‘Paatal Lok’, ‘Panchayat’, ‘The Family Man’: How 2025 became the year Indian OTT finally learned to get franchises right

The arrival of Netflix and Amazon Prime Video transformed the landscape almost instantly. Budgets grew, reach expanded, and web series became mainstream. However, as popular titles started extending into multiple seasons, concerns about falling quality began to surface. Viewers increasingly felt that many shows lost their sharpness with each new chapter.

A frequently cited example is ‘Sacred Games’ season two, which many believed diluted the impact of what was once considered India’s finest web series. While a few titles such as ‘Made in Heaven’, ‘Delhi Crime’, ‘Gullak’ and ‘The Family Man’ eventually managed to sustain their standards, consistency was seen as rare rather than routine in Indian OTT franchises.

One reason 2025 stood out was the sheer number of major titles returning in the same year. Heavyweights such as ‘Paatal Lok’, ‘Delhi Crime’, ‘The Family Man’, ‘Criminal Justice’, ‘Special Ops’ and ‘Aashram’ all released new seasons. Alongside them, the much-loved slice-of-life series ‘Panchayat’ also made a comeback. Despite the variety in tone and genre, most of these shows struck a chord with audiences.

The gap between seasons varied widely. ‘Special Ops’ returned after almost seven years, while ‘Panchayat’ came back just over a year after its previous season. Yet both succeeded for different reasons. ‘Panchayat’ retained its rustic charm and emotional simplicity, while ‘Special Ops’ evolved with time, offering a more expansive narrative without losing its core appeal.

Among all the returning titles, ‘Paatal Lok’ emerged as the strongest example of franchise storytelling done right. Ever since ‘Sacred Games’ and ‘Mirzapur’, few shows have represented the best of Indian OTT as powerfully as the Jaideep Ahlawat-led thriller. Despite cautious expectations shaped by past sequel misfires, the new season exceeded predictions and was widely ranked among the best shows of the year. Many even considered it superior to its debut season, crediting its success to grounded, organic storytelling.

The third seasons of ‘The Family Man’ and ‘Delhi Crime’ also delivered solid results. While they may not have completely eclipsed their earlier highs, both remained engaging and well-crafted, ensuring that the franchises continued to command audience loyalty and critical respect.

Meanwhile, ‘Aashram’ continued to fly the flag for mass-oriented, formula-driven entertainment on OTT. For nearly half a decade, the MX Player series has thrived on its bold, melodramatic style, and its 2025 outing proved that this genre still has a strong and loyal audience in the streaming space.

Looking forward, 2026 promises another wave of returning and new franchises. ‘Panchayat’ is set to return once again, while ‘Black Warrant’ and ‘Heeramandi’ are expected to join the franchise model for the first time. With ‘Gullak’ also on the horizon and the possibility of ‘The Family Man’ returning sooner than expected, the challenge will be to maintain the high bar set in 2025.