Our Pick of the Best Brand New Family Drama Series: If family dramas are your series of choice, then the last couple of years should have been brilliant viewing. With web series on the rise and the Hindi language section of Netflix only set to grow, Indian television is better than ever.
Whether it’s the deep bonds between the characters, the struggle to maintain a position of power, or the greed that sometimes rears its ugly head, there is something about family dramas that is unlike any other genre of television. These are our picks of the very best from the past couple of years.
The Family Man, 2019
Don’t be fooled into thinking that The Family Man is going to be the most family-oriented drama on this list. This show gets right to the heart of espionage, with a family drama twist of course. This Hindi web series stars Manoj Bajpayee, as the main character.
Both a family man and the head of a threat analysis office, Manoj has to juggle a difficult work-life balance, in order to keep the general public safe, but also protect his own family. It proves to be heart-in-mouth viewing for the vast majority of both available series, exactly the kind of program that you can’t unglue your eyes from.
The good news is that you’ve no need at all to unglue your eyes, as you can binge-watch the whole thing on Amazon Prime. Once you’ve finished that, you can watch the trailer for the next part of the tale and have a look at our review at Newznew.
The Casino: My Game, My Rules, 2020
The Casino was originally released on the Zee5 streaming service back in 2020 and has received rave reviews ever since. The show stars Karanveer Bohra, Mandana Karimi, and Sudhansu Pandey. Mr. Mara is played by Mandana Karimi and is the absolutely filthy rich owner of a huge casino in Nepal. Sudhansu Pandey plays Mr. Mara’s money-grabbing mistress and Bohra plays his son Vicky.
Between the mistress and the son, the two both want a stake in the casino, but are at loggerheads with one another, refusing to share the fortune. If family dramas that really get to the ugliest of our human emotions appeal to you then you’ll love The Casino. It captures not only the greed of the people surrounding Mr. Mara but also the glitz and glamour of life in the casino.
Whilst visiting the casino is a little more difficult in India than in many other countries, if you’ve been captivated by the multi-million palace of Mr. Mara on screen then you might be wondering how you can get in on a slice of the action.
Whilst unfortunately you probably aren’t the heir to an enormous casino in Nepal, you can still recreate a bit of the glamour online. AsiaBet has put together a comprehensive guide to online casinos in India. They’ve included a rundown of the best sites for sports bettors, as well as the best sites for those who want to have a spin of the roulette wheel.
If you’re concerned about legalities then they’ve even explained the details of that too. Hang up a chandelier or two and hire a butler and you’ll be halfway to living the Mr. Mara lifestyle in no time.
Gullak, 2019
If The Casino all sounds a little bit too dramatic for your kind of family drama, then Gullak might hit the spot better. Gullak follows a family living in Northern India in a small town where everybody knows everybody’s business.
Nothing terribly dramatic happens, but every day remains something of an adventure. The Mishra family are the characters at the heart of this series, played by Jameel Khan as the father, Geetanjali Kulkarni as the mother, and Vaibhav Raj Gupta and Harsh Mayar as the kids.
The interactions between the whole family are heart-warming and hopefully familiar to many of us. There is such clear chemistry between all of the actors that it is impossible not to see it.
Whilst the dry humor and tender exchanges between the family are wonderful to see, it would be impossible not to mention the beautiful setting of the series. Quaint side streets and colorful front doorsteps are the settings for this show.
It’s impossible not to imagine yourself escaping to the town where the Mishra’s live. Despite the occasional petty crime or neighborly grievance, it seems like a pastel-colored paradise.