Babli Bouncer to Hush Hush: The five most-viewed streaming shows and movies of the week

Streaming platforms are infamous for their lack of transparency, which allows them to make difficult-to-verify claims. However, a media consulting company called Ormax Media has been monitoring viewership statistics for the most popular releases on significant platforms. Here is a list of the most popular series and films available for streaming in India for the week of September 26–October 2. The figures are approximations based solely in India. There are no streaming releases from the South.

Babli Bouncer (Disney+Hotstar; 6.7 million views)

Madhur Bhandarkar’s film features Tamannaah Bhatia in a unique avatar as Babli Bouncer. Jointly produced by Fox Star Studios and Junglee Pictures, Babli Bouncer is a coming-of-age fictional story of a female bouncer, set in the real ‘bouncer town’ of North India – Asola Fatepur.

“As a filmmaker, there is a lot to be excited for and look forward to, when you get the chance to explore a never-before-told narrative. I want to portray this story of a female bouncer through a slice-of-life comedic tone that also leaves a lasting impact”, quipped Madhur Bhandarkar.

He continued, “With the shooting of Babli Bouncer starting today, I am ready as ever to bring forth this story from the world view of women bouncers. It’s a wonderful story and I’m sure Tamannaah will leave everyone surprised with her performance!”

Sharing her thoughts on kick-starting the shoot, Tamannaah Bhatia said, “As soon as I read Babli Bouncer, I fell in love with the character because it is one of the most exciting and fun characters with a substance that I have come across. Madhur sir has a flair for crafting defining female protagonists and Babli too is such a powerful character. For the first time, a film will explore the story of a female bouncer, and I am more than excited to be her voice. I can’t wait to dive into this whole new world.”

Babli Bouncer, produced by Fox Star Studios and Junglee Pictures, explores the unseen world of bouncers and also stars Saurabh Shukla along with Abhishek Bajaj and Sahil Vaid in pivotal roles.

Hush Hush (Amazon Prime Video; 5.5 million views)

This one marks the digital debut for Juhi Chawla and consists of seven episodes.

Produced by Abundantia Entertainment, the series; directed by Tanuja Chandra, further stars Soha Ali Khan Pataudi, Kritika Kamra, Shahana Goswami, and Karishma Tanna in the lead.

According to the makers, Hush Hush revolves around a set of women whose picture-perfect lives begin to come undone when an unexpected event brings to the fore secrets from their past and threatens them.

Executive producer and director Tanuja Chandra said, “I’m grateful that Abundantia Entertainment and Prime Video have provided us with a platform on which to tell engaging narratives with a distinctly female gaze. And having women as producers and heads of the department just made it that much more special.”

Juhi Chawla said, “I look forward to embarking upon a new journey in the rapidly growing digital space with Prime Video. The platform has revolutionised the art of storytelling with blockbuster originals that have captivated audiences across the country. I am certain that audiences will resonate with the show and continue to bestow their love upon the show and me as I begin this new chapter.”

Criminal Justice: Adhura Sach (Disney+Hotstar; 4.8 million views)

Pankaj Tripathi returned as Madhav Mishra in the third instalment of Criminal Justice. The first two seasons were based on the 2008 British television series of the same name, however, this one is different and has an original plot.

Pankaj Tripathi will be taking on the case of Mukul Ahuja, a teenager who is charged with murdering his child actor sister. Directed by Rohan Sippy, Criminal Justice: Adhura Sach, puts a spotlight on India’s juvenile justice system.

The supporting cast includes Shweta Basu Prasad, Swastika Mukherjee, Purab Kohli, Aditya Gupta, Deshna Dugad, and Gaurav Gera.

Movies last between two and two and a half and three hours, but a series has 10 to 12 episodes, each lasting 40 to 50 minutes. How much does Pankaj participate in that process, then?

“Although I don't participate in the writing process at all, I do offer my opinion while filming. I often improvise. The medium of the writer and the director is OTT. Because time is not an issue, they can devote more time to supporting stories and characters. This is a limitation of movies. Here, the directors are free to go farther into the supporting stories and uncover other facets,” the actor said in an interview.

Karm Yudh (Disney+Hotstar; 3.7 million views)

The eight-episode series is directed by Ravi Adhikari. Karm Yudh, extensively shot across Kolkata, Goa and Dharamshala, talks about the rivalry within the billionaire Roy family of Kolkata. Satish Kaushik, Ashutosh Rana, and Ankit Bisht are also part of the cast.

Dahan (Disney+Hotstar; 4.2 million views)

Tisca Chopra’s Dahan: Raakan Ka Rahasya has nine episodes and is helmed by Vikranth Pawar.

Talking about the series, in a statement, Tisca shared that she loved how it captured raw fear as each character faces their demons. “My character Avani Raut fights personal and professional battles when she is caught in the crossfire of superstition and the supernatural, and practicality on the other. The show puts her on a quest by drawing parallels between her external and internal fears, which all of us confront.”

Saurabh Shukla said that Dahan as a show meticulously brings together a tale of myths, legends and superstitions. He said, “Playing Pramukh puts me in the eye of the strong beliefs surrounding the village and its residents. One element that makes this character stand out is that he fears what he worships, but is too scared to break the chain.”

Director Vikranth Pawar added that they set out to create a show where the audience experiences how mythical and supernatural elements can come together to create fear in people’s minds.

The series is written by Nisarg Mehta, Shiva Bajpai and Nikhil Nair and bankrolled by Banijay Asia, Deepak Dhar, and Rishi Negi.