Web
series
2025:
The
government
crackdown
on
20
OTT
platforms
over
obscene
content
is
reshaping
the
streaming
sphere
in
the
country.
While
streaming
has
grown
rapidly
in
India,
the
Ministry
of
Information
and
Broadcasting
is
now
targeting
shows
perceived
as
vulgar.
The
move
raises
new
questions
for
the
future
of
OTT
platforms,
films
and
web
originals.
“The
Ministry
of
Broadcasting
and
Information
decided
to
ban
20
OTT
platforms
for
objectionable
and
obscene
content.
OTT
platforms
like
Ullu
received
flak
for
promoting
vulgarity
in
society
with
obscene
scenes
in
their
web
series.
After
the
ban,
Ullu
app
has
removed
all
its
content
from
its
official
website
and
deleted
all
the
posts
from
Instagram.
The
makers
have
remained
underground
amid
the
legal
restrictions
following
the
ban,”
a
reliable
industry
source
exclusively
told
Filmibeat
Chief
Copy
Editor
Abhishek
Ranjit
Web
Series
2025:
Will
Naina
Chabra
New
Show
Release
On
OTT?
UPDATE
The
stricter
view
on
obscenity
comes
at
a
time
when
OTT
platforms
dominate
viewing
habits.
Many
viewers
now
prefer
web
series
and
OTT
original
films
over
regular
television
or
cinema
visits.
This
shift
has
grown
stronger
as
Web
Series
2025
offerings
reach
homes
instantly,
while
some
theatres
struggle
to
fill
seats.
Indian
viewers
also
appear
less
patient
with
weak
storytelling.
Big
films
like
Sikandar,
Azaad,
Emergency
and
Deva
did
not
connect,
and
turned
into
major
flops.
Audience
response
suggests
people
want
stronger
scripts
and
characters,
whether
they
watch
in
theatres
or
on
OTT
platforms,
and
are
ready
to
reject
content
that
feels
half-hearted.
The
contrast
with
box
office
numbers
in
2025
is
sharp.
Bollywood
has
seen
very
few
blockbusters,
with
only
Chhaava
and
Saiyaara
reportedly
doubling
returns.
Regional
cinema
has
fared
better,
as
Kantara
Chapter
1,
Mahavatar
Narsimha
and
Lokah:
Chapter
1
drew
large
crowds
and
built
steady
word-of-mouth
across
India.
Streaming
services,
however,
delivered
clear
successes
in
Web
Series
2025,
especially
on
major
OTT
platforms.
Criminal
Justice
season
4,
Panchayat
4,
Special
OPs
2
and
The
Family
Man
season
3
attracted
strong
viewership.
Prime
Video,
Netflix,
SonyLIV,
ZEE5
and
JioHotstar
have
continued
to
release
widely
discussed
shows
and
films
during
this
period.
At
the
same
time,
complaints
grew
about
apps
using
bold
scenes
as
their
main
hook.
Some
smaller
platforms
focused
on
explicit
plots,
which
critics
said
crossed
acceptable
limits.
Those
titles,
rather
than
bigger
mainstream
web
series
2025
releases,
drew
the
Ministry’s
attention
and
helped
trigger
the
ban
on
certain
OTT
platforms.
Amid
this
changed
climate,
speculation
started
about
upcoming
projects
on
banned
services.
One
key
question
was
whether
Naina
Chabra’s
new
show
could
still
release
on
Ullu
or
similar
apps.
With
the
current
restrictions
on
these
OTT
platforms,
the
answer
is
a
‘big
no’,
leaving
the
project’s
release
route
uncertain.
“Naina
Chhabra
was
in
talks
for
a
couple
of
projects,
but
the
streaming
platforms
have
faced
ban
due
to
their
objectionable
content.
The
actress
even
talked
about
getting
stereotyped
in
the
industry
after
she
took
bold
roles.
While
the
actress
is
not
willing
to
take
similar
roles,
she
has
a
few
series
lined-up
for
release.
It
remains
to
be
seen
when
the
series
would
premiere
on
OTT,”
our
source
told
Filmibeat.