A dozen entertaining options for New Year’s Eve

Life in confinement would be unimaginable through 2020, had it not been for the support of distinguished creators who brought reel-life entertainment to us, right within the four walls of our homes, making us forget our worries and troubles momentarily, as we immersed ourselves in the largely gripping and astounding plots of some of the best shows 2020 provided us with. But if somehow you’ve been living under a giant rock, there’s no reason to fret. Here’s a list of shows that you must watch before the year ends, and take with yourself into the New Year!

 

1. Paatal Lok – Paatal Lok is a hinterland story on the shocking revelations by a down and out cop after landing the case of a lifetime when four suspects are nabbed in the assassination attempt of a prime time journalist. The case turns out to be a devious maze where nothing is what it looks like. The pursuit of it leads him to the dark netherworld – the ‘Paatal Lok’, and to shocking discoveries in the past of the four suspects. The star cast of the dark world of Paatal Lok continue to shine bright as Jaideep Ahlawat, Swastika Mukherjee and Niharika Menen have been crowned among the Top 10 Breakout Stars of 2020 according to IMDb. Watch Paatal Lok on Amazon Prime Video

2. Into the Wild with Bear Grylls and Akshay Kumar – Shot at Bandipur Tiger Reserve, ‘Into The Wild with Bear Grylls and Akshay Kumar’, followed all military style drills, with former British military personnel Bear Grylls taking charge along with  fit and agile Akshay Kumar, son of a military officer, and somebody who has donned multiple hats, including that of an actor, producer, martial artist and philanthropist. The episode premiered on September 11, 2020 and generated 1.7 times more time spent per viewer as compared to other shows on the platform. Over the launch weekend, discovery+ was the #1 trending app on the Indian Google Play Store and the #2 Entertainment app on Apple App Store. This episode of Into the Wild with Bear Grylls also emerged as the second most watched TV show in the history of the infotainment genre. Watch Into the Wild with Bear Grylls and Akshay Kumar only on discovery+.

3. Criminal Justice: Behind Closed Doors – Criminal Justice: Behind Closed Doors, from the house of Applause Entertainment is an engaging Crime thriller starring Pankaj Tripathi, Kirti Kulhari, Anupriya Goenka and Mita Vashisht in lead roles. It focuses on the case of Anuradha Chadha (Kirti Kulhari) who stabs her husband one fateful night. Her 13-year-old daughter Rhea hears some commotion and somehow witnesses the unfortunate incident. As the court and the media believe Anu is guilty, almost all the attorneys in town reject her case. Finally, a small-time lawyer, Madhav Mishra (Pankaj Tripathi), accepts the case and investigates the real motive behind the murder teamed up with Nikhat Hussain (Anupriya Goenka).
4. Tera Yaar Hoon Main – Tera Yaar Hoon Main is built on the lives of Jaipur’s Bansal family, the show draws inspiration from  the evolving times and its effect on each generation in a family. Rajeev (Ssudeep Sahir) regrets not having an open and friendly relationship with his father, the patriarch i.e. Pratap Bansal (Rajendra Chawla) and does not want it to be the same with his teenage son, Rishabh (Ansh Sinha). Eager to keep up with today’s time and be a part of his son’s life, he takes the  approach of becoming his friend in real and virtual life too. But Rishabh’s reluctance and embarrassment to be his father’s friend is a setback for Rajeev. While he loves and respects his father, he wants to just keep it at that and not have him as an intrusive ‘buddy’ in his life. Watch Tera Yaar Hoon Main only on Sony SAB

 

5. Bandish Bandits – Bandish Bandits is a young, dynamic love story between an excellent Indian classical singer shackled by centuries of tradition and a free-spirited pop star who makes up for her mediocre talent with her sensational skills as a performer. It is the story of Radhe and Tamanna who, coming from very different worlds, set out together on a journey of self-discovery to see if opposites, though they might attract, can also adapt and go the long haul. If this isn’t enough, Bandish Bandits has bagged the 4^th position in IMDb’s Top 10 web series of 2020 based on user ratings. Let the binge watching begin. Watch Bandish Bandits on Amazon Prime Video.

 

6. Ladakh Warriors: The Sons of the Soil : Narrated by: Randeep Hooda – Shot in the stunning backdrop of rugged desert mountains, Ladakh Warriors: The Sons of the Soil is an exciting and immersive film that will give the heroes of mountain warfare the attention they deserve. Born with larger lungs and genetically conditioned to fight at heights of over 15,000ft, the young Ladakhi boys only dream of being the human shield to protect their country. Narrated in Hindi by the Indian equestrian, actor and nature & wildlife enthusiast, Randeep Hooda, the show depicts the grueling training that the Snow Warriors go through, at one of the highest regimental centers in the world. Watch Ladakh Warriors: The Sons of the Soil only on discovery+

 

7. Mirzapur Season 2- The universe of Mirzapur has become more immersive with power, politics and revenge at the centre of it. On one hand, the fight between Munna and Guddu to take over Mirzapur intensifies, on the other hand the narrative takes us to the power corridors where a nexus between politics and criminals prevails. The women of Mirzapur have become bolder and more complex and will not hesitate in using any means to achieve their goals. Who will win in the end? Is there any one left to challenge the Tripathis? The canvas gets bigger this season, but the rules remain the same – without spilling blood you won’t survive here! Upping the ante of the stellar cast of this series is Isha Talwar who bagged the 2^nd spot in IMDb’s Breakout Star of the 2020 as determined by the page views. Watch Mirzapur 2 only on Amazon Prime Video.

 

8. Kaatelal & Sons : Featuring: Megha Chakraborty, Jiya Shankar, Ashok Lokhande – Sony SAB’s new show Kaatelal & Sons is one such show – sparked by real events and will take us  to the bustling streets of Rohtak to narrate an inspirational tale. Kaatelal & Sons is an inspirational journey of sisters, Garima (Megha Chakraborty) and Susheela (Jiya Shankar), who believe ‘Dreams know No Gender.’ The show focuses on this positive thought and through a series of events continues to inspire the audience while making us think/rethink the common gender perceptions regarding key roles in society. Watch Kaatelal & Sons only on Sony SAB.

 

9. Being Serena – discovery+, India’s first aggregated real-life entertainment streaming app, hit an ace with its Emmy nominated sports docu-series that follows pivotal moments in the life of former world No. 1 Tennis champion, Serena Williams. Titled “Being Serena”, the five-episode documentary series produced by HBO Sports and IMG’s Original Content, showcases game-changing moments in her professional and personal life, tracking her pregnancy, motherhood, comeback and more. Watch Being Serena exclusively on discovery+

10. Hero: Gayab Mode On – Hero – Gayab Mode On is an incredible journey of a common man Veer (Abhishek Nigam) and in his quest to find his father. Show’s incredible journey gets fascinatingly exciting as the story progresses with Veer chancing upon a miraculous power of invisibility through a ring. The Ring, which is also sighted by evil aliens has the powers to corrupt him to become the biggest villain himself, but Veer decides to use this superpower to good, makes him the HERO. (Where to watch: Sony SAB) 

 

11. Strokes of Genius – Featuring: Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer – Strokes of Genius, a 90-minute sports special documentary brings forth the untold story of the 2008 Wimbledon Final between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, their longstanding rivalry and mutual respect, with perspectives from living legends of the game like John McEnroe, Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras, Tim Henman, Carlos Moya, Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova among others. Where to watch: Discovery+

 

12. Scam 1992 – A Harshad Mehta Story – The Top Indian Web Series of 2020 according to IMDb, Scam 1992 is set in 1980’s and 1990’s Bombay and follows the life of Harshad Mehta, a stockbroker who took the stock market to dizzying heights and his catastrophic downfall. Based on 1992 Indian stock market scam committed by stockbroker Harshad Mehta. Adapted from the 1992 book ‘The Scam: Who Won, who Lost, who Got Away’ the film stars Pratik Gandhi, Shreya Dhanwanthary, Hemant Kher and Nikhil Dwivedi and comes from the house of Applause Entertainment and has garnered a whopping 9.4 rating on IMDb.