2021, like 2020, hasn't seen too many Hindi films release in theatres.
OTT, on the other hand, has been flooded with a number of film and Web series releases, and many of them are very entertaining.
In a half yearly report card, Joginder Tuteja picks the best Web series streaming between January and June 2021.
The Family Man Season 2
Where to watch: Amazon Prime
The second season of The Family Man has been the biggest success on OTT in the first half of 2021.
There were massive expectations from the Manoj Bajpayee starrer directed by Raj and DK (with Suparn Verma joining them) and they were met quite well.
The show introduced us to so many lesser-known brilliant talents who had a chance to shine.
Aspirants
Where to watch: TVF
TVF has its own grammar of storytelling and that was apparent in Aspirants , which had one of the highest ratings across Web series and films this year.
Starring Naveen Kasturia, Abhilash Thapliyal and Shivankit Parihar, the mini-series was directed by Apoorv Singh Karki and it struck a chord with students and adults alike.
His Storyy
Where to watch: ALT Balaji and ZEE5
A love story centered on same-sex relationship hasn't been told in as sensitive a manner as in His Storyy.
With a lot of subtlety in the storytelling, this urban tale about pati patni aur woh'= starred Satyadeep Mishra, Priyamani and Mrinal Dutt.
Gullak Season 2
Where to watch: Sony LIV
Yet another TVF offering, Gullak S2 touched hearts as well.
What makes Gullak endearing is that there is absolutely nothing artificial about it.
The situations around the family members are quite life-like.
Bombay Begums
Where to watch: Netflix
An urban tale about women from different walks of life, social strata and age groups, Bombay Begums worked because it brought to fore things the way they are.
Director Alankrita Shrivastava has a flair for bringing out real emotions of women on screen, and it is this very storytelling approach that truly works for this Web series.
The leading actors -- Pooja Bhatt, Shahana Goswami, Plabita Borthakur, Amruta Subhash and Aadhya Anand -- put in brilliant performances.
LSD - Love, Scandal and Doctors
Where to watch: ALT Balaji and ZEE5
LSD had a pulp fiction in appeal with a lot of entertaining twists. Starring mostly newcomers, it turned out to be a pleasant surprise.
There aren't too many thrillers set in the medical field and that brought in a different dimension to this series.
Maharani
Where to watch: Sony LIV
Maharani deals with Bihari politics and one can sense a lot of facts-meet-fiction elements in this Subhash Kapoor drama.
Huma Qureshi made the most of her author-backed role.
The Big Bull
Where to watch: Disney + Hotstar
If not for the release of Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story in 2020, The Big Bull would have found more prominence.
After initial comparisons, the Abhishek Bachchan starrer did settle down well to find its audience.
Director Kookie Gulati brought in a couple of elements in the film that were not covered in the Web series.
Hello Mini Season 2 and Season 3
Where to watch: MX Player
It's quite rare to seen two seasons of a Web series arrive within a gap of a few weeks.
What started as an erotic thriller turned into an intense drama by the time the third season of this Anuja Joshi starrer ended.
Hello Mini brought in a certain appeal that made it a guilty pleasure watch.
Nail Polish
Where to watch: ZEE5
The first release of 2021, Nail Polish boasted of a shocking, never-heard-before kind of story.
How do you accuse a person of a crime if the mind and body belong to two separate entities?
This is the question that Arjun Rampal asked as a lawyer while defending his client Manav Kaul.
A good thriller with the leading actors in their element.
