In 2025, new seasons of popular franchises like Paatal Lok, Family Man, Panchayat, Delhi Crime, Maharani and Criminal Justice kept viewers coming back to OTT
In 2025, audiences may have crowded cinema theatres shepherding many films like Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar or romantic drama Saiyaara to the coveted Rs 1,000-crore club, but they still turned to multiple, diverse pickings from Over-the top (OTT). It was settled: you did not have to choose one or the other.
Besides the cravings for murder mysteries (like the host of Harlan Coben adaptations) or for festival flicks like Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound (if you missed it in theatres), or the rare, stunning Iranian movie like political drama The Seed of the Sacred Fig or a word-of-mouth tip like Vijay Sethupathi’s Maharaja, there was always a one-off TV series like Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham’s Adolescence that landed on Netflix and rocked your world. It drove home some uncomfortable truths and pushed parents into a permanent zone of anxiety and fear.
People clucked disapprovingly about the fare on OTT, and how it spreads negativity, darkness, excessive sex, drugs and violence. Yet audiences kept returning, hooked on the comfort of streaming entertainment within the confines of their own homes.
However, despite the bad press, much-talked about budget cuts, and a host of mediocre films and shows, OTT managed to whip up viewerships with hyped-up, glossy shows like The Royals or Aryan Khan’s The Ba***ds of Bollywood, Tisca Chopra’s Saali Mohabbat and even a very good series like Vikramaditya Motwane’s Black Warrant on life inside the Tihar Jail. Yes, it’s because of OTT, we are savouring new talents like Zahan Kapoor (Shashi Kapoor’s grandson) and delight with dependable solid soldiers like Jaideep Ahlawat, Manoj Bajpayee, Konkona Sen Sharma (Search: The Naina Murder Case), Shefali Shah, Jitendra Kumar and more.
Undeniably, OTT strode strong in one sphere in 2025: the streaming of the much-anticipated new seasons of old, cherished favourites of Indian shows. Here is a list of the new seasons of the all-time favourite franchise that hit the OTT platforms in 2025:
The Family Man Season 3: The focus of season 3 of one of India’s most loved series was no longer about whether Indian spy Srikant Tiwari’s wife cheated on him or not. The lens veered away from marital infidelity to push for making the family a stronger unit and issues like unrest in the north-eastern state of Nagaland. (For some reason, the trouble-torn north-east apart from Pakistan and Kashmir, has become the backdrop for spy thrillers) It is engaging though critics panned it for its uneven pacing, thin plotline and failing to hit the highs of season 1 and 2. All of which is true, with Bajpayee being perpetually perplexed about moles in the agency, his shaky marriage and having turned into a fugitive on the run.
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While Jaideep Ahlawat as Rukma, the lanky, long-haired drug smuggler, unsure of his partners in crime and dithering about any kind of love, managed to rise above the shortcomings in the way his character has been written. Nimrat Kaur in posh suits walking the streets of London plotting the Indian PM’s death on a phone in a fake accent seemed a bit farcical. The series ends with a cliffhanger, which is frustrating but it appears Rukma and Tiwari will be back to clash again!
Paatal Lok Season 2: The second season of the critically acclaimed crime drama, starring Jaideep Ahlawat as the good-hearted, sincere Inspector Hathi Ram Chaudhary, was released on Amazon Prime Video after a long wait. But this season hit the ground running and was as compelling as the first one.
Set in Nagaland, (Paatal Lok released earlier in the year before The Family Season) it handles the issues and the people with a rare sensitivity not seen before. It is a slow-burn thriller with a highly-talented Ahlawat anchoring an extremely well-made series. Chaudhary’s integrity and honesty are his weaknesses, and he receives no credit for his hard work. But he persists for the sheer joy of catching the bad guy and upholding what is good. In this series, he is racing to help a lonesome, vulnerable child. The small touches of humanity made this season a great watch.
Panchayat Season 4: How much can you milk the absurdity of an educated, modern young man taking up a government job in a village? But this beloved comedy-drama set in the remote village of Phulera returned with higher stakes like an aggressively fought local election, an anti-corruption raid, a near Judas-like defection and romance. And it worked.
The Federal review had said, “Maybe the tone has switched tracks since the light-hearted first season in 2020, but the series continues to hold your interest and entertain even in its fourth avatar.” This remains a hot favourite among viewers for all seasons. Incidentally, Season 5 is very much on the cards and is expected to stream next year.
Delhi Crime Season 3: This game-changing, Emmy Award-winning show returned with a new season drawing on the 2012 Baby Falak case. Season 3 follows the inimitable Shefali Shah reprising her role as DCP Vartika Chaturvedi, who is all set to investigate a human trafficking operation. It was a muddled plot clearly showing the lack of research into the deeply embedded network of human trafficking, which operates in a shadowy world. It moves at a glacial pace at odds with its genre.
Huma Qureshi is the new face this season playing the terrifying villain with much gusto. But her role fails to drop. The only consolation is the familiar Delhi Crime police gang who make the show worth the while. No doubt, we expected more from this franchise.
Maharani Season 4: This SonyLiv political drama, starring Huma Qureshi, moved from Bihar to Delhi for its fourth season. Inspired by veteran political leader Lalu Prasad Yadav and his wife Rabri Devi, this story of Rani Bharti, an illiterate housewife who becomes Bihar’s chief minister after her husband’s arrest, appears to fascinate viewers. Her political machinations to stay in power continue. But most critics slammed this season saying the makers had completely lost the plot.
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The scale is bigger, the stakes are higher, the cast is larger, but the season feels longer, said one critic. Another bluntly said the makers had “completely lost the plot”. However, fans of this show enjoyed the introduction of new players in this drama who arrive with their own agendas and that it offers a larger commentary on the current political landscape of India. Sadly, another season is on the way.
Criminal Justice: A Family Matter (Season 4): Netizens loved this season 4 of Pankaj Tripathi-led courtroom drama which claims to be the most-watched Indian original OTT show in the first half of 2025 on JioHotstar. This season was praised for its layered storytelling, strong performances (especially Pankaj Tripathi as Madhav Mishra (another great actor), and the sensitive handling of mental health themes like Asperger's, and a brilliant, unexpected finale that kept viewers hooked. The show is centred around the murder of nurse Roshni Saluja but it goes beyond the unravelling of a legal puzzle. The grand finale stirred up social media memes, and fans hailed the season as the series' most unpredictable and emotionally powerful yet.
International series
Stranger Things: Season 5, released in instalments, has completely disappointed fans. This sci-fi adventure collapsed under the weight of its own success, dismissed one critic. For Korean drama lovers, Squid Game: Season 3 marked the grand wrap-up of a show that critiques capitalism in the most shocking way possible. It got mixed reviews.
The Bear: Season 4, which was released on June 25, 2025, with Carmy Berzatto and Sydney Adamu continuing to run the restaurant, had fans hooked. The dystopian series The Last of Us: Season 2 returned in April 2025, set five years after the first season, continuing the journey of Ellie Williams and Joel Miller. Fans of the franchise lapped it up. Here’s a quick recommendation: check out the new season of British spy thriller series Slow Horses on Apple TV. Superb acting, great writing and a nail-biting plot.
