From Panchayat to Delhi Crime, the top Hindi web series of 2022

This year, familiar faces in the OTT space held our attention once again as several series returned to continue their tales. Luckily for us, we were held spellbound by these characters and universes once more as a few shows topped their previous season, while others extended their stellar run.

All in all, the shows listed below are the best Hindi web series of the past year, leaving us wanting more.

1) Panchayat Season 2

The second season of the Prime Video series Panchayat had big expectations to fulfil and this time around it delivered, leaving fans emotional at the end of its current run. Starring Jitendra Kumar as Phulera village secretary, Panchayat, features his character Abhishek juggling a possible romance and dealing with village politics. Veteran actors Raghuvir Yadav and Neena Gupta return as the village heads, guiding Phulera into modernity on a step at a time. The cast of quirky and lovable supporting characters also step up to the occasion, balancing humour and drama adeptly. Rustic life has never looked this appealing. How long till season three premieres?

2) Rocket Boys

Following the extraordinary paths of physicists Homi Bhabha and Vikram Sarabhai, SonyLIV's Rocket Boys is set against the backdrop of India's history. From the pre-Independence days to the formation of a new country, Homi (Jim Sarbh) and Vikram (Ishwak Singh) work tirelessly to establish the nuclear and space programs respectively in India. A story of friendships and challenges, the period drama is both hopeful and inspirational. Showing their personal struggles and professional highs, Rocket Boys brings to life another era with the achievements of Homi and Vikram. The production values and capable direction assured us that we'd want to come back for more in the next chapter of their lives.

3) Delhi Crime 2

The International Emmy-winning series, Delhi Crime, returned with a stellar second season with Shefali Shah leading the team as DCP Vartika Chaturvedi. The crime thriller, set in 2013, looks at a brutal killing spree at the hands of a wily gang that targets rich senior citizens. Shefali and the ensemble team of artistes, Rajesh Tailang, Rasika Dugal, Anurag Arora, Sidharth Bhardwaj and Gopal Dutt, display the hard efforts of the Delhi police officers to investigate and catch the culprits behind the heinous crimes. Looking at issues of police brutality and the work-life balance, Delhi Crime 2 shines its light on its female characters. Along with Shefali and Rasika, actor Tillotama Shome turns in a riveting performance as the new addition to the cast.

4) Gullak Season 3

The third season of the critically acclaimed series returns us to the modest world of the Mishra family. Santosh (Jameel Khan), Shanti (Geetanjali Kulkarni) and their children Annu (Vaibhav Raj Gupta) and Aman (Harsh Mayar) have matured and come far since we first met them in 2019. But what hasn't changed is the sweet yet strong bond in the family, despite all that is thrown at them from all corners of the universe. With simple yet meaningful dialogues by Durgesh Singh, and poignant performances by Jameel, Geetanjali, Vaibhav and Harsh, Gullak reminds us that your family is always there for you.

5) Maharani Season 2

While Huma Qureshi's Rani Bharti was thrown in the deep end in season one, assuming the position of chief minister of Bihar, in this second round, Rani has evolved, both as a wife and politician. The in-the-dark Rani has been made aware of certain fraudulent schemes being conducted behind her back, along with her husband, leader Bheema Bharti (Sohum Shah), jostling for power alongside her. The political thriller, set in the 1990s, captures the dirty campaigning and back-door deals that have to be made to stay in power. With strong performances and compelling scenarios, Maharani, led by a fierce Huma, kept us hooked.