'Arya' To 'Seven Seconds' Women Centric Shows On OTT To Watch This Weekend

Gone are the days when women were restricted to being the eye-candy who swooned to melodic songs and romanced the lead actor with a lesser screen time. Actors today are taking centre stage and how! Be it Vidya Balan, Shefali Shah in Jalsa or 90s actors like Juhi Chawla appearing in the upcoming web show Hush, women are playing prominent roles in the showbiz and the women-centric shows, and films are here to stay.

These shows do not rely on the caricaturish portrayal of the women for the script but rather present them as human beings with flaws and give them a scope to develop. Women of our society get to learn a lot from these types of shows. We have listed down some popular women-centric shows that you can try your hands on and binge-watch this weekend.

Women Centric Shows To Watch This Weekend

Aarya

Sushmita Sen has been a force to be reckoned with since her Miss Universe days. OTT, on the other hand, was a breath of fresh air for the former model, allowing her to uncover the full extent of her acting abilities with Aarya as a women-centric show. Sushmita Sen nailed her eponymous role as the key heroine Aarya in this Hotstar online series, which was inspired by the Dutch programme Penoza.

She portrays a strong mother with the stereotypical dream lifestyle: a magnificent home, a loving husband, and adoring children. With her husband's abrupt death, however, her life takes an unexpected turn as she is dragged into her family's nefarious business. The show depicts a dramatic transformation in the life of a lady who is forced to change her personality due to an unexpected turn in her life.

As the show unfolds, we see her character arc shift from fear to fortitude and unwavering confidence, which is the essence of Aarya Sareen's personality. Season 2 was just released as a result of Season 1's great popularity, and it received the same acclaim for its brilliance.

Sushmita Sen In Arya (Indian Express)

Aranyak

Aranyak, directed by Vinay Vyakul, is Raveena Tandon's first foray into the OTT world. This gripping murder mystery follows the actress in the guise of a dedicated officer as she investigates a murder in the fictional village of Sirona.

She portrays a dedicated police officer who struggles to balance her personal and professional lives. Duty calls, and she prioritises her work over being a conventional woman who foregoes a bright future because she believes that as a woman, she should spend more time at home.

She is shown parading around with fellow city-bred cop Angad, played by Parambrata Chatterjee, cracking every clue of the case.

Seven Seconds

Seven Seconds is another brilliant show by Veena Sud who also wrote and produced The Killing. Following the unintentional death of an African-American adolescent by a police officer named Peter Jablonski (Beau Knapp) in a hit-and-run, the search for the perpetrator threatens to destabilise the police department.

Clare-Hope Ashitey stars as K.J. Harper, a haunted young prosecutor who refuses to accept that it's an open-and-shut case with a convenient fall guy. Regina King gives a memorable performance as the victim's mother, and Clare-Hope Ashitey stars as K.J. Harper, a haunted young prosecutor who refuses to accept that it's an open-and-shut case with a convenient fall guy.

From the start, we know Jablonski is driving the automobile, and Seven Seconds is more of a character study of individuals involved than a mystery to be solved: the show's strength is it's multidimensional, deeply complex characters.

Bridgerton

Bridgerton is a classic, and it's no secret that it has a sizable and devoted following. The sitcom portrays an aristocratic family whose daughter, Daphne Bridgerton, is looking for a suitable suitor in her first season. When she meets the Duke of Hastings, Simon Bassett, turmoil ensues as the two form a mutually beneficial relationship that will save them both from being paraded and married off.

This show not only promotes women's empowerment but also emphasises that women are more than their appearances and marriage suitability. The aristocracy will return to Netflix on March 25, 2022, for its second season, so now is the best time to catch up or relive season one.

The Queen’s Gambit

The Queen's Gambit is a show that follows the life of a young orphan as she develops into a chess prodigy and rises the chess ladder while battling drug and alcohol addiction. The presentation highlights women who break into male-dominated environments, thrive there, and defy preconceptions. The show has also received eleven Primetime Emmy Awards since its premiere and was Netflix's #1 programme in 63 countries when it initially aired.

Still from The Queen's Gambit (Vanity Fair)

Dead to Me

On the surface, Dead to Me appears to be a show about two middle-aged women dealing with grief after tragic events. However, as you learn more about this dark comedy, you'll discover that their friendship is far from average.

Judy is the woman who mistakenly killed her husband in a hit-and-run tragedy, and Jen is a recently widowed real estate agent. During a grieving group therapy session, the two meet and become fast friends. Things take a turn for the worst when Jen discovers Judy's true identity. While the programme does travel in some unexpected areas, the bond between the two women will undoubtedly melt your heart.

The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window

The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window is a show about Anna, a woman who is mourning the murder of her little daughter and the ensuing annulment of her marriage. She frequently consumes alcohol while taking her medicine, resulting in hallucinations and a phobia of rain. She becomes certain that she witnessed a murder one day. Everyone refuses to trust her because of her past, so she must go in quest of the truth herself.

This show, starring Kristen Bell, shows women's bravery as they face some of the worst mental and physical costs for the people they care about and the causes they believe in.

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