Wednesday, 31 December 2025
Wednesday, 31 December 2025
The year 2025 saw the return of several fan-favourite Indian shows with much-anticipated sequels. While some won our hearts, many others left us wanting for more. Amid the hype around Pataal Lok and The Family Man, the year also delivered some understated originals. From the claustrophobic corridors of Tihar Jail to a haunted hostel room in Delhi, from a nation-shaking assassination to a crime-free village in Bihar, these shows explored stories rooted in India.
Black Warrant
Streaming on: Netflix
Vikramaditya Motwane’s Black Warrant is not an easy watch, and it isn’t meant to be. Set inside Tihar Jail, the series strips prison life of any cinematic gloss and replaces it with realities of Indian society: prison torture, moral compromise, and the quiet erosion of humanity. Zahan Kapoor, in his OTT debut, delivers a performance that commands attention. Motwane’s strength lies in his restraint.
Black Warrant is the kind of show that reminds you why serious, unflinching storytelling still needs courage.
The Hunt: The Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case
Streaming on: Sony LIV
Political thrillers inspired by true incidents are often bogged down by the weight of their subject, and the controversies surrounding the actual events. The Hunt does neither. The seven-episode series directed by Nagesh Kukunoor is based on journalist Anirudhya Mitra’s book Ninety Days. Focusing on the intense 90-day investigation following Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination in 1991, the series remains tightly focused and sharply written throughout. What works here is the brisk pacing. The characters — led by chief investigator Karthikeyan (Amit Sial) — are layered. The show doesn’t oversimplify history. It trusts the audience to judge the complexities of the case.
Khauf
Streaming on: Prime Video
Set largely inside a crumbling working women’s hostel in Delhi, Khauf became one of the finest horror shows in recent times for one reason — the makers understood that fear works best when it creeps in slowly. Monika Panwar plays Madhu, a young woman who moves from Gwalior to Delhi in search of independence, only to find herself trapped in Room 333, a space that begins to blur the line between the paranormal and psychological breakdown. As strange incidents pile up, so does her isolation. Khauf doesn’t rely on jump scares. It unsettles through the creeping sense that something is deeply wrong.
Black, White & Gray – Love Kills
Streaming on: Sony LIV
Black, White & Gray – Love Kills is narrated in a mockumentary style and uses the format to an unsettling effect. Directed by Pushkar Sunil Mahabal, the series explores a high-profile serial killing case with constantly shifting perspectives, forcing viewers to question what they believe and why they believe it. Truth, it suggests, is never straightforward, and often manipulated. Performances by Mayur More, Palak Jaiswal, Hakkim Shahjahan, and seasoned actors like Tigmanshu Dhulia and Deven Bhojani keep the story grounded even as the narrative structure plays with the viewer’s perception of reality.
Dupahiya
Streaming on: Prime Video
Think Panchayat, but far more chaotic. Directed by Sonam Nair, Dupahiya takes you to the fictional village of Dhadakpur, aka Bihar ka Belgium, which boasts a spotless 24-year crime-free record. That pride collapses overnight when a flashy bike, bought as dowry, gets stolen. As panic spreads, the villagers’ fault lines are exposed and old feuds emerge in the foreground. What makes Dupahiya click is its humour and ensemble cast. Gajraj Rao, Renuka Shahane, Sparsh Shrivastava, Bhuvan Arora and Yashpal Sharma are all in top form.
