Ever since Amazon Prime Video announced its upcoming lineup of web series, the anticipation has been unbearable. Amazon Prime Video is an American video-on-demand over-the-top (OTT) streaming and rental service offered by Amazon. It primarily distributes films and television series, either produced by Amazon Studios or licensed to Amazon through Amazon Originals.
In India, audiences have a diverse range of tastes and preferences regarding entertainment. Some people binge-watch classic love stories, while others enjoy the edge-of-the-seat thrillers. Some people like watching documentaries while others like me embrace any genre and await the thrilling twists and turns. Hence, for a country with such a wide variety of choices, the OTT platforms are always on their tiptoes to launch fresh and engaging content for their viewers.
On March 19, 2024, Prime Video released the much-awaited lineup of content for this year. While there are several promising productions to look forward to, I am particularly excited about the following 5 releases:
- PANCHAYAT SEASON 3
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One of the first web series that I ever watched was Panchayat. Starring Jitendra Kumar, Neena Gupta, and others in pivotal roles, the series is directed by Chandan Kumar. The plot revolves around Abhishek Tripathi (Jitendra Kumar), who becomes the new secretary of the Gram Sabha of Phulera, a village in Uttar Pradesh. It takes a comical route to depict the various problems that arise in Abhishek’s life as he becomes more involved in the daily lives of the villagers and how, in the process, he forms strong bonds with them. I thoroughly enjoyed the first two seasons, which aired in 2020 and 2022 respectively. Now, with the arrival of the new season, I am ready to watch it and complete it in one go ;)
- MIRZAPUR SEASON 2
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When Prime began announcing its upcoming releases, the strongest buzz was felt for Mirzapur. Directed by Karn Anshuman, Gurmeet Singh, and Mihir Desai, the series boasts prestigious names like Pankaj Tripathi, Rasika Dugal, Ali Fazal, Shweta Tripathi, Vijay Verma, among others. The first season was released in 2018 and since then, it has become one of India’s most popularly watched web series Based on the life of mafias and illegal trading, the show became a platform for many trendy memes, thanks to some of its witty dialogues! While the last season aired in 2020, all the fans (including me) have eagerly awaited season three. With the announcement finally made, we are curious to witness what unfolds.
- BANDISH BANDITS SEASON 2
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Whenever someone mentions Bandish Bandits, I find myself humming verses from “Sajan Bin Ayena Mohe Nindiyaan“. The song, along with the series, is a melodious treat to its viewers. Set in the beautiful city of Jaipur, Bandish Bandits traces the story of two aspiring musicians, Radhe Rathore (Ritwik Bhowmik) and Tamanna Sharma (Shreya Chaudhary), and how their two different worlds collide through their love for music and each other. The first season ended on a cliffhanger (no spoilers)! Directed by Anand Tiwari, we hope the next season unfolds the story with more soothing melodies and explores the electrifying chemistry between the lead actors.
- PAATAL LOK SEASON 2
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If I had to explain Paatal Lok in one sentence, it would be an edge-of-the-seat thriller that doesn’t make you cringe. The show takes an interesting approach to psychological crime suspense by referencing Indian mythological terms like Svarga (heaven), Dharti (Earth), and Paatal (Hell). This is done to describe the various classes and places where the crimes occur. The series stars Jaideep Ahlawat, Gul Panag, Abhishek Banerjee etc. Directed by Avinash Arun and Prosit Roy, the first season was enough to give all its viewers some sleepless nights. With the second season launching soon, we are all set to experience the thrill and excitement, again.
- THE FAMILY MAN SEASON 3
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My father and I share a common love for The Family Man. I believe that Manoj Bajpayee excels in every role given to him. Hence, his role as Srikant Tiwari was the perfect casting. The plot centers around Srikant and his best friend JK Talpade (Sharib Hashmi), who work in the Threat Analysis and Surveillance Cell (TASC) and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) respectively. Both of them team up to solve crime and national security threat-related cases. Alongside this, there is also Srikant’s family, especially his two kids, who are the funniest elements in the series. Atharva (Vedant Sinha), Srikant’s younger son, is hilarious. Vedant’s acting and dialogue delivery crack me up every time. The series is directed by Raj and D.K. The first two seasons came out in 2019 and 2021. I’m yet again thrilled to experience the duality of suspense and comedy in this series.
The above listicle aptly describes my favorites that will soon be streaming on Amazon Prime. Lately, I’ve been feeling that there isn’t anything interesting to watch on the web. However, with these releases, I am sure that my entertainment hours for the coming months is all set!