Best Web Series of 2021: The Family Man 2, Maharani, The Empire and more Indian OTT content you should binge-watch before the year ends (2024)

In the past few years, we have watched some really good content on the OTT platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Zee5, and others. This year, it was a bit crowded on streaming platforms as almost every week there was a web series being released. Plus, many movies that were supposed to hit the big screens got a direct-to-digital release. However, some web series stood out because of many reasons like good content, great performances, and larger-than-life scale. So, we list down the best web series of 2021 that you should binge-watch before the year ends… Also Read - The Family Man 2 star Samantha Ruth Prabhu pens a note as Manoj Bajpayee's series turns 3; netizens' wait for season 3 gets difficult

Tandav (Amazon Prime Video)
We don’t get to watch many political dramas on the big screen, but thanks to OTT, creators are trying to explore the genre more. We started the year with Tandav which starred Saif Ali Khan, Dimple Kapadia, Sunil Grover, and others. It showcased the dark side of politics and politicians, and how people can go to any length to get power. Filmmaker Ali Abbas Zafar’s digital debut faced a lot of controversies, but we cannot ignore that he made a very impactful series. Also Read - Maharani 3 review: Huma Qureshi, Amit Sial shine in this riveting tale of power and revenge

The Empire (Disney+ Hotstar)
The Empire is clearly the grandest Indian web series that we have watched till now. The period drama was made on a larger-than-life scale, and Kunal Kapoor, Dino Morea, Shabana Azmi, and Drashti Dhami’s fantastic performance impressed one and all. The series, which was created by Nikkhil Advani, was based on Empire of the Moghul by Alex Rutherford. Also Read - Maharani 3 on OTT: Here's when and where to watch Huma Qureshi's web series; trailer out

Maharani (Sony LIV)
We got to watch one more political drama this year. Maharani starring Huma Qureshi grabbed everyone’s attention. Based in the 90s, it’s a story about the Chief Minister of Bihar who in a critical condition decides to make his wife homemaker wife his successor, and the new CM of the state. While the makers have stated that it’s a fictional story, many have claimed it to be partly based on politician Lalu Prasad Yadav who made his homemaker wife Rabri Devi his successor.

Cartel (ALT Balaji)
ALT Balaji is famously known for its erotic dramas. But, this year, their series Cartel surprised one and all. Starring Supriya Pathak, Rithvik Dhanjani, Tanuj Virwani, Divya Agarwal, and Monica Dogra, Cartel is one of the best gangster-dramas that we have seen this year.

Jeet Ki Zid (Zee5)
Amit Sadh has been ruling the OTT platforms for the past few years. This year, we saw him as Major Deependra Singh Sengar in Zee5’s web series Jeet Ki Zid. The story of the series was based on Major Sengar who was left paralysed below the waist during the Kargil War. However, because of his never-say-die attitude, the Major bounced back and how.

The Family Man Season 2 (Amazon Prime Video)
After a long wait, finally, The Family Man Season 2 was released in June this year. The action-comedy featured Manoj Bajpayee and Samantha Ruth Prabhu in the lead roles. While Bajpayee as usual was fantastic in it, Samantha’s portrayal of Raji stole the show. The series and the actress have already won awards.

Aranyak (Netflix)
Raveena Tandon made her digital debut with Netflix’s thriller Aranyak. The series was released earlier this month, and it has been getting a great response. Tandon’s performance in the show is being appreciated a lot.

Mumbai Diaries 26/11 (Amazon Prime Video)
We have watched the story of the 26th November 2008 Mumbai terror attacks a lot of times. But, this time, Nikkhil Advani created a series from the point of view of doctors. It’s a actually medical drama set against the backdrop of the attacks. There are many nail-biting and edge-of-the-seat scenes in the series.

Aarya 2 (Disney+ Hotstar)
Last on the list we have, Aarya season 2. After a super successful season one, the makers announced its season 2, and earlier this month it started streaming on Disney+ Hotstar. A few episodes at the starting of the series are average, but later it gets amazing, and Sushmita Sen’s performance in it is simply mind-blowing.

Stay tuned to BollywoodLife for the latest scoops and updates from Bollywood, Hollywood, South, TV and Web-Series.