Before Netflix, our viewership was what the mainstream Bollywood and Indian television presented us with. And the existing OTT platforms like, BIGFlix, were barely affordable by the middle class. However, Netflix arrived quietly in 2016, and changed our viewership, one content at a time.
Far away from the star-studded and commercially packaged films, it brought to limelight stories from the remotest corners of the India often giving hushed voices a chance to speak their truth. From the television shows that aired at a particular time to binge on your free time content, it did disrupt how we watched films and television shows.
It offered bolder, realistic, and rustic content that challenged set beliefs quite often. And rarely conformed!
And now, ten years later, it seems that’s what has worked for it. Here’s list of 11 must watch Netflix content that hit us hard and open our eyes to stories that were just not in the main stream, yet!
1.Sacred Games | 2018
A crime thriller series that comes too close with the ground realities of the Underworld that operated in Mumbai. It connects the meek and the mighty together as their world is disarrayed by Underworld don Ganesh Gaitonde. And when the topic is complex, it was shown for all it was, no inhibitions on the language, violence or political agendas.
2.Lust Stories | 2018
It is a combination of four short stories built around various facets of love and lust by four different storytellers. Sometimes love, lust and everything that surrounds it, oscillates between led on, to let on, and let go. Mature and uncomfortable stories about adult relationships that needed a medium.
3. Wild Wild Country | 2018
The story is based on the controversial Indian Guru Bhagwan Shree Rajnish, famously known as OSHO. It follows the OSHO movement, that started in India and moved to Rajneeshpuram Community, Oregon, US. How Rajneesh and his followers tried to disrupt locals and their communities and hid their wrongdoings in the name of spirituality.
4. Delhi Crime | 2019
Delhi Crime showcases how the Delhi Police solves heinous crimes. It is just as raw, authentic and unfiltered as police procedures are for real. It focuses on procedural, social and emotional aspects of how the laws are enforced. Given the fact that Nirbhaya Case was such a sensitive, who would have thought somebody would go and make a web series. But, Netflix did. The success of the first season led to two more seasons revolving around such crimes.
5. Darlings | 2022
There are very many films that are made on egoistic, abusive, or alcoholic husbands. The wives suffer emotionally, physically and financially at their hands. Social commentaries are made, realisations dawn upon the wrongdoers and they take corrective course of actions. However, Darlings is different, there’s no happy ending. A woman wronged hits right back at her abusive husband after he makes her life hell.
6. Kathal | 2023
A satirical film that indirectly takes a dig at the relationship between politicians and police. Especially when a young police-officer goes on a mission to search missing Kathal of a politician to prove herself. Out of all the urgent and important cases, she picks the one where she has a chance to impress him.
7. Kohraa | 2023
Kohrraa translates to a foggy weather. And true to its name, the web series describes the dense and foggy atmosphere around a murder that took place in Punjab. A bridegroom was found dead within days of his marriage. The two police officer investigate the murder, however the troubles of their personal lives overshadow their duties. How will they crack the mystery and find the killer of the high profile murder?
8. Pagglait | 2021
A young woman is widowed shortly after her arranged marriage. She is expected to delve into a life of widowhood and grieve over her dead husband. However, she isn’t able to and even more as she finds out about his ex- girlfriend. The discover that leads her to a brutal confrontation with his past eventually ends up freeing her from the patriarchal chords as she decides to take control of her life. Undoubtedly, it is one of the must watch content on Netflix.
9. Ludo | 2020
The movie is a set of four completely un-related stories that intertwine in the end.Just like a Ludo board that holds four different players of distinctive colours on it. However, the scandalous nature of these stories make them more like Poker, you cannot predict the outcome but bet on it. The little sweet moments add much needed momentum to the story whether it is the cherished bond between a kidnapper and the kid he kidnapped, or cute moments between Shruti and Akash given their chaotic journey of finding the source of their leaked sex tape… chaotic,
10. The Fabulous Lives Of Bollywood Wives | 2020
Who could have thought that there would be a show on an insider information on the lives of people of Bollywood? Well, there is one. The Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives. The series true to its name, showcases the fabulous lives of Bollywood Wives, namely, Neelam Kothari, Maheep Kapoor, Bhavana Pandey, and Seema Khan. They are wives of Samir Soni, Sanjay Kapoor, Chunkey Pandey and Sohail Khan, respectively. The third season of the show had two new features. Firstly cast expanded to include Ridhima Sahni Kapoor, Shalini Passi and Kalyani Shah Chawla. And Secondly, it was renamed to Fabulous Lives vs Bollywood Wives. With such an interesting premise, this is definitely one of its kind must watch Netflix Content.
11. Jamtara: Sabka Number Aayega | 2020
Jamtara, a remote village in Jharkhand becomes the hub of online fraud. But, how is it possible for villagers with limited power and internet connection to con people on such a large scale. Watch the series and you’ll know who’s the puppet and who’s the puppeteer, pulling the chords at the right time.
When it comes to changing viewership in India, Netflix can be credited as the disruptor of old viewing habits and also a trendsetter among the plethora of OTTs and their respective content. Have you watched all of the about mentioned must watch content on Netflix?