Series which made us swoon in 2021

By Kanishka Vijay

2021 was a year that scored a huge win for the web-series in India. With the movie theatres almost all shut throughout the year, people flocked to OTT platforms to consume some of the latest content out there that was on offer. The OTT space has not disappointed as well and delivered a bunch of interesting content. With viewers being so spoilt for choice, it becomes tough for people to sort out their weekend binge-watch list. Here us easing it out for you… 

Code M - ALTBalaji
This ALTBalaji show had Jennifer Winget as Major Monica Mehra and her quest to solve a conspiracy plot during her investigation of a military encounter case took the viewers on a thrilling ride. A stellar cast including Rajat Kapoor, Seema Biswas and Tanuj Virwani, each of whom played a remarkable role surely stayed with us all. This beautiful tribute to the brave men and women from the Indian armed forces was a seasoned drama that begs another season. 

Aarya Season 2 - Hotstar
The crime thriller was Sushmita Sen return to the screen after a while. Based on the Dutch drama Penoza, the series showcased Sush aka Aarya Sareen as a caring mother and a loving wife whose world turns around when her husband, Chandrachur Singh aka Tej Sareen is mysteriously killed. In the second season, we saw Aarya return with a vengeance as she is forced to testify against her own family. Trying to escape a bloody past that she is forced to confront, the second season of this crime thriller was a highlight of the year.

Mumbai Diaries 26/11 - Amazon Prime
The medical drama directed by Nikhil Advani took an entirely different look at the dreaded terrorist attacks of 26/11. The riveting drama follows the staff of the Bombay General Hospital and their travails during the horrific night of November 26, 2008. Mohit Raina as Dr Oberoi and Konkona Sen Sharma as Chitra Das, a Social Services Director, deliver pitch-perfect performances. The treatment of the entire incident was brilliant and should be on one’s much-watch lists for 2021.  

Cartel – ALTBalaji & MX Player
Set in the present-day backdrop of Mumbai’s thriving crime scene, this ALTBalaji crime saga is an overload of action, drama romance explodes like a livewire. Supriya Pathak as Rani Maai, Kannan Arunachalam as Anna, Shubhrajyoti Barat as Gajraj, Ashwath Bhatt as Chairman and Anil George as Khan deliver some spectacular performances and make the crime world of Mumbai come alive. Tanuj Virwani, Rithvik Dhanjani and Jitendra Joshi  were critically applauded for their stellar performances. If crime dramas are your scene, then Cartel will do the job for you!  

Grahan - Hotstar
A crime drama based on the book Chaurasi by Satya Vyas, the series has Pawan Malhotra aka Gurusevak, Zoya Hussain aka SP Amrita Singh delivers stellar performances. Amrita’s search to unravel the truth about her father will take you on a journey through the troubled history and the social-political canvas of the situations in 1984 and unveil a beautiful love story. A gripping watch, this one!