It’s finally the season of “Chubhti, Jalti, Garmi”, and while the ads on TV recommend using Dermi Cool for hot days like that, we’d say, if you can, please stay indoors, set the A.C. at 22°C, settle yourself on the sofa, and watch some really good OTT shows. The variety of Indian web series available for you in 2026 means you’ve got something better than Dermi Cool at your perusal. From thrilling crime dramas to lighthearted village comedies and heartwarming coming-of-age stories, OTT has something for every kind of viewer this summer.
To save you some precious time searching for the right series to watch, we have brought you our handpicked popular web series list for summer 2026, curated with IMDb ratings, platform details, and a genuine recommendation for each. So grab your iced drink and some snacks, find the couch, and let’s get into it.
What are the 20 Popular Web Series To Watch in Summer 2026?
1. Panchayat (Amazon Prime Video)
IMDb rating: 9.0/10 || Genre: Comedy-Drama
If there’s one Indian web series that has quietly become the most beloved show in the country, it’s Panchayat for being warm, funny, and achingly real. The story follows Abhishek Tripathi, an engineering graduate who grudgingly takes up the role of secretary at a village panchayat office in rural Uttar Pradesh. Jitendra Kumar leads the cast that includes Raghubir Yadav and Neena Gupta, who make Phulera feel like home. The show currently has 4 seasons, with Panchayat season 4 released on June 24, 2025, exclusively on Amazon Prime Video, with all 8 episodes dropping at once. To add to that, Panchayat Season 5 has also officially been announced for 2026, so there’s even more to look forward to.
Why watch: It restores your faith in quiet, honest storytelling. No explosions needed.
2. Mirzapur (Amazon Prime Video)
IMDb rating: 8.4/10 || Genre: Crime Thriller
Mirazapur season 1 came in 2018 and had a cultural impact not many series have had. The Mirzapur TV series is raw, unflinching, utterly addictive, and has redefined what Indian crime drama can look like. The story highlights the power struggle in the gangster-ruled heartland of UP, with characters you simultaneously love and fear.
Season 3, which came in 2024, saw Guddu Pandit (played by Ali Fazal) finally claim the throne of Mirzapur, but with a gut-punch twist, with Kaleen Bhai (played by Pankaj Tripathi) making a dramatic comeback that had the internet talking for weeks. Mirzapur Season 4 is currently in development, with reports suggesting its release in 2026. Not only that, but the Mirzapur universe is now expanding into a feature film coming in 2026 or 2027. So, if you haven’t started the show yet, now is the perfect time to binge all three seasons before the wave hits.
Why watch: The show comes with unmatched intensity, brilliant performances, and a world you can’t look away from.
3. Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story (Sony Liv)
IMDb rating: 9.2/10 || Genre: Drama, Financial Thriller
Okay! So here is a 2020 series that made everyone suddenly interested in the stock market and shares, and have dollar signs in their eyes at the thought of being shareholders. Scam 1992, the Harshad Mehta TV show, tells the true story of the famous stockbroker Harshad Mehta and his meteoric rise to wealth and power, followed by his devastating fall from glory.
Pratik Gandhi plays the role of Harshad Mehta, which unquestionably is now one of the best performances in Indian television history. He plays his character to be what Mehta was in real life: charismatic, flawed, and utterly compelling. The show sits comfortably among IMDb’s most popular web series in India with a 9.2 rating. Even if you’ve read every article about the scam, the show makes you feel like you’re watching it unfold for the first time. It is truly a masterclass in storytelling, and you really shouldn’t miss it.
Why watch: You don’t need to know anything about finance. This is just great TV and an exemplary display of thespian prowess by the cast.
4. The Family Man (Amazon Prime Video)
IMDb rating: 8.7/10 || Genre: Action Thriller
This story is about a “family man,” Srikant Tiwari, leading a common man’s life at home with his wife and kids and tackling 101 domestic issues while working as a covert intelligence officer. Tiwari is by far the most relatable action hero in Indian television, and Manoj Bajpayee, who plays Srikant, is nothing short of extraordinary in this role.
The Family Man Season 3 became the most-watched Prime Video India series in 2025, with the addition of Jaideep Ahlawat and Nimrat Kaur to the cast, which makes the season electrifyingly intense.
Season 4 is now confirmed, with Bajpayee returning as Srikant (we wouldn’t really have it any other way, tbh), though the official date is yet to be announced. We suggest, if you haven’t watched it yet, this summer is your chance to binge-watch it before the next season drops.
Why watch: It’s funny, emotional, patriotic, and thrilling, often with all emotions packed together in the same episode.
5. Sacred Games (Netflix)
IMDb rating: 8.5/10 || Genre: Crime, Thriller
Sacred Games is the pioneer of Netflix’s entry into Indian original content, and it remains one of its most ambitious ventures even today.
Sacred Games follows the story of a Mumbai police officer drawn into a conspiracy that has the potential to destroy the city, guided by cryptic messages from a dead crime lord.
Saif Ali Khan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, and Radhika Apte are cast to play the central characters as they lead a production that rivals international crime dramas in scale and complexity.
You cannot miss this show if you are a fan of dark, layered, and unforgettable crime thrillers.
Why watch: Sacred Games is not just another OTT show. It’s one that set the bar for Indian OTT storytelling that still hasn’t been matched in terms of sheer cinematic ambition.
6. Aspirants (TVF Play/Amazon Prime Video)
IMDb rating: 9.1/10 || Genre: Drama
Now, if there is one show on this list that has a freaking high emotional-damage-to-episode ratio, it’s Aspirants.
TVF’s five-episode masterpiece follows the gruesome journey of UPSC aspirants in Delhi’s Old Rajinder Nagar as the narrative toggles between their past dreams and present realities. What makes it even more exciting is the climax of Season 1, which is the kind of ending that gets people talking about for years.
The show captures ambition, friendship, and heartbreak with an honesty that hits differently. With Naveen Kasturia, Sunny Hinduja, Namita Dubey, Abhilash Thapilyal, and Shivankit Singh leading the cast ensemble with their brilliant performances, the show is a literal must-watch.
Season 2 is available on Prime Video, while season 1 is completely free for you to start on YouTube. So, you really have no excuses for not watching it.
Why watch: It’s the most emotionally honest show you’ll ever see about the big Indian dream of middle-class kids and parents woven around the UPSC journey.
7. Kota Factory (TVF Play/ Netflix)
IMDb rating: 9.0/10 || Genre: Drama
This is a unique show in the present time. For one, it is shot in striking black and white in an age of HD colours. Beyond that, what makes Kota Factory special is the way it captures the pressure-cooker life of engineering aspirants at India’s infamous coaching hub, Kota.
The show’s moral anchor is Jeetu Bhaiya, a mentor who gives students what they need: not just chemistry lessons, but perspective. Here, we have Jitendra Kumar playing the lead role in yet another revolutionary social drama, and we have to say the man is a national treasure.
Kota Factory Season 3, which was released in 2024, received strong reviews and great fan appreciation for the way the show evolved while staying true to its roots.
If you’re looking for a TV series to watch that’s both inspiring and emotionally grounding, Kota Factory is available for you to watch on Netflix.
Why watch: The premise speaks of social issues that are often ignored. Not to mention, Jeetu Bhaiya’s monologues alone are worth the watch.
8. Paatal Lok (Amazon Prime Video)
IMDb rating: 8.2/10 || Genre: Crime Drama
Now this is a simple story presented in a way that makes us call it a masterpiece. The narrative is simple: a tired cop, a high-profile attempted assassination, and a case that pulls the cop into the darkest corners of society.
Paatal Lok is one of the most unsettling yet brilliant pieces of Indian storytelling in recent times. Jaideep Ahlawat is phenomenal as Inspector Hathiram Chaudhary, a man the system has conveniently forgotten, as he investigates a case the system would rather bury.
The show unflinchingly addresses the issues that still lurk in our society: caste bias, media manipulation, and institutional rot. It’s not easy to watch, but it’s necessary to see the world beyond the rose-coloured glasses we seem to be wearing otherwise.
Why watch: It’s undeniably one of the most important Indian web series ever made. Period.
9. Criminal Justice (JioHotstar)
IMDb rating: 8.1/10 || Genre: Legal Thriller
Criminal Justice is a show that is hard not to fall in love with. It’s one of those rare Indian web series that gets better with each season as its competitors struggle to even maintain a rhythm through a single season. The series follows the story and evolution of Madhav Mishra (played by Pankaj Tripathi), a lawyer manoeuvring his way through different cases each season. Its latest season, 4, released in May 2025, shows Mishra wrestling with a case that digs into uncomfortable social territory with the sharp, layered writing the show has become known for. Each season stands on its own, so you can start anywhere, but watching them in order makes Mishra’s evolution as a character all the more rewarding.
Why watch: Pankaj Tripathi is the thespian legend who keeps building art that just can’t go unnoticed or be left unloved. To add to that, the writing of this show is amongst the sharpest in Indian OTT.
10. Asur: Welcome To Your Dark Side (JioHotstar)
IMDb rating: 8.5/10 || Genre: Psychological Thriller
While its name is scary, Asur is a brilliant piece of theatrical art. It stands apart in the popular web series in India’s landscape because it ventures into the places most shows avoid. The show brilliantly blends criminal forensics with Indian mythology, specifically the legend of Asuras, into a deeply unsettling thriller that keeps your mind swirling long after you switch your TV off.
Arshad Warsi and Barun Sobti are exceptional in their roles as mentor and protégé who are hunting a serial killer who seems to understand both science and scripture.
Asur: Welcome to Your Dark Side. All seasons are now available on JioHotstar. If you’re going to start watching it, prepare yourself for some genuinely disturbing storytelling that sounds scary and feels creepy but is brilliant in its conception as a story at its core.
Why watch: It’s the kind of show that makes you think, not just watch, and Barun Sobti is still the heartthrob we fell for as Arnav Singh Raizada.
11. Breathe: Into The Shadows ( Amazon Prime Video)
IMDb rating: 8.2/10 || Genre: Crime Drama
It’s a crime drama, and yet it’s so much more than the usual gore that comes with the territory of this tripe. Breathe is emotionally devastating in the best possible way, as it puts you in the position of rooting for someone doing terrible things for the most human reasons of survival and doing it all in the pursuit of saving a loved one.
Madhavan plays the role of Denzel (Danny) Mascarenhas, a single father whose son is diagnosed with a terminal lung condition. With a transplant being the only hope for his son’s survival and the waiting list impossibly long, Danny decides that no moral framework can justify it, but the show makes you understand it anyway.
The show highlights tension between empathy and horror better than almost any other Indian thriller. The follow-up seasons, featuring Abhishek Bachchan, expand the universe in intriguing directions that would surely keep you hooked to your seats.
Why watch: The story is unique, the premise is gripping, and Madhavan’s performance alone is worth every minute.
12. Special OPS ( Amazon Prime Video)
IMDb rating:8.5 /10 || Genre: Espionage Thriller
Now this one is a personal favourite because, unlike other spy dramas, the scale and story of Special OPS doesn’t remain constricted to thrill and action.
Director Neeraj Pandey builds the story across multiple countries and timelines, weaving in a team of young field operatives (played by Karan Tacker, Meher Vij, Mazammil Ibrahim, and Juhi Kashyap) whose personal lives are as compelling as the missions they run. Kay Kay Menon sits at the centre of the plot as Himmat Singh, anchoring this sprawling spy thriller about an intelligence officer who spends years pursuing a mysterious mastermind behind every major terror attack in India.
The show is meticulously researched, its tradecraft feels grounded, the geopolitics feel real, and the action sequences are executed with a restraint that makes them hit harder. It won’t be wrong to say that Special OPS is gripping, well-researched, and gives you the kind of high-stakes tension that keeps you up past midnight.
Why watch: Kay Kay Menon is at his absolute best here, and the show matches his intensity every step of the way.
13. Farzi ( Amazon Prime Video)
IMDb rating:8.3 /10 || Genre: Thriller, Dark Comedy
Shahid Kapoor made his OTT debut with Farzi, and, as it was patent for him to do so, he made a statement with it and, actually, a surprisingly bold one.
Farzi follows the story of Sunny (played by Shahid Kapoor), a struggling graphic artist from a family of printers. He stumbles into counterfeiting high-quality fake currency, initially as a plan to survive, but eventually builds an empire out of it. What starts as a small-scale hustle quickly spirals into something far more dangerous when the fakes are so good they start attracting the attention of actual criminal networks, and one very obsessive cop, Michael (played by Vijay Sethupathi).
Why watch: It’s slick, funny, dark, and has one of the best villain-hero dynamics in Indian OTT. Also, it gets better if you watch it a second time just to savour the details you missed the first time.
14. Delhi Crime (Netflix)
IMDb rating: 8.4/10 || Genre: Crime Drama
There are shows that are made to entertain, and there are shows that are made because they are important. Delhi Crime firmly belongs to the second category.
Based on the 2012 Nirbhaya rape case, the show follows DCP Vartika Chaturvedi (played by Shefali Shah) and her team as they work around the clock to track down the perpetrators in the brutal days immediately following the crime. The show at no point exploits the tragedy, but instead it honours the police work, the survivor, and the public fury that demanded accountability.
For this season, Delhi Crime also won the International Emmy Award for Best Drama Series, making it the first Indian series in history to bring home that honour. The following 2 seasons take up different cases, shown with equal intensity. That alone should be your cue to pick up the show to watch it ASAP.
Why watch: It’s essential to watch this show for the way it handles a devastating true story with the dignity it deserves.
15. TVF Pitchers (TVF Play/ Sony Liv)
IMDb rating: 9.0/10 || Genre: Drama, Comedy
TVF Pitchers is the story of four friends at different stages of their careers who decide to quit their jobs to build a startup together. What follows is the most honest, funny, and emotionally accurate portrayal of the big entrepreneurial dream that exists at the core of Indian pop culture.
Naveen Kasturia leads a cast that has extraordinary ensemble chemistry with each character representing a different relationship with risk, ambition, and the fear of failure. Yogi is the dreamer, Jitu is the pragmatist, Mandal is the wild card, and Naveen is the one trying to hold everything together. Season 2 arrived years after the original, and yet it brilliantly picked up the story with the same warmth and only made it better by adding a layer of maturity to the characters.
Both seasons are free to watch on YouTube and TVF Play, and we believe you’d love this lighthearted show.
Why Watch: There are very few shows that capture the terror and exhilaration of betting on yourself. Pitchers do that with great finesse.
16. Gullak (SonyLiv)
IMDb rating: 9.1/10 || Genre: Family Drama
Well, here’s the thing. No villain, conspiracy, twist, or cliffhanger in Gullak is crafted to drag you into the next episode. Yet, it’s one of the most addictive shows on this entire list. Gullak follows the life of the Mishra family: Santosh and Shanti, a small-town middle-class couple, and their two sons as they manoeuvre through the rhythms of ordinary domestic life, arguing about electricity bills and discussing neighbourhood issues.
Jameel Khan and Geetanjali Kulkarni, as the couple, are nothing short of perfect, their bickering being the highlight of the show. The writing, by Nikhil Vijay and the TVF team, finds humour and tenderness in moments so small and specific that you’ll think, “Wait, how do they know my family?”
Four seasons in, Gullak still remains one of the warmest, most human shows in Indian OTT that you can watch with your family during evening tea.
Why watch: It’s a reminder that ordinary life, told honestly, is the most interesting and relatable story of all.
17. Rocket Boys (SonyLiv)
IMDb rating: 8.8/10 || Genre: Historical Drama
Most shows that are about scientists make the mistake of treating brilliance as the whole personality of the characters. Rocket Boys, however, refuses to take that shortcut. It gives us Homi Jehangir Bhabha (played by Jim Sarah) and Vikram Sarabhai (played by Ishwak Singh Sarabhai). They are ambitious and insecure, visionary and flawed humans who are driven by both love of country and love of the work itself. To add to it, the friendship between these two functions as the emotional engine of the show, and it’s beautiful.
Season 2 expands the scope of the show even more by bringing in J. Robert Oppenheimer and the global nuclear conversation, while still keeping the focus on Indian Development. It’s the kind of show that makes you look things up after every episode, not because it’s confusing, but because it makes you hungry to know more.
Why watch: It’s a brilliant show that makes you feel the weight of what was built in our country and the people who gave everything to build it.
18. College Romance (TVF Play/ Amazon Prime Video)
IMDb rating: 8.3/10 || Genre: Romantic Comedy
If you’ve ever truly experienced college life, complete with friendships, antics, and the unique chaos of discovering yourself while striving not to flunk your exams, then College Romance will resonate with you as a nostalgic time capsule.
The show follows the story of three best friends: Naira, Karan, and Trippy, as they navigate relationships, heartbreak, bad decisions, and the general comedy of being young and clueless. Keshav Sadhna, Apoorva Arora, and Manjot Singh have the kind of on-screen chemistry that looks effortless. The show has sharp writing that gets noticeably richer by Season 3 and 4. Honestly, it is the perfect series to watch this summer: light enough to enjoy on a hot afternoon but good enough that you’ll genuinely miss the characters when it’s done.
Why watch: College Romance is funny, warm, completely alive, and will make you wish you could go back, but also glad that you can’t.
19. Broken But Beautiful (ZEE5)
IMDb rating: 8.5/10 || Genre: Romance, Drama
Broken But Beautiful is a brilliant show that truly earns its title. This is not a show about the beginning of love, but it’s about what happens in the aftermath of it. Season 1 follows the story of Veer and Sameera, who are at different places in their heartbreak, finding each other in a state that’s messy, unfinished, and raw, and building their stories through it. Vikrant Massey is extraordinary as Veer, displaying a man whose grief has curdled into self-destruction. Harleen Sethi is equally brilliant in her portrayal of Sameera as she matches Veer’s emotions with a quiet, deeply felt performance.
Seasons 2 and 3 introduced new lead pairs while keeping the emotional DNA of the show intact. The dialogue through all the seasons is poetic without being precious, as the show tells us that love after loss is also terrifying, maybe more so than the first time around, because now you know what it costs.
Why watch: It’s beautifully written and emotionally honest in a way that few Indian romantic dramas are.
20. Apharan (ZEE5)
IMDb rating: 8.2/10 || Genre: Crime Thriller
From its very first episode, Apharan grabs you by the collar and doesn’t let go till the very end of season 2.
Arunoday Singh plays Rudra Srivastava, a UP police officer whose moral compass has been bent yet not quite broken by years of navigating a corrupt system. When he gets entangled in a kidnapping gone wrong, what begins as a case quickly becomes a personal reckoning for him. What makes Apharan truly stand out in a crowded crime thriller landscape is its refusal to romanticise either its hero or its villains. The show sits in that uncomfortable grey zone and stays there, which is precisely what gives it its teeth.
Both seasons are available for you to watch on ZEE5, and we assure you it’s well worth an uninterrupted weekend.
Why watch: If you want to watch a crime thriller with real edge, one that doesn’t flinch, moralize, or insult your intelligence, Apharan belongs at the top of your list.
Would You Like An Overview of The 20 Best OTT Shows In This List?
# | SERIES | CAST | OTT PLATFORM |
1 | Panchayat | Jitendra Kumar, Neena Gupta, Raghubir Yadav | Amazon Prime Video |
2 | Mirzapur | Ali Fazal, Pankaj Tripathi, Shweta Tripathi | Amazon Prime Video |
3 | Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story | Pratik Gandhi, Shreya Dhanwanthary | SonyLIV |
4 | The Family Man | Manoj Bajpayee, Priyamani, Sharib Hashmi | Amazon Prime Video |
5 | Sacred Games | Saif Ali Khan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Radhika Apte | Netflix |
6 | Aspirants | Naveen Kasturia, Abhilash Thapliyal, Shivankit Parihar | TVF Play / Prime Video |
7 | Kota Factory | Jitendra Kumar, Mayur More, Ranjan Raj | Netflix / TVF Play |
8 | Paatal Lok | Jaideep Ahlawat, Abhishek Banerjee, Gul Panag | Amazon Prime Video |
9 | Criminal Justice | Pankaj Tripathi, Vikrant Massey, Mita Vashisht | Disney+ Hotstar |
10 | Asur: Welcome to Your Dark Side | Arshad Warsi, Barun Sobti, Riddhi Dogra | JioCinema |
11 | Breathe | R. Madhavan, Amit Sadh, Sapna Pabbi | Amazon Prime Video |
12 | Special OPS | Kay Kay Menon, Karan Tacker, Saiyami Kher | Disney+ Hotstar |
13 | Farzi | Shahid Kapoor, Vijay Sethupathi, Raashii Khanna | Amazon Prime Video |
14 | Delhi Crime | Shefali Shah, Rasika Dugal, Adil Hussain | Netflix |
15 | TVF Pitchers | Naveen Kasturia, Arunabh Kumar, Jitendra Kumar | TVF Play / SonyLIV |
16 | Gullak | Jameel Khan, Geetanjali Kulkarni, Vaibhav Raj Gupta | SonyLIV |
17 | Rocket Boys | Jim Sarbh, Ishwak Singh, Regina Cassandra | SonyLIV |
18 | College Romance | Keshav Sadhna, Apoorva Arora, Manjot Singh | TVF Play / Prime Video |
19 | Broken But Beautiful | Vikrant Massey, Harleen Sethi, Akanksha Thakur | ZEE5 |
20 | Apharan | Arunoday Singh, Mahie Gill, Nidhi Singh | ZEE5 |
