Year-ender 2020: Paatal Lok, Undekhi, Scam 1992 - The best web shows this year

Scam 1992 and Undekhi Picture Courtesy: PR

2020 will go down in history as the year that gave the underdogs their much-needed spotlight. Writers and directors have been creating some fantastic shows after the thunderous success of Sacred Games and Mirzapur. Not all dramas have to be necessarily about crime, some can be human stories too.

From real-life stories to real-life situations that the world of web gave us all this year, it's hard to choose which series stood out, so here are the best five:

1. Scam 1992 - Sony LIV

Hansal Mehta's Scam 1992, about Harshad Mehta, played by Pratik Gandhi, is the kind of work that you usually describe as a masala entertainer. It deals with the Stock Market Scam that shook the nation roughly 28 years ago, but Mehta simplifies the theme without feeling the necessity to dumb the material down. And at its heart was Gandhi as The Big Bull, approaching a complex and charming part exactly how a bull would its target. The series indeed hit the Bull's Eye.

2. Paatal Lok - Amazon Prime Video

Paatal Lok puts people in seemingly impossible situations and asks us to what extent will they go to get what they want. To what extent will a journalist go to save his decaying news channel? To what extent a wife will go to come to terms with her husband's infidelities? To what extent a police officer will go to solve a case that's a lot denser than what he would have imagined? Paatal Lok justifies its title and takes everyone involved right to their ebbs. And the writing right to the top.

3. Mirzapur 2 - Amazon Prime Video

Why Katappa killed Baahubali? What would happen after Sardar Khan is killed in broad daylight in Gangs of Wasseypur? There was palpable tension and thirst for us to know how it would all end. Mirzapur 2 was no exception. After all the madness and mayhem that happened in Season 1, it had to bring thrill and excitement in Season 2. Sometimes, it doesn't matter if it's good or bad or even ugly, we have to see it purely for the elation.

4. Undekhi - SonyLIV

Undekhi, as the name says, exposes the wretched side of an influential family and the cops. On one hand is a (almost) bumbling cop and on the other hand stands a man who would go to any extent to save his father. It's your vintage cop vs criminal narrative that also involves a bunch of innocent convicts. Powered by some riveting performances, Undekhi is a must-see.

5. The Gone Game - VOOT

There couldn't have been a better time for The Gone Game to come out than the lockdown. The thriller deals with a family living in different cities and not being able to unite due to coronavirus. As the series progresses, we realise not everyone in the family is what they claim to be. The best thing about the show is that it's only 80 minutes long with four episodes. And yes, the unavoidable cliffhanger that only makes The Gone Game all the more exciting.

Special Mentions:

Aarya: Sushmita Sen's solid comeback took almost a decade but it was all worth it. Now all eyes on Aarya 2.

Asur: Perhaps the only show that makes some sense of its mythological references and Arshad Warsi's underrated craft.