2025 was the year Indian OTT stopped being “alternative” and quietly became the main screen in most homes, setting the tone for how we see ourselves -
and how the world now sees us.
If 2020 - 23 were about proving Indian streaming could make prestige shows, 2025 was about scale. Prime Video executives revealed that nearly 25% of total viewership for Indian content on their service now comes from outside the country, with Indian films and series trending in the global Top 10 every single week.
Trade analyses describe India’s entertainment scene as a true hybrid now - big spectacle films steering people to theatres, and platforms like Netflix, Prime Video, JioCinema and others owning the weekday, post‑work emotional unwinding.
So, without any further ado, let's take a look at the best performing OTT shows in India this year.
Srikant Tiwari : The Unconventional Hero - Family Man Season 3 (Prime Video)
And… the memes drop - Srikant Tiwari being Srikant Tiwari. It feels great to have him back!
(@reelflickss/Instagram)
The best performing story of 2025 on streaming, oddly enough, begins with a middle-aged man stuck between school PTMs and national security briefings. The Family Man Season 3, packed with action and humour, dropped on Prime Video in November and, within a week, became the platform’s most‑watched series of the year in India, reaching 96% of pincodes and breaking internal viewership records. The show also entered the Top 5 on Prime in more than 35 countries, from the UK and Canada to the UAE and Singapore, signalling that Srikant Tiwari’s very desi burnout now travels like any big international franchise.
High octane thriller drama with grounding humour, Family Man stands out as one of the best spy thrillers of all time.
(@flicksinframes_/Instagram)
The season finale left many questions unanswered and ended on a major cliffhanger, deliberately setting up expectations for a potential fourth season.
The Election That Mattered - Panchayat Season 4 (Prime Video)
Very unserious yet we welcome the new Pradhan in Panchayat Season 4 - it's hard to not laugh your lungs out.
(@Ott_vibes/Instagram)
Forget national polls; the real political thriller of 2025 was fought in the dusty lanes of Phulera. Dropping in June, Panchayat Season 4 ditched its cozy, slice-of-life comfort zone for a full-blown electoral war between Manju Devi and the opposition. What made it unmissable wasn’t just the comedy - it was seeing Neena Gupta’s character finally shed her "Pradhan-Pati" shadow to become a shrewd politician in her own right.
Panchayat Season 4 delivered a gripping story, but it was the light-hearted chemistry among the Phuleravasis that truly stole our hearts.
(@maasoomsalaska/Instagram)
The season felt darker, the stakes higher, and Abhishek’s frustration more relatable than ever. It wasn’t just a village show anymore; it was a masterclass in how power works in India’s capillaries.
The Insider Roast - The Bads of Bollywood (Netflix)
A sweet way to remember the cool-boy, villainous character from our favourite films - Koi Mil Gaya, Vah Life Ho to Aisi, and Partner.
(@fractionalspace/Instagram)
Then came September, and with it, the most meta experiment of the year. Aryan Khan’s directorial debut, The Bastards of Bollywood (or just The Bads), landed on Netflix like a grenade in a dharma production. Instead of defending nepotism, the show leaned into it with a savage, satirical grin. It was messy, sure, but watching the industry roast its own privilege - complete with bratty star kids and PR disasters - felt oddly cathartic. It gave us the "hate-watch" of the year, sparking a million memes about who the fictional characters were really based on.
Raghav the real MVP and yes, how can we forget Emran Hashmi? The Bads of Bollywood paid a sweet tribute to the actor who is loved by all.
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The History We Forgot - The Hunt (Sony LIV) & Paatal Lok S2 (Prime Video)
(@sonylivindia/Instagram)
While everyone was looking for laughs, SonyLIV quietly dropped The Hunt: The Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case in July, and it was a gut-punch. Amit Sial’s portrayal of the SIT chief leading the 90-day manhunt was understated brilliance - no loud jingoism, just the grinding, sweaty reality of police work in 90s India.
Chowdhury Sir’s back!
(@primevideoindia/Instagram)
And let’s not forget how the year started: Paatal Lok Season 2 in January. Jaideep Ahlawat returned as Hathiram Chaudhary, this time wading into the murky waters of drug syndicates and migrant crises. It was grim, uncomfortable, and utterly essential viewing that set the tone for a year of "feel-bad" masterpieces.
Closing Notes
Whether it was the dust of Phulera, the plush hypocrisy of Bollywood mansions, or the forensic details of a 1991 investigation, the shows that worked were the ones that looked in the mirror and didn’t blink. Srikant Tiwari might be the hero we want, but Manju Devi and Hathiram were the reality checks we needed.
Edge‑of‑the‑seat thrillers lived alongside family dramas and small‑town comedies; one night you’re watching a slow, character‑driven limited series, the next you’re doom‑scrolling reality dating content.
2025’s OTT diet suggested we’ve become comfortable being many things at once - aspirational and nostalgic, global and hyper‑local - in the space of a single weekend.
