A star-studded, content-driven evening in Mumbai a few days ago witnessed streaming platform Netflix announcing its slate of what to expect in films and shows in the Indian space this year. Here are t2’s picks from the titles at the showcase that we attended at JW Marriott Juhu.

FAMILY BUSINESS

Anil Kapoor plays a silver-haired tycoon in Family Business, a high-stakes drama from director Hansal Mehta. Facing off against him is Vijay Varma, with bloodline, legacy and betrayal colliding. The teaser of Family Business, showcased at Next on Netflix, has piqued our interest, so has the rich ensemble cast, many of who were present at the launch. Giving Anil Kapoor and Vijay Varma company were Rhea Chakraborty (who returns to acting after seven years), Akash Khurana, Nandish Sandhu, and Tina Desai.

“Family Business explores the deeply complicated and messy personal relationships that define every boardroom battle of a family of tycoons. What happens when inheritance becomes expectation, and legacies collide? It is a ride unlike any other in a world never seen before,” was the word from the team. Making up the rest of the cast is Neha Dhupia, Anant Nag, Dhruv Sehgal, Rohan Vinod Mehra, Raima Sen, Inayat Sood, and Madhoo Shah. Succession much? Let’s wait and watch!

IKKA

Bollywood’s blockbuster men of the moment — Sunny Deol (Border 2) and Akshaye Khanna (Dhurandhar) — will come together in Ikka. The Siddharth P. Malhotra directorial is a courtroom drama where Deol plays an upright lawyer who is arm-twisted into defending the man he had earlier put behind bars. “This deeply personal script nurtured for years, unfolds as a riveting face-off between two arch-rivals: a top lawyer forced to defend the man whose past with him and his wife hold many painful memories. Brace for a relentless thriller packed with emotional depth, a father’s unyielding quest to shield his family, even at the cost of his principles, in a deal with the devil,” reads the official synopsis.

Sunny and Akshaye were conspicious by their absence at the announcement, but the film’s leading ladies — Dia Mirza and Tillotama Shome — graced the occasion, providing insights into the making of a film that will undoubtedly pack a punch when it releases.

HUM HINDUSTANI

Aiming to bring forth an important piece of India’s history as a democracy — the right to vote — is Hum Hindustani. Produced by Nikkhil Advani and directed by Rahul Dholakia, Hum Hindustani may be set in newly independent India but tells a tale which is both telling and timely. Saif Ali Khan joins forces with Pratik Gandhi to tell the story of the country’s first democratic election through the eyes of those on the ground.

Saif, striking in a salmon pink blazer worn over a pink tee, was present at the launch with Pratik Gandhi. “Life has come full circle... I started my journey with Netflix with Sacred Games,” said Saif, encapsulating the streaming giant’s 10-year run in India.

KARTAVYA

Saif Ali Khan’s 2026 calendar with Netflix also includes a film. Kartavya has the actor playing a cop and is set in the heartland, with the film exploring the complex intersections of law, family, truth and duty. Produced by Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment and directed by Pulkit, Kartavya also stars Rasika Dugal, Sanjay Mishra, Saurabh Dwivedi, Zakir Hussain, and Manish Chaudhari.

OPERATION SAFED SAGAR

Real met reel on the Next on Netflix 2026 stage with the bravehearts who defended our nation during a defining period of the Kargil War being joined by the men (and women) who play them on screen. Ambitious in scale and storytelling, Operation Safed Sagar captures a lesser-known chapter of the Kargil War and the extraordinary courage of the Indian Air Force during one of its most daring missions.

“Rooted in true events, the series goes beyond battlefield strategy to explore sacrifice, transformation, and the human cost of bravery at impossible altitudes,” was the word from the makers. The series has a strong ensemble cast comprising Siddharth, Jimmy Shergill, Abhay Verma, Dia Mirza, Prajakta Koli, Adil Hussain, Mihir Ahuja, Taaruk Raina, and Arnav Bhasin. We are seated for this one.

MAA BEHEN

Madhuri Dixit plays the sassy mom of two sassy sisters, essayed by Triptii Dimri and Dharna Durga. Ravi Kishan brings up the rear in this dark comedy whose teaser, shown at the launch, makes us want to sign up for a dekko, stat! “This is a film that lives in a genre of its own, familiar yet completely unpredictable. A big part of the fun was discovering its tone during the shoot and trusting the incredible performances of Madhuri Dixit, Triptii Dimri, Ravi Kishan and Dharna Durga to lead the way,” revealed the makers, with Madhuri, still raising heartbeats at 58, treating the crowd to an impromptu jig to her smash hit number Dhak dhak karne laga.

YEH DIL SUNN RAHA HAI

Described as a “genre-defining romantic thriller” by its makers at the showcase, Yeh Dil Sunn Raha Hai — drawn from that memorable number from Khamoshi — brought lookers Shaheer Sheikh, Zoya Afroz and Mohit Mallik to the announcement. The high-stakes drama is set against the backdrop of organ trafficking and examines desire, moral collapse and the thin line between devotion and destruction.

MUSAFIR CAFE

Based on Divya Prakash Dubey’s Musafir Cafe, the eponymously-named project has Vikrant Massey playing a romantic lead, Mahima Makwana and Vedika Pinto for company. A story of love found, lost and found, the romantic drama scores a win for its cast and its setting, with the makers claiming: “Musafir Cafe is an invitation to pause, to sip, and to experience magic — with a cup of freshly brewed coffee in the mountains.” The rest of the cast comprises Adil Hussain, Rajeev Siddhartha, Anubha Fatehpuria, Loveleen Mishra, and Sadia Siddiqui.

CHUMBAK

The biggest claps of the evening were reserved for Team Chumbak. From the makers of comedic gems like Sarabhai vs Sarabhai and Khichdi, Chumbak takes a mirthful look at the lives of people who laugh, eat, drink, make merry, shed tears and share their lives together as neighbours, living in an old row-house neighbourhood in Mumbai.

Producer J.D. Majethia and Aatish Kapadia were joined by the lively cast, led by Neena Gupta and Deven Bhojani, along with Sumeet Vyas, Arjun Bijlani, Amyra Dastur, Manasi Parekh and more. If pure laughter is what you are looking at, don’t look beyond Chumbak.

LEGACY

He is experiencing a purple patch and there was a roar when R. Madhavan took the stage for Legacy, a Tamil original from the streamer. Joining the Dhurandhar man at Next on Netflix were co-stars Gautam Karthik and Abhishek Banerjee, with the latter revealing that spending his growing-up years in Chennai had enabled him to even write in Tamil. Madhavan plays an ageing gangster, with Legacy set within a formidable crime world, examining how ambition, loyalty and blood ties collide when the future of an empire hangs in the balance. Gulshan Devaiah and Nimish Sajayan round off this ensemble of talented actors.

THE KAPIL SHARMA SHOW S5

First off the block in the returning titles segment was The Kapil Sharma Show, with the promise to be back with Season 5. Kapil Sharma led his team to the stage, with Navjot Singh Sidhu, as expected, hogging the spotlight. Archana Puran Singh strived to wedge in a word or two, but the true scene stealer was Sunil Grover. The man, who, of late, has the nation in thrall with his mimicry of Aamir Khan, went one step ahead and even showcased his singing skills, belting out a number especially written for the ha-ha fest that also marked the presence of regulars like Krushna Abhishek and Kiku Sharda. If Season 5 of The Kapil Sharma Show is even half as entertaining, we have a winner.

MISMATCHED S4

Fan favourite Mismatched will return with its fourth and final season this year. Present at the launch was the show’s cast, which livened things up with a spunky dance act. Led by Rohit Saraf and Prajakta Koli, the stage was taken over by cast members Rannvijay Singha, Vidya Malvade, Taaruk Raina, Vihaan Samat, and Ahsaas Channa. Will we bid goobye to Rishi and Dimple aka #Dimpshi this season or will they come back? Time will tell.

DHINDORA S2

Bhuvan Bam, unarguably India’s most prolific content creator, takes the leap from YouTube to Netflix for the sophomore season of his one-man show Dhindora. “With Dhindora Season 2, we are returning to a world that audiences embraced with immense love in its first chapter. What began on YouTube as a deeply relatable, character-driven comedy has growninto a larger, more layered story, while staying true to the humour, heart, and chaos that define the Dhindora universe,” was the word from Bhuvan who returns with a popular bunch of characters, including the legendary Titu Mama, all played by himself! We can’t wait!

MAAMLA LEGAL HAI SEASON 2

Netflix’s surprise hit of 2024 is set to come back with a second season that sees Ravi Kishan’s V.D. Tyagi coming face to face with the reality of being a judge, even as the show continues to look at the lives and antics of a bunch of lawyers in Patparganj. Ravi Kishan was a ball of energy at the launch, followed by Kusha Kapila, who makes an entry into the world of Maamla Legal Hai this season.

“The love Maamla Legal Hai received in its first season was truly overwhelming. It reaffirmed our belief that even the everyday proceedings of a district courtroom can become deeply entertaining when told with heart and humour. With Season 2, we are thrilled to return to Patparganj with our beloved band of lawyers, now taking on bigger cases, new faces, and even more outrageous situation,” said Netflix.

LUST STORIES SEASON 3

Can it get better than stellar filmmakers like Vikramaditya Motwane, Vishal Bhardwaj, Kiran Rao, and Shakun Batra coming forward to take the Lust Stories franchise forward? The directors, who were present at the launch, underlined their reasons to plunge into the anthology that looks at the highs and lows of relationships, tinged with lust. While for Vikram Motwane, his segment in Lust Stories presented an opportunity “to explore both lust and comedy as a storyteller for the first time”, Vishal said that he was interested more in understanding the true nature of erotica rather than simply looking at it through the lens of lust.

Lust Stories 3 boasts a strong cast — Vijay Varma, Konkona Sensharma, Radhika Apte, Abhishek Banerjee, Gurfateh Pirzada and more. Sold!

ACCUSED

A celebrated queer doctor in London (played by Konkona Senharma) finds she has everything to lose when she is accused of sexual misconduct. Described as “a psychologically layered drama that explores power, perception, and moral ambiguity through an intimate and deeply human lens. The story unfolds as a quiet but unsettling examination of accusation, trust, and bias.” The film also stars Laapataa Ladies alum Pratibha Rannta.

GANDHARI

“After her little daughter is abducted in a crowded railway station and a brutal attack leaves her temporarily blind, a grieving mother must rise from her trauma and confront a shadowy child-trafficking nexus embedded deep within a town of shape-shifters and ancient lore — becoming a mythic force of vengeance to save her daughter and the lost children before they disappear forever.” This synopsis of Gandhari alone is enough to make us want to tune in to this Devashish Makhija directorial that is brought alive by Taapsee Pannu and Ishwak Singh. Count us in!

TALAASH: A MOTHER’S SEARCH

Newly-minted mother Parineeti Chopra plays the mother of a child missing for close to a decade in this thriller that also marks the actor’s OTT debut. The kidnap drama, at its core, explores how far belief can carry a person when her truth is questioned by the world around her. Tahir Raj Bhasin, Soni Razdan, Jennifer Wingett, and Anup Soni make up the rest of the cast.

HELLO BACHHON

Netflix India has had a winner in the form of multiple seasons of Kota Factory. Now the streaming platform draws inspiration from the real-life journey behind the education platform Physics Wallah. Hello Bachhon has the ever dependable Viineet Kumar Siingh playing a physics teacher who singlehandedly fights an unfriendly system in his quest to ensure the right to knowledge and education. His mission challenges a rigid, exam-driven system and opens doors for students from modest backgrounds. While sharing the teaser, the streamer captioned it with: “Everybody’s welcome in this class.” Present, sir!

Which are your top 3 titles from this list? Tell t2@abp.in