Best Web Series Of 2021 To Put On Your Rewatch List For New Year's Weekend

Best Hindi web series 2021: The outgoing year was a good one for the OTT content tray, which flourished a number of solid releases despite the pandemic bringing the entertainment industry, and the world at large, to a grinding halt for many months. From thriller to drama to romance, Hindi OTT series explored a bunch of themes in ways divergent to those Hindi mainstream films comfortably rely on for making big bucks.

Online streaming is transforming the way India consumes content and, given its larger liberties surrounding censorship, risk-taking and lack of box office pressures, could be the watershed turn towards mature, meaningful content audiences have been waiting for. 2021 saw several such series premieres that boldly dissected difficult issues episodically; here are the best ones to catch, or re-watch if you already have, on the first weekend of the new year.

Best Hindi Web Series From 2021 To Ring In The New Year With:

1. Aarya (Season 2) 

Sushmita Sen returns to the OTT screen as Aarya, wounded but more empowered than season one left her. The critically-acclaimed show follows the journey of Sen as she transforms from a simple mother to a ferocious gun-wielding fighter engaging with druglords after a tragedy overturns her life. The second season, which premiered this month and is receiving high praise, tracks Aarya further down a dangerous road after she realises her children might be in danger. More here.

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2. Tabbar 

Among the most well-received Hindi thrillers this year, Tabbar was a surprise breakout with a gripping storyline that revolves around murder, with moody settings amping up the dark themes of the show. The cast is led by veterans Pavan Malhotra and Supriya Pathak, premiering in October. Reviews were markedly appreciative of the show's original drama-thriller plot that shows Malhotra as Omkar Singh, a retired police officer, going against the odds to save his family from tragedy.

3. Special Ops 1.5 

Starring Kay Kay Menon as Himmat Singh, a RAW agent, Special Ops 1.5 explores the origin story of the character before he goes on to lead the team investigating the 2001 Parliament attacks in the already-released Special Ops. Over four episodes, the new series gives the audience an insight into Singh's past assignments that determine his place in the high-profile project to come. Boasting of an ensemble cast, the series premiered in November to good reviews from fans.

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4. Maharani

Based on real-life politics in Bihar, Maharani starring Huma Qureshi in the lead as Rani Bharti received mixed reactions but was doubtless held up for pinning a strong female-centric storyline against the context of the male-dominated political arena. Rani Bharti is pushed into politics after her husband, the Chief Minister of Bihar, announces her name as his successor. The show tracks her life as she goes from a docile homemaker to a politician with a powerful voice. &t=1s">Watch Qureshi's interview with &t=1s">SheThePeople. 

5. The Family Man (Season 2) 

Though it was mired in much controversy for the portrayal of Tamil rebels and 'brownfacing' its characters, The Family Man's second season secured praise as big as its debut season from two years ago. Manoj Bajpayee reprised his role as the lead Srikant Tiwari but digital debutante Samantha Ruth Prabhu as Raji, the antagonist, emerged as the show-stealer. In a social media post, she said her role was a tribute to those who died because of an "unequal war" in Tamil history.

6. Aranyak  

Marking Raveena Tandon's debut on the OTT format, Aranyak, a thriller-mystery, is the latest release on the list. Set against the backdrop of a misty mountain town that is shaken by the rape and murder of a young French girl, the show delves into a murky investigation riddled with political double-crossing and secrets that Tandon's Nutan, a police officer, is tasked with uncovering. Aranyak imparts a mature, redemptive take on gender crime issues that is uncommon in Bollywood.