MUMBAI: Ever since OTT content was popularised in India in the mid-2010s, a number of platforms have come up with several memorable and extremely popular web series across genres. Now, with multiple platforms and players in the field, the competition for eyeballs has become that much higher. 

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Amid this, one web series had trumped all to become the most watched Indian web series of all time, but it’s not a name one would easily guess.

Earlier this year, industry tracking agency Ormax Media released a list of the top 10 most watched Indian web series, based on the views received over a single season. While the report did not reveal the method of their findings, the list was considered credible given the agency’s track record. 

Surprisingly, a new name beat heavy favourites like Sacred Games, Mirzapur, and The Family Man to top the list. That name is Shahid Kapoor’s OTT debut – Raj & DK’s Farzi. As per the list, the show had 37 million (3.7 crore) views. Industry insiders say that in the months since, the views would have grown past 4 crore now.

Farzi is a crime thriller from Raj & DK about counterfeit currency. The show stars Shahid as a counterfeiter and also features Vijay Sethupathi, Kay Kay Menon, Raashi Khanna, Regina Cassandra, Bhuvan Arora, and Zakir Hussain in pivotal roles. 

The series, which is set in the same universe as The Family Man, premiered on Amazon Prime Video in February to much critical acclaim.

In the list released by Ormax, Farzi beat another Bollywood star’s OTT debut to the top. In second spot was Ajay Devgn-starrer Rudra: the Edge of Darkness, an adaptation of the British show Luther. It had 35 million views. 

The second season of Prime Video’s two big shows – Mirzapur and Panchayat – followed suit with 32 million and 29.6 million views respectively. Disney+ Hotstar’s Criminal Justice: Behind Closed Doors rounded up the top five with 29.1 million views. 

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Other series in the top 10 included The Family Man season 2, The Night Manager, Taaza Khabar, The Great Indian Murder, and Scam 1992. Despite its immense popularity, no season of Sacred Games found place in the top 10, partially because of Netflix’s limited subscriber base in India.

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Credits - DNA