From follow-up of crime thrillers that ended on a cliffhanger to much-anticipated fresh seasons of heartwarming dramas, a slew of Hindi web series are set to return this year. Here’s a look at seven such popular Hindi-language web series that will drop new seasons soon.
Made in Heaven Season 2 (Amazon Prime Video)
Created by Reema Kagti and Zoya Akhtar, Made in Heaven (2020) told the story of two wedding planners in New Delhi — Tara (Sobhita Dhulipala) and Karan (Arjun Mathur) — who struggle to make it big by striking a balance between tradition and modernity. Every big, fat Indian wedding calls for even bigger sacrifices, and the show successfully brought to life the clash between upper-class privilege and middle-class aspirations.
Made in Heaven was also praised for its sensitive portrayal of the LGBTQIA+ community and its strong female characters. Season 1 ended with Tara walking out of her marriage to Adil (Jim Sarbh), after having set her sights on him as a dream catch and then realising the web of deception she had created to make the marriage work. Tara’s decision is going to have a huge effect on her career as well as her friendship with Faiza (Kalki Koechlin), with whom Adil has been having an affair. On the other hand, Karan comes to terms with his sexuality and reunites with his childhood sweetheart.
Panchayat Season 3 (Amazon Prime Video)
Engineering graduate Abhishek Tripathi — played by Jitendra Kumar — is desperately looking for a job. Unable to land one that suits his calibre, he ends up taking up the role of a secretary at a panchayat in a remote Indian village. Unfamiliar with rural life, Abhishek tries hard to fit in and also deal with the many challenges his job entails.
Directed by Deepak Kumar Mishra, Panchayat was praised for its simple storytelling and heartwarming characters. Neena Gupta and Raghubir Yadav won hearts for their earthy-and-relatable portrayal of the village chief and her husband, respectively. Jitendra is the star of the show, shouldering the series with his nuanced portrayal of a city guy trying to adjust to a rural setting. The second season (2021) of the series ended on a sombre note as Abhishek received a transfer order. It remains to be seen where his new posting takes him, and in which direction it steers his journey.
Mirzapur Season 3 (Amazon Prime Video)
From memes to reels, Kaleen Bhaiya, Guddu, Bablu and Munna of popular action drama Mirzapur went viral from the day the show dropped on the OTT platform. A power-obsessed man, Kaleen Bhaiya (Pankaj Tripathi) runs a carpet business in Mirzapur. He is also a mafia don who runs an illegal arms racket. He wants his son Munna (Divyenndu) to take over the business after him but the Pandit brothers — Guddu (Ali Fazal) and Bablu (Vikrant Massey) — pose a challenge. Helmed by Mihir Desai, Season 2 of Mirzapur (2021) ended with Guddu taking control of Mirzapur after injuring Kaleen and Munna in a fight. However, unbeknown to him, the real nemesis lurks in the shadows.
The Family Man Season 3 (Amazon Prime Video)
Srikant Tiwari (Manoj Bajpayee) works in a highly secretive cell of the National Intelligence Agency but maintains his facade as a middle-class man. As Srikant tackles threats to national security, he must also balance his familial responsibilities with his role as a world-class spy. Created by Raj & DK, the spy thriller was acclaimed by viewers and critics alike for its writing and execution. Samantha Ruth Prabhu’s fiery portrayal of Raji, the main antagonist in the second season (2021), won her accolades. The previous season of The Family Man ended with a time lapse, with a mysterious person sitting in Kolkata, ready for a Chinese mission in the Northeast.
Yeh Kaali Kaali Aankhein Season 2 (Netflix)
Set in the fictional north Indian town of Onkara, Yeh Kaali Kaali Aankhein revolves around a simple guy, Vikrant (Tahir Raj Bhasin). Purva (Anchal Singh), the daughter of a politician, desires him and will go to any lengths to get him. Vikrant is in love with Shikha (Shweta Tripathi) and comes up with ingenious plans to escape Purva’s advances. This pushes him down a dark path, endangering both his and Shikha’s lives.
The first season of Yeh Kaali Kaali Aankhein (2022), created and directed by Sidharth Sengupta, ended with a major twist. Vikrant had sent a hitman to kill Purva, but he abducted her instead after finding out that she is the daughter of a powerful politician.
Rocket Boys Season 2 (Sony LIV)
Director Abhay Pannu had struck gold with his biographical series based on the lives of Dr Homi Jehangir Bhabha and Dr Vikram Sarabhai, who shaped India’s space programme. Jim Sarbh and Ishwak Singh played Dr Bhabha and Dr Sarabhai, respectively. The first season of the series (2022) ended with the launch of India’s first indigenous research rocket, fired from a village near Thiruvananthapuram in 1963. It is speculated that the second season will shift its focus on former President of India and nuclear scientist Dr APJ Abdul Kalam.
Scam 2003: The Telgi Story (SonyLIV)
Actor Pratik Gandhi shot to fame with his portrayal of Harshad Mehta in Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story, directed by Hansal Mehta. Set in the 1980s and ’90s, the show follows the meteoric rise of Harshad Mehta, a young stockbroker who took the stock market to dizzying heights but to catastrophic consequences. In his second offering in this series, Hansal Mehta will now recount the story of the Telgi scam that rocked the nation in 2003. Gagan Dev Riar is set to play Abdul Karim Telgi, the mastermind behind the fake stamp paper racket in this series. Tushar Hiranandani, whose first directorial venture was Saand Ki Aankh, will direct Scam 2003: The Telgi Story.
