The 4 TV Shows That Are Breaking Boundaries In India

Indian TV has come a long way over the last few years. The rise of streaming platforms like Netflix means that Indian viewers are viewing violent, sexual, and political content that was previously out of reach.

Ultra-conservative TV censoring has marked the country’s past: it wasn’t that long ago that a simple kiss was depicted through images of two flowers bending their stalks towards each other.

The new wave of Indian TV, though, is breaking free from that mould, and these four shows are at the forefront.

A changing TV landscape

India’s huge size means that regulating any industry is complex, and depends on which state you’re in. In the gambling sector, for example, it’s legal to play in online casinos in Goa, but not in Maharashtra: but you can buy a beer in Maharashtra but not in Bihar, where it’s illegal.

In the TV industry, the national government has tried to bring in blanket digital media laws that stopped viewers from watching sensitive content, but that has been difficult to prevent. This is largely due to the rise of streaming platforms which offer a diverse array of content, especially with many of them prone to VPNs which India viewers can use to circumvent national censorship laws and watch foreign programmes.

The pandemic, too, has added to the changing trends. Viewers demand more choice than what they are getting from state-run domestic channels. During lockdown especially, there was a surge in Netflix use, something reflected in the platform’s boost in spending on the subcontinent as they try to satisfy the national audience.

The shift to streaming has meant many Indian feature film makers have moved into the streaming space, further fuelling new original content that people find better written and performed.

Leading the way are a band of provocative shows that have caused a stir across the country and have led to people debating whether they’re here to stay or are just a short-term flash in the pan.

1. Made in Heaven

While the theme of wedding planners may seem a little tame, the content of this romantic drama is anything but that. Set in Delhi, Made in Heaven follows two planners, Tara and Karan, who come across a series of controversial wedding plans during their work.

Among them are forced marriages and an incestuous engagement, both taboo topics in India, while one of its characters is an openly gay man, thought to be one of the first in Indian TV history.

The series is Amazon Video’s fourth original fictional Indian series but, judging by the success of this one, there’ll probably be many more.

2. Four More Shots Please!

Perhaps the best way to describe this series is a kind of Indian Sex and the City. Focussed on four young professional women based in Mumbai, it has a similar kind of raucous humour to the US show that caused such a storm in the 1990s, and even plans to make a comeback soon.

One scene in particular, involving a middle-aged man striding past the women in just his underwear, made the headlines, but overall, the show has been a smash. The second season was the most-watched Indian show on Amazon in 2021.

3. Tandav

We’ve looked at various types of sexual innuendo, but how about a show that got into trouble for blasphemy? Tandev attracted a mountain of negative press last year by filming scenes that were labelled as ‘an insult to the Hindu gods’. The Hindu nationalist group filed an official complaint – as well as politicians from India’s ruling BJP party.

Despite the show’s director quickly agreeing to edit the show, the damage was done. Amazon Prime cancelled two new shows in response to the storm, and it prompted the push for new digital media laws that may still affect the country in the long term.

4. Delhi Crime

Delhi Crime is based on real-life events and tells the story of brutal gang rape of Jyoti Singh in the winter of 2012, and a female police officer’s fight for justice. As a documentary, it makes no apology for the difficult content it shows, as the film’s makers attempt to shine a light on the toxic behaviour that led to the incident.

Despite the importance of making such a programme, its makers have still attracted criticism for its explicit content, with many observers saying it breaks strict censorship laws. It was, however, recognized as a crucial contribution to the argument about sexual violence that rages on across the country.