5 women-centric OTT shows to watch any time of the year, not just on Women's Day

Sushmita Sen in Aarya on Disney+ Hotstar; and Huma Qureshi in Maharani on SonyLIV. Both OTT series have completed three seasons. (Photos via X)

With the digital space gaining prominence in the country and content-driven projects making their mark, OTT platforms have become a great space for thought-provoking performances by female artists. Here are a few series with power-packed female characters:

1. Poacher

The recently released crime thriller Poacher is backed by a woman – Alia Bhatt as producer – and headlined by Nimisha Sajayan, who is the heart and soul of the eight-part multilingual series. Her performance as no-nonsense Kerala forest range officer Mala Jogi who is hell-bent on waging a war against elephant poachers has won her critical acclaim from all quarters.

Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video

2. Aarya

Based on the Dutch drama series Penoza, Aarya has been created by director Ram Madhvani and Sandeep Modi, and stars Sushmita Sen as the protagonist. Sen is riveting as Aarya Sareen, a single mother who becomes a mafia boss in order to seek revenge for the murder of her husband, and keep her family safe. Three seasons down, the series is one of the best shows with a woman headlining the project.

Where to watch: Disney + Hotstar

3. Made in Heaven

The lavish and expensive weddings strewn across the two seasons might be reason enough to watch the show, but it is also wedding planner Tara Khanna, the proverbial outsider who struggles to find a footing as an insider, who makes this show such an engaging watch. Played by Sobhita Dhulipala, Khanna is manipulative, vulnerable, ambitious and probably one of the most intriguing female characters seen in the digital space.

Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video

4. Delhi Crime

At the International Emmy Awards held in 2020, Delhi Crime became the first Indian series to win the award for Outstanding Drama Series. For its second season, Shefali Shah, who plays DCP Vartika Chaturvedi in the show, won Best Actress at the same platform. Shah plays her role with a quiet determination, her anger and helplessness at the crimes and the system simmering in her large eyes.

Where to watch: Netflix

5. Maharani

The series by Subhash Kapoor rests on the shoulders of the talented Huma Qureshi who plays the protagonist Rani Bharti, a homemaker who reluctantly takes on the mantle of the Chief Minister of Bihar. Even though the recently released third season hasn’t quite lived up to expectations, it is Qureshi’s powerful performance that's still stealing the show.

Where to watch: Sony LIV