Upcoming Indian web series of 2020: The Forgotten Army, Mirzapur 2, Mentalhood and more

Stage of Siege: 26/11

Streaming on: January 24

Based on Sandeep Unnithan’s book Black Tornado which states how all three wings of the Indian armed forces came together to fight terror in Mumbai on November 26, 2011, ZEE5 original Stage of Siege: 26/11 tells the “the untold stories of the brave heroes and the lesser-known facts of the horrid Mumbai attacks that shook the whole world.” The series is supported by an ensemble cast of Arjan Bajwa, Arjun Bijlani, Mukul Dev and Vivek Dahiya among others. It will begin streaming from January 24 on ZEE5.

Operation Parindey

Streaming on: February 28

Operation Parindey will stream on ZEE5.

Filmmaker Sanjay Gadhvi, who helmed the 2004 action thriller Dhoom and its sequel Dhoom 2, is making his digital debut with Operation Parindey. The feature film is a fictional account of one of the most controversial jailbreaks in the history of India. Inspired by true events, the film is lead by talents like Amit Sadh and Rahul Dev among others. It will begin streaming from February 28 on ZEE5.

Never Kiss Your Best Friend

Streaming on: January 20

The 10 episode web series Never Kiss Your Best Friend is based on Sumrit Shahi’s best-selling novel of the same name. The series has television’s heartthrob Nakuul Mehta in the lead role. Anya Singh, who starred in the lead role in Qaidi Band, will be seen playing the female lead in the web series. As the name suggests, the story of the show is based around two best friends who reconnect after a long separation. As the story plays across two timelines – their youth and adulthood, they will also be seen grappling with their complicated feelings for each other. It will begin streaming from January 20 on ZEE5.

Netflix

Bulbul

Anushka Sharma is venturing into the digital space as a producer with the period drama Bulbul. The film tells the story of Satya and his brother’s child bride Bulbul. Satya is sent to school in England, and upon his return, he finds out about Bulbul serving the people of his village after being abandoned by his brother.

Freedom

According to a statement released by Netflix, Dibakar Banerjee directorial Freedom is “the story of an Indian family interwoven with the personal, ideological and sexual history of India and how desire plays a common role in each.”

Guilty

Karan Johar’s Dharmatic Entertainment, the digital content arm of his company Dharma Productions, will present Kiara Advani starrer Guilty this year. The film explores the different versions of truth that emerge when a small-town girl accuses a college heartthrob of rape. The story will be told through the eyes of his musician girlfriend.

Kaali Khuhi

A Punjabi original film Kaali Kuhi (Black Well) will release on Netflix this year. It follows the history of infanticide and mysterious deaths of the residents of a village in Punjab and how it is upon a ten-year-old girl Shivangi to save the people of her village. The film is directed by Terrie Samundra.

Maska

Coming of age film Maska has Manisha Koirala in the lead role and internet sensation Shirley Setia is making her acting debut with the film. It is the story of a young millennial who believes in the adage – ‘success comes to those who dare to dream’. But, as he sets out on a journey to become a movie star, he is made to realise the difference between dreams and delusion by a clear-headed girl. The film also stars Kabir Singh fame Nikita Dutta and actor Prit Kamani who starred in the movie Hum Chaar.

Mrs. Serial Killer

Jacqueline Fernendez in Mrs Serial Killer.

The official synopsis of Mrs Serial Killer reads, “When her husband is framed and imprisoned for serial murders, a doting wife must perform a murder exactly like the serial killer, to prove her husband innocent.” It has been directed by Shirish Kunder and stars Jacqueline Fernandez in the titular role. Manoj Bajpayee and Mohit Raina also star in the thriller.

Serious Men

Manu Joseph’s novel Serious Men will get a screen adaptation in Sudhir Mishra’s film of the same name. Starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui in the lead role, the film tells the story of a wily slum dweller who cons the country into believing his dim-witted 10-year-old son is a genius, only to realise that the only victim of his dangerous game is his son.

Yeh Ballet

Coming from Siddharth Roy Kapur’s production house, musical drama Yeh Ballet revolves around two boys from low-income families. They come across the dance form ballet which changes their lives. Through it, they find ways to change their financial circumstances. Shiamak Davar has choreographed most of the songs in the film and music composer duo Sachin-Jigar have composed the music. The cast of the film includes Achintya Bose, Manish Chauhan, Julian Sands and Jim Sarbh.

Bombay Begums

Alankrita Shrivastava of Lipstick Under My Burkha fame is once again set to tell the story of five women of different generations living in urban India in her Netflix original titled Bombay Begums. It will show “their wrestle with desire, ethics, personal crises and vulnerabilities to own their ambition”.

Masaba Masaba

Masaba Masaba is a scripted series based on real-life moments from fashion designer Masaba Gupta’s life. It follows her unique background, the diverse worlds she straddles, and her foray back into the dating world. Masaba and her actor-mother Neena Gupta star in the series as themselves.

Messy

Starring Ravi Patel, Messy is a story of a stand-up comic of Mumbai who tries to balance a career in comedy with her demanding family, a persistent boss, a peculiar BFF and a boyfriend who is always keen on proposing. The show is her quest to find her own voice and get her life together in the midst of all the mayhem. Patel has co-written the show with Neel Shah.

She

According to a statement by Netflix, She “is a gritty story of an undercover cop’s journey discovering her sexuality and breaking stereotypes while taking down a drug cartel.”

Taj Mahal 1989

Though not much has been revealed about the web series yet, it is said to be a story of the exploration of love and longing set against the backdrop of Taj Mahal.

Vir Das: For India

Streaming on: January 26

Vir Das: For India, premiers on January 26.

To recount his favourite things about his homeland India, comedian Vir Das returns to Netflix for his standup special, Vir Das: For India, which premiers on January 26.

Netflix has also added four new Indian films to its slate in 2020. Anurag Kashyap’s Choked starring Saiyami Kher and Rohan Mathew, Vikramaditya Motwane directorial has been titled AK vs AK and will feature Anil Kapoor and Kashyap. The third one by Dibakar Banerjee is called Freedom. The film stars Naseeruddin Shah, Kalki Koechlin, Manisha Koirala, Divya Dutta, Huma Qureshi, Zoya Husain, Shashank Arora and Neeraj Kabi.

Karan Johar and his banner Dharmatic will produce the fourth project, a yet to be titled anthology of four films. Its cast will include Manav Kaul, Shefali Shah, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Nusrat Bharucha and Jaideep Ahlawat.

AltBalaji

Code M

Streaming on: January 15

Get ready to witness television’s popular face, Jennifer Winget as a military lawyer Monica in courtroom drama Code M. In the show, Monica reveals an ugly and explosive truth related to a military encounter. Tanuj Virwani, Rajat Kapoor and Seema Biswas also star in pivotal roles in the show which is currently streaming on ZEE5 and ALTBalaji.

Mentalhood

A poster of Mentalhood featuring Karisma Kapoor.

Karisma Kapoor is all set to make her digital debut with Mentalhood which chronicles the crazy ride of motherhood. The show will depict how mothers manoeuvre their way through unreasonable expectations and eccentricities to raise their children. Apart from Karisma, Tillotama Shome, Shilpa Shukla, Shruti Seth, Sandhya Mridul and Dino Morea will be seen playing important roles in the web series.

It happened in Calcutta

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Set against the backdrop of Kolkata of the 1960s and 70s, It Happened in Calcutta is about a young girl Kusum who gets into Calcutta Medical College. Her life changes when she meets the heartthrob of college Ronobir and falls in love with him. Karan Kundra and Naghma Rizwan star in the lead roles. Apart from the turbulent love saga, the series will also touch upon the pertinent events of the time – cholera epidemic and world war.

Dil Hi Toh Hai Season 3

The popular web series Dil Hi Toh Hai will be back with its third season and will take a two-year leap. The story is set post-Rithvik’s (Karan Kundra) and Palak’s (Yogita Bihani) accident, and there will be a few additions to the cast.

Class of 2020

Rohan Mehra stars in the lead role in AltBalaji’s Class of 2020.

A sequel to Vikas Gupta’s Class Of 2017, Class of 2020 will once again tell the story of a group of teenagers. It explores how their lives are entwined and how they deal with the feelings they have for each other. The web series will feature Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai fame Rohan Mehra and Chetna Pande, who has earlier been a part of ALTBalaji’s Home: It’s A Feeling.

Kehne Ko Humsafar Hain Season 3

The poster of Kehne Ko Humsafar Hain featuring Mona Singh, Ronit Roy and Gurdeep Kohli.

After two successful seasons, relationship drama Kehne Ko Humsafar Hain, starring Mona Singh, Ronit Roy and Gurdeep Kohli, will be back with its third season., The previous season ended with Mona’s character Ananya parting ways with her husband Rohit (Ronit Roy) after she discovers the truth of him spending a night with his ex-wife, played by Gurdeep Kohli. Now, if the couple will reunite or will choose their separate ways will be known soon.

MUMbhai

MUMbhai follows the story of a cop and a gangster who become friends. Set in the late 90s, the show, starring Angad Bedi, Sikander Kher and Sandeepa Dhar, will explore Mumbai’s underbelly.

Main Hero Boll Raha Hun

Starring TV’s favourite star and Kasauti Zindagii Kay fame Parth Samthan, Mai Hero Boll Raha Hu chronicles the meteoric rise of underworld don Nawab. Parth’s first look from the series has impressed fans.

Amazon Prime Video

The Forgotten Army

Streaming on: January 24

Kabir Khan’s war epic The Forgotten Army is the story of the men and women who fought for the independence of India as part of the Indian National Army led by charismatic freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. The show, starring Sunny Kaushal and Sharvari, will premiere on January 24, 2020.

Mirzapur 2

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A post shared by Pankaj Tripathi (@pankajtripathi)

After a super hit season one, the gangster drama is all set to return with its second season in 2020. The first season starred Pankaj Tripathi, Ali Fazal, Vikrant Massey, Divyendu Sharma, Rasika Dugal, Shriya Pilgaonkar and Shweta Tripathi. It revolved around drugs, guns and lawlessness. It depicted the rule of mafia dons and the crime prevailing in the Purvanchal region of Uttar Pradesh.

Breathe 2

Abhishek Bachchan is all set to venture into the digital space with the second season of Amazon Prime Video’s original Breathe. The first season of the psychological thriller had R Madhavan in the lead role. It explored the lives of ordinary men faced with extraordinary circumstances.

The Family Man 2

The first season of Manoj Bajpayee’s series The Family Man had a cliffhanger ending. Now, the audience is eagerly waiting for the second season of the show. Talking about The Family Man 2, Manoj Bajpayee had told indianexpress.com, “It’s getting bigger and better. It’s going to be quite an experience which will be completely different from the last one. Srikant Tiwari will go through some very tough challenges in his life and career again.”

Four More Shots Please! 2

The first season of Four More Shots Please premiered in January 2019 and became an instant hit among the youth. Now, the audience will see the female protagonists, played by Sayani Gupta, Kirti Kulhari, Bani J, Maanvi Gagroo, will “make radical choices in love, career and friendship. Their choices will put them through the grind, make them question their inner being but will ultimately redefine their lives. No matter how unpredictable our women get, and no matter what path they choose, they will come out of every situation together. Stronger and more empowered.” Samir Kochhar and Shibani Dandekar are the new entries to the show.

Made in Heaven 2

The second season of Made In Heaven will be out this year on Amazon Prime Video. The first season reflected the lives of upscale modern Indians, narrated through the eyes of two wedding planners (Sobhita Dhulipala and Arjun Mathur), set against the backdrop of quintessential weddings in Delhi. Zoya Akhtar who co-created Made In Heaven with Reema Kagti confirmed the second season on Instagram.

Comicstaan 3

The reality web series Comicstaan has been renewed for a third season. The web series has the popular comics of the country hunting for fresh talent in the field of standup comedy. Zakir Khan, Tanmay Bhat, Biswa Kalyan Rath, Kanan Gill, Kenny Sebastian, Sapan Verma, Kaneez Surka, and Naveen Richard among others have been the judges and mentors on the web series.

The streaming service will also soon introduce more Indian original content with shows like Dilli, Bandish Bandits, Paatal Lok, Gormint, Mumbai Diaries-26/11, The Last Hour and Sons of Soil- Jaipur Pink Panthers.

HOTSTAR

Hostages 2

After a successful first season, the streaming platform will return with the second season of Sudhir Mishra’s Hostages, starring Tisca Chopra and Ronit Roy. Since the first season did not have a cliffhanger ending, and the narrative was completed by the end of the last episode, the makers probably have another intriguing tale to tell to the audience.

TVF

Engineering Girls Season 2

The Timeliner’s hit series is back with another season where the friendship of four girls from an engineering college – Maggu, Sabu, and Kiara takes the next step and they go through the tough times of campus placements together. The show stars Sejal Kumar, Kritika Awasthi and Barkha Singh among others.

Mr and Mrs Season 3

The third season of Girliyapa’s Mr and Mrs explores the relationship of a couple in their 30s, who are somewhere in the middle of new love and tired of being taken for granted. It brings home the idea if two people can laugh their way through some of the weird, annoying and occasionally maddening moments, then they’re not doing half bad.

The Girls

The Girls is the story of three girls – Viveka, Lilly and Ana, played by Ahsaas Channa, Revathi Pillai and Rashmi Agdekar. The story revolves around how they adjust to various developments in their life. The storyline keeps switching between the office where The Girls work and the one where they deal with their personal issues.