Jitin Gulati, the show is about two broken souls Veer and Sameera who meet by chance. The two try to accept their brokenness and figure how two broken pieces can belong together. The show has received 8.8/10 ratings on IMDb.
Bar Code
A Hungama original, Bar Code is a drama series about two friends Sahil and Vicky who enter the nightclub business together but let their differences and resulting egos turn their friendship into bitter rivalry. As it gets worse, their enmity proves dangerous not just for them but for others around them as well. Post the fallout, Vicky establishes a rival nightclub, Rehab and the two leave no stone unturned to destroy each other. Their mutual hate proves dangerous not just for them but for their girlfriends and friends too. The show has received more than 61 million views so far.
Breathe
Premiered on Amazon Prime, the show, starring R Madhavan and Amit Sadh, created awareness about organ donation. Police officer Kabir puts together the deaths of organ donors. It leads him to an unlikely suspect – a football coach Danny, who seeks a transplant for his son. The show has received 8.2/10 ratings on IMDb.
Mirzapur
The crime thriller on Amazon Prime revolves around drugs, guns and unlawful activities. It depicts the rule of mafia dons in Uttar Pradesh and the rivalry and crime prevailing in the regions. Starring Pankaj Tripathi, Ali Fazal, Vikrant Massey and Shweta Tripathi, the story is about Akhandanand Tripathi, played by Pankaj Tripathi, who made millions exporting carpets and became the mafia boss of Mirzapur. The show has received 8.6/10 ratings on IMDb.