5 Popular Indian Web-Series to Watch

While Indian serials and shows on TV are struggling to present the viewers with compelling material, a new format of serialized storytelling has emerged in the past couple of years. Indian web-series which are available on sites like YouTube have successfully won the approval of viewers and have managed to gather a substantial fan-base by delivering fresh and entertaining content. Here is a list of five of the most popular and interesting web-series that have been made in India so far:

Permanent  Roommates

Although the web-series format had been tried by Indians before, it was Permanent Roommates that brought about the rise of quality shows in India through a new platform. Created by The Viral Fever, one of the most popular YouTube channels in India, this series revolved around the story of a couple(played by Summet Vyas and Nidhi Singh) who get engaged after being in a long-distance relationship. Originally directed by Sameer Saxena, Permanent Roommates blended romance, comedy, and drama into its formula and provided a new experience to the young Indian audience who were craving for something original by showing the trials faced by every modern couple in India. The show received positive response from the views and has finished two seasons so far which are available in YouTube and TVF’s official app – TVFPlay.

Baked

Baked is a web-series produced by Scoopwhoop and Pechkas Pictures. The series is a comedy about three delinquent students from Delhi University who set up a business providing food delivery services at midnight. Baked then follows the three entrepreneurs – Haris, Oni, and Body, as they end up in various messy situations related to their new establishment.  Baked was noted for its unique premise and boldness to break-free from the themes and character stereotypes usually seen in Indian movies and TV shows. Directed by Vishwajoy Mukherjee, the first season of Baked has six episodes and is available to watch on ScoopWhoop’s official YouTube channel. There has been no news about the second season of Baked yet.

A.I.S.H.A: My Virtual Girlfriend

Taking cues from Spike Jonze’s film “Her”, A.I.S.H.A: My Virtual Girlfriend is a science fiction drama produced by Arre.  A.I.S.H.A’s plot is about an aspiring app developer named Sam who develops an Artificial Intelligence program that becomes self-aware. Sam names the program A.I.S.H.A and develops a relationship with it which has considerable impacts on his life. The show’s cast includes Raghu Ram(Roadies fame) who plays the antagonistic character of Sam’s boss. The show’s first season premiered earlier this year on 9th April. A.I.S.H.A currently holds an average rating of 8.9 on IMDB and all seven episodes of the show are available for streaming on YouTube and Arre’s website.

All About Section 377

Produced by Creative Gypsy, All About Section 377 is a comedy web-series with a purpose. Its plot deals with the life of a straight guy who lives with two homosexual men.  In addition to entertaining viewers, All About Section 377 also aims at imparting more awareness about the LGBT community and break down the stereotypes regarding these communities that exist in the Indian society. This web-series is directed by undoubtedly a revolutionary step forward for the entertainment industry in India. The first season of the show, consisting of 8 episodes premiered on 27th March 2016 and is available for streaming on YouTube. It has been confirmed that All About Section 377 will return with a second season soon.

Pitchers

Pitchers is yet another popular comedy-drama from The Viral Fever. The show tells the story of four young men who quit their jobs to set up their own startup venture and the issues that ensue. The first season of the show which premiered in 2015 was received positively by viewers and went onto become immensely successful. Pitchers was praised for its freshness in content and holds more than a million views per episode on YouTube. Much like Permanent Roommates, Pitchers also played a key role in promoting web-series amongst the Indian audience and established TVF as an important name in the field.

• About the Author

About Nisanth Suresh

I’m a Commerce student hailing from a small town in Ernakulam, Kerala. I am something of a cinephile, enjoy reading comics and fictional novels in my free time. I fell in love with TV shows after discovering the classic sitcom F.R.I.E.N.D.S when I was 13 years old. Over several years and a load of other shows, I discovered the strength of television as a medium for long-term, compelling story-telling. What started out as a leisure time hobby is now a passion and I’m always in search of great new shows to watch. I never miss out on opportunities to discuss about the shows that I love and hate and now utilize my position at SpectralHues to share my views with the rest of you.