5 Best Action-Packed Web Series To Catch Up On Before 2026: The Family Man 3, Mandala Murders

In a week, the calendar will change to 2026. This year has been path-breaking for Indian OTT as showrunners and creators broke the set norms of genres and experimented with subplots, subgenres and unconventional stories. Indian streaming platforms became homes to incredible shows and films that redefined digital entertainment. Flagship shows returned with fresh seasons; new concepts rooted in Indian culture shone bright. Their popularity and entertainment quotient were measured by viewership data. The audience wasn’t disappointed. Before we enter 2026 with a new slate of shows on Indian OTT platforms like Netflix, Prime Video, JioHotstar, SonyLIV, ZEE5 and more, you must not be missing out on these five series. Jaideep Ahlawat’s Paatal Lok season 2 started

the year brilliantly on Prime Video. The show has its own fanbase, similar to The Family Man 3, starring Manoj Bajpayee. A spy-thriller that is relatable, fun and thrilling. Special Ops season 2 kept the audience hooked with its stylish and sleek action drama. Mandala Murders focused on ritualistic killings that were spine-chilling. Khakee: The Bengal Chapter was a close look at politics and conspiracies.

Paatal Lok season 2

Five years after Paatal Lok, the second season premiered on Prime Video in January 2025. Starring Jaideep Ahlawat as Inspector Hathi Ram Chaudhary, the plot of the show revolves around a high-stakes murder investigation. The case leads Chaudhary to Nagaland, as he has to investigate the murder of a Naga leader. He finds himself surrounded by corruption, conspiracy, and internal conflicts. The neo-noir crime thriller has all the key ingredients to keep the audience hooked with relentless action, drama and twists. It is one of the best shows on Indian streaming. The show also stars Ishwak Singh, Tillotama Shome, Gul Panag, Jahnu Barua and many others.

Special Ops 2

Himmat Singh and his team of Special Ops are faced with the emerging threat of cyberterrorism and digital warfare. With Farooq, Juhi, Ruhani, and Avinash by his side, he has to track down ‘The Collector, whose sinister plans could disrupt national security systems. The JioHotstar series created by Neeraj Pandey, and directed by Shivam Nair, has an interesting blend of action, politics, family drama and suspense for the audience to enjoy thoroughly. The show stars Kay Kay Menon, Tahir Raj Bhasin, Karan Tacker, Parmeet Sethi, Prakash Raj, Vinay Pathak, Shikha Talsania, Saiyami Kher, Muzammil Ibrahim, Gautami Kapoor, and Kali Prasad Mukherjee.

The Family Man 3

The Family Man 3 premiered on Prime Video on November 21 amid much hype and expectations. Srikant Tiwari didn’t disappoint. This time, the National Investigation Agency has summoned various outfits from Nagaland to join hands under Project Sahakar, an initiative to end violence, ensure peace and put the Northeast on the global map. However, internal politics and growing tensions within the country take Srikant to Nagaland to catch hold of Rukmangada a.k.a Rukma, who is accused of shooting the NIA chief. Amid this, he has to protect his family from the unexpected and unseen devils. The Family Man 3 is an intriguing, unconventional and adrenaline-pumping series that ends with a suspenseful cliffhanger. The show stars Manoj Bajpayee, Jaideep Ahlawat, Sharib Hashmi, Priyamani, Vedant Sinha, Ashlesha Thakur, Shreya Dhanwanthary, Gul Panag, Dalip Tahil, Harman Singha and many others.

Khakee: The Bengal Chapter

Khakee: The Bengal Chapter follows the journey of a righteous IPS officer, Arjun Maitra, who has to track down Bagha, a feared and influential gangster, whose criminal foundation has destroyed the law and order in the state. In his fight for justice, Arjun has to face power plays, violence and corrupt system. The political actioner is streaming on Netflix. The show stars Jeet Madnani, Prosenjit Chatterjee, Saswata Chatterjee, Ritwik Bhowmik, Aadil Zafar Khan, Chitrangada Singh, Parambrata Chatterjee, Pooja Chopra, Aakanksha Singh, Mimoh Chakraborty and Shraddha Das. It is a spiritual sequel of Khakee: The Bihar Chapter, created by Neeraj Pandey.

Mandala Murders

Set in the eerie fictional town of Charandaspur in Uttar Pradesh, Netflix’s Mandala Murders is an intriguing concept that combines action with supernatural elements. The story is about Rea Thomas, a passionate CIB officer, who joins hands with Vikram Singh, a suspended cop, to uncover a series of murders that are linked to a mythical entity called Yast. The Gopi Puthran show is a mix of psychological horror, action and crime thriller. Mandala Murders stars Vaani Kapoor, Vaibhav Raj Gupta, Surveen Chawla, Raghubir Yadav and Shriya Pilgaonkar, among others. Not a quintessential action thriller, Mandala Murders has various themes and layers within the story.

Which is your first choice to watch on OTT before 2026 begins? Let us know!