IMDb recently released rankings of the most popular Indian movies released theatrically, on streaming platforms, and web series.
These 10 web series were consistently the most popular with IMDb users, as determined by the actual page views of the more than 200 million monthly visitors to IMDb worldwide, out of all the web series released in India between January 1 and November 6, 2023, that have an average IMDb user rating of 5 or higher with at least 4000 votes. IMDb TV rankings, which are updated every week throughout the year, are the source of this unique and conclusive information.
10. "Jubilee"
Listed at number ten is Vikramaditya Motwane's "Jubilee," a love letter to the golden age of Bollywood cinema that was published in two installments. Many allusions to historical heroes are brought up in the period drama, which fans have consumed like cookie crumbs. Nevertheless, "Jubilee" has an attraction to everyone since it packs eight sepia-toned episodes full of powerful performances with themes of love, greed, passion, and politics. With its backdrop of India's freedom and an expanding film industry, the series deftly combined truth and fiction—a genre we want to see more of.
9. "Scoop"
As she battles for justice after the horrifying death of a journalist, a prominent crime reporter finds herself entangled in the web of the police, media, and Mumbai's underworld. She has to make her way through a maze of lies and secrets in order to find the truth, as the stakes are rising and it is growing harder to find the truth every second. Karishma Tanna, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, Prasenjit Chatterjee, Harman Baweja, and Tannishtha Chatterjee are among the cast members of Hansal Mehta's direction "Scoop".
8. "Saas, Bahu Aur Flamingo"
"Saas, Bahu Aur Flamingo" is at number eight and tells the tale of a grandmother who, together with her one daughter and two daughters-in-law, controls a narcotics gang. Their haveli is attacked, their sons return, and some old adversaries reappear, all of which cause their lives to be abruptly turned upside down. Angira Dhar, Isha Talwar, Radhika Madan, and Dimple Kapadia all express betrayal and every emotion you can think of with amazing conviction and ease.
7. "Dahaad"
Clocking in at number seven, "Dahaad" tells the terrifyingly true story of a serial murderer, but the show takes the audacious step of identifying him rather early on. Released from the confines of remaining a mystery, the program delves further into the how and why of the killings, which makes it an engaging watch. Featuring Sohum Shah, Vijay Varma, Gulshan Devaiah, and Sonakshi Sinha, "Dahaad" is the first Indian web series to be shown at the Berlin International Film Festival.
6. "Rana Naidu"
Rana Daggubati portrays a fixer for some of the wealthiest individuals in the nation in his OTT debut. The ten episodes, directed by Suparn Varma and Karan Anshuman, showcase the several aspects of Rana Naidu, some of which may surprise you. With their performances, Abhishek Banerjee and Venkatesh Daggubati also make an impression.
5. "Asur 2"
The second season of "Asur" stands at number five, following up where the first season left off three years ago, keeping viewers on a cliffhanger. In this thrilling mythological thriller, which finds several ways to root its narrative and provide its audience a satisfying ending, Arshad Warsi and Barun Sobti both effortlessly revert to their roles.
4. "Kohrra"
It's surprising that "Kohrra," whose title literally translates to "fog" in Hindi, arrived like a breath of new air just as the genre of criminal thrillers was starting to get monotonous. In this atmospheric whodunit, which has elements of True Detective, an NRI man is discovered dead a few days before his wedding in Punjab. This police procedural delves deeply into Punjab's socio-political context while captivating the audience with two outstanding performances by Suvinder Vicky and Barun Sobti.
3. "The Night Manager"
Based on the 1993 novel "The Night Manager" by John le Carré, the Indian version of the 2016 BBC series of the same name tells the tale of a hotel's night manager who serves as the only defense against a deadly arms dealer. Shaan Sengupta (Aditya Roy Kapoor) wants to ruin Shailendra Rungta's (Anil Kapoor) world even though innocent lives are at risk.
2. "Guns & Gulaabs"
An extraordinary opium sale in the cartel-run village of Gulaabgunj draws a lovesick mechanic and a big-city officer into its tangled web. Directed by Raj Nidimoru and Krishna D.K., "Guns & Gulaabs" stars Rajkummar Rao, Dulquer Salmaan, Adarsh Gourav, and Gulshan Devaiah amid the backdrop of a gritty underworld with high-stakes gunfights and surprising turns.
1. "Farzi"
The two most watched web series on this list are the products of director team Raj & DK. "Farzi" also marked the premiere of Vijay Sethupathi and Shahid Kapoor's OTT series. The series delves deeply into the counterfeiting industry and has original music and an engaging story. The show's close buddy of Kapoor, Bhuvan Arora, was also the first to win the 2023 IMDb "Breakout Star" STARmeter Award.
Farzi and Guns & Gulaabs directors Raj & DK expressed their delight at seeing both series put out this year being so well received, calling it as "absolutely thrilling."
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