“LITTLE THINGS” BY DICE MEDIA

As implied by the title, this breezy web series from Dice Media encourages viewers to focus on the “Little Things” that make up modern relationships. There is no major drama or obstacles to overcome, nor are there moments of laugh-out-loud comedy – but the series will have you constantly smiling and/or reflecting upon incidents in your life. Underpinned by the brilliantly effortless chemistry between lead actors Mithila Palkar and Dhruv Sehgal (who also wrote the series), ‘Little Things’ is extremely relatable and perfectly captures the voice of today’s urban youth.

“Permanent Roommates Season 2” by TVF

Buoyed by the success of Season 1, the first bona fide web series in India to achieve any form of scale and recognition – TVF returned with a significantly more ambitious – longer episodes and an exploration of significantly more profound themes. The complexity of the content evolves with that of Tanya and Mikesh’s relationship – with Sumeet Vyas and Nidhi Singh reprising their roles to perfection. Despite this, the show manages to retain its charm from Season 1 and creates more magic – never more evident than episode 3 which gave us the side-splitting parody tribute to epic South Indian movie fight scenes in Episode 3, as well as the deeply moving monologue from Asrani at the end about memories. Essential viewing no doubt!

“Better Life Foundation” by Them Boxer Shorts

One of the funniest, if slightly more obscure, comedians in India – “Better Life Foundation” may just be the turning point for Naveen Richard and Them Boxer Shorts. The sharp wit, satire and unadulterated hilarity delivered through the writing has enabled ‘Better Life Foundation’ to hold its own in comparisons to wildly successful American workplace mockumentaries like “Parks and Recreation” and “The Office”. In addition to Richard, the show is elevated by performances from other brilliant comics including Sumukhi Suresh, Utsav Chakraborty, Kumar Varun (of Random Chikibum) and the lesser-spotted-these-days Kanan Gill.

“A.I.Sha – My Virtual Girlfriend” by Arre

By far the most ambitious project on this list, Arre’s entry into the digital world certainly makes an impression. A.I. Sha tells the story of your everyday software geek, who creates a piece of self-learning artificial intelligence more advanced than Siri or anything else out there. Comparisons with the acclaimed film “Her” are inevitable, but beyond the initial premise are unfounded.  While starting off fairly serenely while keeping you engaged, A.I.Sha quickly escalates into a one hell of a roller-coaster of a ride. It’s dark, its intense, it’s emotional – and it ends on such a huge cliffhanger that we’re already excited for Season 2!

“Humorously Yours” by TVF

A late entry, but a deserving one nevertheless! The rise of the stand-up comedy in India over the last 3 years has been nothing short of meteoric, and ‘Humorously Yours’ tries to give viewers an insight into this world through the eyes of Vipul Goyal and his journey as a struggling stand-up comedian. Inspired by true events and Vipul’s own experiences; and featuring cameos from literally1 every stand-up comedian in India – an eye-opening, insightful and brilliantly fun watch.