The OTT giant ‘Netflix’ known for its ‘Originals’, features a varied number of Indian docu-series and web-series that are inspired by real-life incidents. These chilling incidents have shaken India to the core and have made it to the headlines but there still remain some untold and unexplored truths or angles that remain unsaid, which are portrayed in these series and make them a must-watch for everyone.
IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack
Directed by ‘Anubhav Sinha’, this six-episode limited miniseries, starring Patralekh’a, Vijay Verma', Rajiv Thakur’, and others, offers a detailed portrayal of the events that took place on Indian Airlines Flight IC 814 on December 24, 1999. Carrying 154 passengers and crew Flight IC 814 was hijacked by five armed terrorists demanding the release of three militants and the body of a terrorist who was killed in Jammu. The plane took off from Kathmandu , Nepal, en route to Delhi, India, and was diverted to multiple locations including Amritsar, Lahore, Dubai, and finally to Kandahar, Afghanistan.
Trial by Fire
Based on the unfortunate and tragic incident of ‘Uphaar Fire Tragedy’ which killed 59 people due to a fire in the balcony section this series stars ‘Abhay Deol’, ‘Ashish Vidyarthi’, ‘Anupam Kher’, ‘Rajshri Deshpande’ and ‘Shilpa Shulka’ with others and revolves around the story of the Krishnamoorthy family, who lost their two children ‘Unnati’ and ‘Ujjawal’ and embarks on a long journey to seek justice and the challenges they face to hold the responsible parties responsible.
House of Secrets: The Burari Deaths
Created by Leena Yadav and Anubhav Copra, this three-part docu-series by Netflix explores the various theories surrounding the ‘Burari Deaths’ that took place on 30 June 2018 and made headlines back then. It revolves around exploring the truth behind the demise of 11 members of the same family at the same time due to a mass-suicide, and was released on 8 October 2021.
Delhi Crime
Premiered on Netflix in March 2019, this series has two seasons so far and the third season in making each exploring different cases, all based on real life events taking place in the capital city, Delhi. The first season revolved around the brutal 2012 case of a teenager who was gang-raped on a moving bus and the series explores the aftermath of the incident, and the second season released on August 26, 2022 explored the ‘Kacha-Baniyan’ gang murders.
The Railway Men: The Untold Story of Bhopal 1984
Based on one of the most tragic and most chilling tragedies in human history, ‘The Bhopal Gas Tragedy-1984’, this four-episode docu-series which premiered on Netflix on November 18, 2023 discovers the untold events that took place during this incident. It explores how the railway workers risked their lives to save others during the disaster, the resilience and heroism of these individuals was left unnoticed at that time since the country was grieving for the losses but this series documented their act of bravery in order to educate people about this incident.
Indian Predator: The Butcher of Delhi
Directed by ‘Ayesha Sood’, premiered on 20 July 2022, ‘The Butcher of Delhi’ is a Netflix’s true crime docuseries, which explored the horrific serial killing incident that took place in 2006 - 2007. It explores the unknown motives of ‘Chandrakant Jha’ the serial killer who left three decapitated victims outside the ‘Tihar Jail’ accompanied by mocking notes along with the police investigation that happened after that.
The Indrani Mukerjea Story: Buried Truth
Based on the 2015 murder case of Sheena Bora, the daughter of Indrani Mukerjea, released on Netflix on February 29, 2024, this four-part docu-series revolves around Indrani Mukerjea (renowned media entrepreneur), Sheena Bora (her daughter), Shyamvar Rai (her driver), and Peter Mukerjea (her then-husband) following the investigation led by the Mumbai Police. The series explores the circumstances surrounding Sheena’s death, including the alleged strangulation and burning of her body in a forest.