From 'Farzi' To 'Dahaad': List Of Best Hindi OTT Shows Of 2023
As the year draws to a close, here is our list of the best Hindi OTT shows to release in 2023.
Gone are the days when you had to rely on going to the theatres to watch good and engaging content. With OTT platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+ Hotstar coming into our lives, the world cinema has come a little closer, and it is available to watch 24x7 in the comfort of one's home. People can watch worldwide content, hence the taste and intellect levels have also evolved, and people are now more willing to consume nuanced content, that deals with relevant themes.
2023 was a solid year for OTT shows worldwide, especially in India. There were so many good shows this year, and curating a list of the best shows was difficult.
When we sat down to write about the best shows of 2023, it was hard to include acclaimed series like 'The Night Manager', 'Asur 2: The Rise Of The Dark Side', 'Saas, Bahu Aur Flamingo', and 'The Hunt For Veerappan' in the list.
It is safe to say that 2023 has been the best year for Hindi streaming shows, and there are several series that will keep you hooked, and you won't be able to take your eye off the screen.
All in all, it is safe to say that Indian content reached its peak in 2023. Several movies provided wholesome entertainment and there were also shows, that entertained you, but also made you ponder about life in general.
As the year draws to a close, we decided to curate a list of the best Hindi OTT shows to release in 2023.
So without further ado, here is the list:
1. Kohrra (Netflix)
This Netflix show boasts an impressive star cast such as Survinder Vicky, Barun Sobti, Harleen Sethi, Saurav Khurana, Rachel Shelley, and Manish Chaudhary. The show is loosely a police procedural but it also deals with social and political themes that are deeply relevant. For the unversed, the show is a collaboration between Sudeep Sharma, Randeep Jha, Diggi Sisodia, and Gunjit Chopra.
The show quite impressively uses a murder as a major plot point. Every character in the story has a reason to be present. The five-part series opens with a body lying in a fog-laden field in a Punjab village, and the opening sets the plot in motion. This discovery of a murder leads to more revelations about mobsters and drug usage.
2. Kaala Paani (Netflix)
This Netflix series has been created by Sameer Saxena and written by Biswapati Sarkar, Nimisha Misra, Sandeep Saket, and Amit Golani. The show features Mona Singh, Ashutosh Gowariker, Amey Wagh, Vikas Kumar, Chinmay Mandlekar, Sukant Goel, Arushi Sharma, Radhika Mehrotra, Poornima Indrajith in leading roles.
The latest Hindi web series tells the story of how a mysterious disease comes down upon the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and there is a desperate effort for survival among the people stranded on the island.
The latest Hindi web series also deals with the human psyche and how they can go to any length to survive, even if it means harming others.
3. Jubilee (Amazon Prime Video)
This Amazon Prime Video series stars Aparshakti Khurana, Aditi Rao Hydari, Wamiqa Gabbi, Sidhant, Ram Kapoor, and Prosenjit Chatterjee in pivotal roles and the 10-part new Hindi web series tells the story of how the film industry was filled with greed and jealousy in the 1950s and 1960s.
The new Hindi web series is set in the backdrop of Bombay (now Mumbai) in 1947 when Hindi cinema was just finding its feet. This stellar ensemble cast gave stunning performances and their realistic portrayal will make you feel nostalgic about a much simpler time and make you realise, how competitive the world was even back in the day.
4. Trial By Fire (Netflix)
This Netflix show, stars Abhay Deol, Ashish Vidyarthi, Anupam Kher, Rajshri Deshpande, Rajesh Tailang, Ratna Pathak, Shilpa Shukla, Shardul Bharadwaj in leading roles. The new Hindi web series is based on the book 'Trial by Fire: The Tragic Tale of the Uphaar Fire Tragedy' written by Neelam Krishnamoorthy and Shekhar Krishnamoorthy. The latest Hindi web series is based on the Uphaar Cinema Tragedy.
Prashant Nair directed 'Trial By Fire' and the show manages to capture the heartbreaking yet resilient journey of the parents - Neelam and Shekhar Krishnamoorthy, who lost their two children to the fire. For the unversed, in the month of June 1997, a fire wreaked havoc inside Uphaar Cinema in the Green Park area of Delhi, and it resulted in the loss of 59 lives, and almost 100 filmgoers were injured. Abhay Deol and Rajshri Deshpande gave stellar performances and their portrayal of a grieving family will definitely bring tears to your eyes.
5. The Railway Men (Netflix)
The latest Hindi web series is backed by YRF Entertainment, and the plot is based on the events that took place on the fateful night of December 3, 1984, in Bhopal. The new Hindi web series deals with the heroism demonstrated by the employees of the Indian Railways during the Bhopal gas tragedy and how they kept themselves second in order to save as many lives as possible.
The star cast of the latest Hindi web series includes R Madhavan, Kay Kay Menon, Juhi Chawla, Raghubir Yadav, Divyendu, and Babil Khan among others. The four-part series will take you on a roller coaster ride, and you will definitely be tearing up by the end.
6. School of Lies (Hotstar)
This Disney+ Hotstar series is made by Avinash Arun and the plot if set in a private boarding school in the hills. The show deals with the troubles faced by children in a boarding school. Aamir Bashmir as the headmaster will definitely blow your mind.
Apart from Aamir Bashir, the series also stars Nimrit Kaur, Varin Roopani, Divyansh Dwivedi, Aryan Singh Ahlawat, Vir Pachisia, Sonali Kulkarni, Hemant Kher, Parthiv Shetty, Adrija Sinha, Aalekh Kapoor and others. The plot is set in motion after a 12-year-old student Shakti Salgaonkar goes missing from a boarding school.
7. Farzi (Amazon Prime Video)
This Amazon Prime Video series is created, produced, and directed by Raj & DK, and the duo also co-wrote the series with Sita Menon and Suman Kumar. The show stars Shahid Kapoor, Vijay Sethupathi, Kay Kay Menon, Raashii Khanna, and Bhuvan Arora in leading roles. The plot revolves around a disillusioned artist, played by Shahid Kapoor, and how he decides to make counterfeit money.
Shahid Kapoor's performance is one for the ages, and his complex portrayal will definitely make you feel a wide range of emotions. The show received positive reviews, and it also emerged as the most-watched Indian streaming series ever. Shahid Kapoor has already confirmed that the series will be returning for a second season.
8. Dahaad (Amazon Prime Video)
This Amazon Prime Video show surely qualifies as one of the best pieces of content to come out of India in 2023. 'Dahaad' has been created by Reema Kagti and Zoya Akhtar and it has been produced by Excel Media & Entertainment and Tiger Baby Films. The star cast of the series includes Sonakshi Sinha, Vijay Varma, Gulshan Devaiah, and Sohum Shah in lead roles.
The series is an 8-part crime drama that follows sub-inspector Anjali Bhaati (Sonakshi Sinha) and her colleagues in a small-town police station. It all starts when a series of women start being mysteriously found dead in public bathrooms, and sub-inspector Anjali Bhaati is then tasked with the investigation.
