Panchayat, Paatal Lok, Scam 1992: The Best Shows of 2020

Chronicling the rise and fall of Indias biggest white-collared criminal Harshad Mehta, Scam 1992, directed by Hansal Mehta, was an extremely engaging show featuring stellar performances by Pratik Gandhi, Shreya Dhanwantary and Rajat Kapoor

A fine example of a brilliantly written show, Paatal Lok starring Jaideep Ahlawat, Neeraj Kabi, Abhishek Banerjee and Ishwak Singh among others provided a scathing, disturbing commentary about the social imbalance in our morally corrupt system.

A show that brought in much needed laughs and respite in the peak of the lockdown, Panchayat is the most earnest and hearfelt insight into the lives of those who reside in Indias villages.

A unique blend of Indian mythology and forensic science, a feat seldom explored in Indian narratives, Asur was a commendable show brought by Voot Select. Also, it featured Arshad Warsis most career defining performance as an actor.

Leaving Amit Sial aside, this show directed by Soumendra Padhi, the National-Award winning director of Budhia Singh: Born to Run, boasts of mostly unknown faces. Based in a rural village of Bihar known for carrying out covert phishing scams, Jamtara is a rare show that is consistently engaging without unnecessarily deploying the use of sex or violence to propel the narrative.

Thank God for OTT platforms. Spending ten months at home due to the pandemic would have been a painful ordeal without the boon of digital. We present our top five shows of the year that we truly cherished while we stayed indoors.