This quarantine, chances are that each one of us has binge-watched at least one series or movie on the web. With the advent of online web-based entertainment apps and ever since the Star Network introduced Hotstar to the public and Netflix found its way into the Indian market, the web content has become just too full of quality to ignore. There is quality in the plot, acting, scripts, and more importantly the freedom of choosing bold content. That is the primary reason why well-accomplished actors and directors are choosing the web platforms while some great new actors are being unearthed.
However, over the last two years, there have been so many platforms with so many quality shows that the catalogue seems simply endless. The two domains that have attracted a majority of the crowd are crime/action and comedy. But we are spoilt for choices to such an extent where identifying a really good show has just become impossible. Some raging shows may not be up to the mark while some undiscovered gems are critically well acclaimed but don’t often make the headlines. In this article, we have compiled a list for you of the 10 best crime series on Netflix, Hotstar, Amazon Prime Video, Voot, and Zee5. These are all high-octane, action-packed, crime thrillers that are sure to leave you gasping for more at the end. Here are the 10 best Indian crime series On Netflix, Hotstar, Amazon Prime Video, Voot and Zee5:
10. Abhay
Gore, gruesome deaths, murders, suspense, and thrill. If these things hook you on, Abhay is a must-watch for you. Revolving around the story of Abhay – a forever-frowning cop from the Special Task Force, this original inspired by true events hooks you on from the word go. Every episode is packed with intriguing mysteries, fascinatingly tantalizing deaths and engrossing cases. Produced by crime expert B.P. Singh – best known for the TV show “CID” which was the longest-running TV show on the Indian small screen, the show does not know how to disappoint.
9. Asur: Welcome to your dark side – Voot
Starring Bollywood veterans Arshad Warsi and Barun Sobti, Oni Sen’s directorial venture “Asur” is a mythic-crime thriller that takes you on a journey of murders, suspense and the supernatural. Set in the scenic city of Varanasi, it follows the story of Nikhil Nair (Barun Sobti) and his mentor Dhananjay Rajput (Arshad Warsi) as they race against time to take on a dangerous serial killer out on a rampage in the city.
8. Jamtara – Sabka Number Ayega – Netflix
When the world of technology meets crime, the most common cybercrime is identity fraud. Jamtara deals with a true story of phishing activities in the Jamtara district of Jharkhand state. When Soumedra Padhi read an article about the same in a newspaper, he got hooked and sent his research team to collect more information. The result was seen four years later as Padhi weaved his research team’s efforts to direct a gripping story with a spellbinding screenplay.
7. Mirzapur – Amazon Prime Video
If you haven’t seen a Mirzapur sticker or meme out there, ask yourself this: What am I doing with my life? Primarily shot in the titular district of Mirzapur, the series was received very well by young adults and the critics. Starring Pankaj Tripathi and Ali Faizal in leading roles, this is a typical gun-first-words-later mafia movie with corrupt politicians, daring dons, and bold language.
6. SHE – Netflix
Featuring an undercover female constable who is ordered to use her sexuality as a weapon to infiltrate a gang, this thrilling crime show is written by Imtiaz Ali and author Divya Johri. Officer Bhumika Pardeshi has been recently inducted into the Anti-Narcotics Group and her first assignment is to capture an underworld drug lord. With twists and turns each episode, this is a riveting tale of the true power of seduction and the protagonist is a great example of beauty with brains.
5. Sacred Games – Netflix
You had to be living under a rock if you haven’t heard of the Sacred Games. Starring Saif Ali Khan as Inspector Sartaj Singh, Nawazuddin Siddiqui as Ganesh Gaitonde, Radhika Apte as Anjali Mathur and Pankaj Tripathi as the Guruji, the series revolves around a threat to a city that is supposed to be destroyed in 25 days. With a highly unpredictable plot and twists like never seen before, the Sacred Games has been listed in the New York times 30 best TV shows of the decade – and deservedly so!
4. Rangbaaz – Zee5
Rangbaaz is the true story of a gangster Prakash Shukla of Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh. The man who studied at DDU became the second most wanted man in India at one point of time, and this series is a retelling of his story.
3. Special OPS – Hotstar
Created by Neeraj Pandey and starring Kay Kay Menon, Karan Tacker, Vinay Pathak and Vipul Gupta in leading roles, the film centers around Kay Kay Menon’s character – Himmat Singh as he studies the patterns in all terrorist attacks on the country and is convinced that one man is responsible for all this. The episodes see him and his team of five try to track down the ultimate mastermind before another explosion or terrorist attack can rock the country.
2. Delhi Crime – Netflix
The series focusses on the aftermath of the brutal Delhi Gang-Rape Case of 2012 where 16 men in a moving bus raped and assaulted a 23-year old physiotherapy intern and assaulted her male friend accompanying her. The series revolves around the efforts of the Delhi Police in searching and apprehending the men responsible.
1. Breathe – Amazon Prime Video
Breathe is a psychological crime-thriller depicting the lengths that a father would go to, to save his son. R. Madhavan stars as the desperate father trying to save his son Joshua (Atharva Vishvakarma) from a deadly medical condition. Murders, cover-ups and more murders are all you get when you cross path with an over-protective father, and by the end, you cannot help but feel sympathy for the murderer, confused if he was ever the criminal or himself a victim.
So those were the Top 10 Indian crime series On Netflix, Hotstar, Amazon Prime Video, Voot, and Zee5. Do you feel a show is missing? Or is a show wrongly placed on the list? Do let us know in the comments.