‘Scam 1992’, ‘Delhi Crime’, ‘Bad Boy Billionaires’: Indian web series based on real-life stories

When theatres shut down last year, entertainment shifted to streaming platforms and there was an explosion of content. Web series and digital movies gained massive popularity and interestingly, several of these were based on real-life stories. From Pratik Gandhi-starrer ‘Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story’ to Shefali Shah’s Emmy Award-winning ‘Delhi Crime’ – take a look at Indian web series that are based on true incidents.

Pratik Gandhi shot to fame with ‘Scam 1992’, which narrated the real-life story of Harshad Mehta who was involved in a stock market scam. The series was reportedly adapted from journalist Sucheta Dalal and Debashish Basu's 1992 book ‘The Scam: Who Won, Who Lost, Who Got Away’. It emerged as a top-rated Indian web series and has been renewed for a second season. ‘Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story’ will be followed by ‘Scam 2003: The Curious Case of Abdul Karim Telgi’.

Shefali Shah led the riveting tale of ‘Delhi Crime’ which was based on the tragic 2012 Delhi gang rape case that took place in South Delhi. Directed by Richie Mehta, the series narrated the incidents involving Deputy Commissioner of Police Vartika Chaturvedi, played by Shefali Shah, who is assigned the task to find the culprits. This cinematic adaptation of the horrific crime earned global recognition as it was awarded best Drama series award at the 48th International Emmys.

‘Bad Boy Billionaires: India’ was an anthology web series which traced the lives of four prominent business magnates of India--Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi, and Subrata Roy. It used real-life footage to show three different stories. The first episode showcased the journey of the beer baron and airline owner Vijay Mallya. The second one focused on diamantaire Nirav Modi and the third episode was about Subrata Roy and his Sahara Pariwar.

Dia Mirza and Mohit Raina-starrer ‘Kaafir’ was inspired by the true story of a Pakistani girl and her struggles. After crossing over, she is considered to be a spy and jailed. Dia Mirza as Kainaaz moved people to tears with her performance. ‘Kaafir’ goes on to narrate how she manages to break-free with the help of a journalist-lawyer, essayed by Mohit Raina. Interestingly, this heartwarming, cross-border tale marked the digital debuts of both Dia and Mohit.