Ever since its release back in 2018, Mirzapur has quickly attained an unmatchable fan following all across the country. Both the seasons of the show generated an immense amount of buzz everywhere with action and plotlines that are enough to keep the viewers at the edge of their seats. Now, as the second season of the show was recently released, there will be a duration of time in which the fans of the show will have to wait for another. Here are some of the best shows like Mirzapur.
But, instead of just sitting around waiting for the third season of the show, you can dig in deeper to find some equally thrill-packed and entertaining alternatives to Mirzapur that to enjoy and binge-watch.While there can only be one Mirzapur, there are numerous alternatives out there, that can bring an equal amount of your interest.
These shows are jam-packed with intriguing plotlines and mind-boggling plot twists combined with all the thrills and action that one expects from these shows.So now, let’s just cut to the chase and explore through some shows that you should check out if you are fond of Mirzapur. Without further ado, let’s find out more about these shows.
We have compiled a list of the 15 best shows like Mirzapur.
Rangbaaz
If you liked Mirzapur, you are bound to fall in love with Rangbaaz. Rangbaaz consists of two seasons that tell stories of two real-life criminal figures. The first story revolves around Gorakhpur, a region in rural Uttar Pradesh, where Prakash Shukla was the name most notorious and feared.
Saqib Saleem reprises the main role in the first season. The show presents the real-life journey of Prakash Shukla from being a student to a most wanted criminal. The cast of the first season includes established & talented names like Tigmanshu Dhuliya, Ranvir Shorey, Aahana Kumra, and Ravi Kishan in major roles.
The second season, dubbed Rangbaaz Phirse, is based on the life of a Rajasthani gangster Amarpal Singh. It follows his rise in the crime world along with his business rivalry with Gopal Phogat and politics.
The talented Jimmy Shergill plays the lead while Sharad Kelkar, Mahima Makwana, Mohammad Zeeshan Ayyub star in supporting roles.There are 18 episodes in total and the show can be watched through a ZEE5 subscription.
Jamtara
Jamtara is a crime drama that was released on Netflix in January, earlier this year. Written by Trishant Srivastava and directed by Soumendra Padhi, this web series depicts the mass phishing operations that happened in the Jamtara district of Jharkhand.
The plot might not be similar to Mirzapur but they both share the same theme of money & power.
Sparsh Srivastava stars as Sunny, the lead protagonist, who is indulged in a racket the scams people into revealing their credit card information.
The story of the series follows his dreams of being rich and powerful along with his conflicts in both love and war. His brother hates him and there is a corrupt politician that wants control over his operations. Last but not least there is a cop that wants to bust the racket and catch the culprits including Sunny.
Aksha Pardasany plays the role of the cop while Amit Sial stars as the politician and the lead antagonist. Monika Pawar plays the role of Sunny’s love interest. The cast features mostly new faces but managed to perform exceptionally well with both critics and fans.
Sacred Games
Sacred Games was the first Netflix original series in India and was the biggest rival of Mirzapur in terms of popularity. Directed by Anurag Kashyap and Vikramaditya Motwane, this web series took the Indian entertainment scene by storm upon its release in 2018.
Aside from the sheer quality of the web series, you should watch it for its similarities with Mirzapur as well. This brutal saga of politics, religion, and gangsters is full of violence, strong language, and dark humor that Mirzapur fans will love.
The story begins with Inspector Sartaj Singh (Saif Ali Khan), receiving an ominous call from a crime lord Ganesh Gaitonde (Nawazuddin Siddiqui). Ganesh warns him about looming danger and gives him 25 days to save the whole city of Mumbai from destruction.
What follows is a dark and intriguing tale of mystery, betrayal, and death that keeps you glued and guessing. The amazing screenplay, direction, and music are made even better by a talented cast. The many stories are told through actors like Pankaj Tripathi, Radhika Apte, Jatin Sarna, Jitendra Joshi, Kalki Koechlin, Kubra Sait, Ranbir Shorey, and many more.
Aarya
Aarya is a crime drama based on a popular Dutch series named Penoza. It was adapted by Sandeep Modi & Ram Madhvani and released on Hotstar in June 2020. The gorgeous & talented Sushmita Sen stars in this epic series as the titular character of Aarya.
Aarya lives in a happy family of four, seemingly having a normal working-class life. However, things change for worse when her husband, played by Chandrachur Singh, is shot dead by a mysterious assailant. Soon, she discovers her husband’s involvement in the world of drugs which is also responsible for his death.
The story of Aarya’s revenge unfolds, wrapped in the mafia world. The involvement of the DEA complicates things as viewers are left wondering what’s happening next.
Sikandar Kher has done some of the best work of his career here as a cold-blooded murderer Daulat. Other notable performances include those of Ankur Bhatia, Namit Das, and Vikas Kumar. There are 9 episodes in total and a second season is pretty much confirmed as well.
Raktanchal
Raktanchal is the perfect show to fill the void that Mirzapur has left in its fans’ hearts. They both have similar plotlines and backdrop that Mirzapur fans can easily take a liking to. However, the creators were smart enough to not make it into an exact copy.
This crime drama is set in the ’80s in the Purvanchal that used to be Eastern Uttar Pradesh. Just like Mirzapur, the hunger for power fuels this crime drama’s plot. The center of the story is governmental tenders that serve as a source of easy money.
A crime lord Waseem Khan (Niketan Dheer) rules the region as the “Tender King”. A rising anti-hero criminal Vijay (Kranti Prakash Jha) seeks vengeance against Waseem and sets sight on replacing him as the “Tender King”.
The story is bathed in blood & revenge and unfolds over the course of 9 episodes.It is a battle between greed and revenge. A second season is in talks as well but there is no confirmation of the possible storyline as of yet.
Bicchoo Ka Khel
With a runtime of 22 minutes each, this Zee5 original is dubbed by many as “Mirzapur Redux”, starring Mirzapur’s very own Divyendu Sharma, the plot of the show revolves around Akhil Shrivastav (Divyendu Sharma), a budding writer who has embarked on a path of revenge after losing his father under brutal circumstances, in addition to which the cover-up to the death makes Akhil rather more infuriated.
Bichhoo Ka Khel keeps up with the vibe of the colorful 80s era cinema and is packed with all the thrills and edge of the seat action, combined with elaborate songs and nail-biting action.
The show is filled with everything to keep you entertained throughout all of its episodes and the familiarity that Divyendu Sharma brings with him makes many elements of the show similar to Mirzapur.
Breathe
Released in 2018 on the popular platform, Amazon Prime. The show revolves around a simple question, how far would one go to save loved ones? The show centres around Danny (R. Madhavan), who is the father of an unfortunate boy who is in desperate need of an organ transplant.
After failing to find anyone who would be willing to donate for his beloved son, Danny decides to do whatever he can in order to save his son’s life, through all the obstacles.
In the process, he embarks on a killing spree masking behind his supposedly pure intentions.The premise of the show is surprisingly intriguing with a stellar cast. Breathe has the perfect combination of what you expect from a crime drama with the element of emotion.
Inside Edge
For all the cricket enthusiasts out there, Inside Edge will definitely hit the right chord within you. The show allows you to peek into the dark underbelly of the shortest format of the sport and revolves around the journey of Mumbai Mavericks and those who hold the positions of power, thus using the cricketers as puppets for their own benefits.
The series perfectly depicts how sometimes the players are merely cogs in the wheel, that drive the sport.While the show isn’t exactly a sports biopic, which we are used to in today’s date, it definitely is an engaging sports drama filled with power-packed performances and a brilliant plot.
This show is a deviation from the gangster-crime genre but is a must watch with stellar performances and has garnered a lot of awards and critical acclaim. There are 2 seasons with a total of 20 episodes, available on Amazon Prime Video.
Powder
Released in 2010, Powder is one of the oldest shows on the list as it came out when web series hadn’t gained as much traction as they have now. Powder perfectly depicts the dangerous and hidden culture of the narcotics trade in Mumbai, India.
The show revolves around two men: Head of the Narcotics Control Bureau Usmaan Malik, and drug kingpin of Mumbai Naved Ansari.Even though both characters were raised under similar circumstances in the slums of Mumbai, they chose completely different paths from one another to stand at the opposite ends of the law in the present day.
The frustration is immense, as Usmaan and his crew are unable to find any evidence that can lead them in their search for Naved.Powder focuses on basic human traits such as power, loyalty, greed, friendship, and betrayal.
It provides you with a gritty insight into the dark and intense underworld. Pankaj Tripathi in the role of Usmaan Malik is a treat to watch as he makes the audience root for him while wowing them with his serious acting chops.
Madhuri Talkies
Set in the rich lands of Mughalsarai and Varanasi, Madhuri Talkies is a Bhojpuri neo-noir series that shows that underneath the surface of all the lustre, crimes against women and political tyranny run amok.
Madhuri Talkies depicts the story of a man who embarks on a personal mission to avenge the soul of the love of his life and in order to do so, he launches an absolute bloodbath.
His quest for revenge sets the most powerful authorities including scheming politicians and police officers on high alert. The show perfectly depicts the power that an individual holds, and provides you with bone-chilling neo-noir.
It is a story that keeps you engaged and delivers a strong message.The show has gotten a solid rating of 8.8/10 on IMDB, with top notch performances by Sagar Wahi, Basu Soni, Ravi Jhangu, Darpan Srivastava, Aishwarya Sharma and more.
Smoke
This Eros Motion Pictures and Humari Film Company production, named Smoke is set in the world of blatant corruption. Directed by Neel Guha, Smoke is an intense drama that circles two drug cartels that are headed by Moshe Barak (Tom Alter) and Bhau (Prakash Belawade) in Goa.
The show charts the narrative of the supply and purchase of drugs from Russia, done in an illegal manner. When the news of deaths abroad hits the cartels, the delicate balance between the two is jerked.
Amidst all this, other drug lords, the government, and the police embark on their quest to rip the covers off to expose both.While the veterans like Tom Alter, Prakash Belawade and Mandira Bedi received much deserved praise, Jim Sarbh and Kalki Koechlin didn’t like any stone unturned and quickly climbed up the ranks as favorites. While you wait for another season of Mirzapur, Smoke is a show that can keep your attention as a good alternative.
Apharan
Starring Arunoday Singh as the main lead, Apharan is an engaging rime thriller that received an immense amount of critical acclaim and love from fans. Apharan is the story of a kidnapping going wrong. It is set in the current day and age and features elements of suspense, thrill, drama and never-ending action.
The show carries with itself a retro vibe, similar to the 70s and the tonality of the show is similar to Mirzapur, as the show is based around police, politicians, and criminals.
A brilliant and intriguing web series with top-notch performances, Apharan is renowned to be one of the better Indian crime thrillers to come out of an OTT platform. It is an evocative piece of storytelling, mixed with just the right amount of irony and comedy.
Hasmukh
Netflix’s Hasmukh is the story about a stand-up comedian from a small town named Hasmukh Sudiya (Vir Das), who aspires to make it big in the entertainment capital of India, Mumbai.
But unlike other struggling stand-up comedians, Hasmukh is only able to perform well when he has taken someone’s life, as the fear of a life-or-death scenario combined with the raging adrenaline helps him in overcoming stage fright.
With a plot so simple yet intricate like something that has never been seen before and a fantastically absurd premise for a black comedy, Hasmukh is bound to catch your interest once you decide to give it a shot. As a whole, Hasmukh is an intriguing black comedy thriller, with an astounding performance from Vir Das.
Bhaukaal
Bhaukaal is a 10 episode action web series that premiered in 2020 that depict an honest cop as the protagonist of the show. Two gangsters have overtaken the entire city, and in order to reinstate law and order into the city, Naveen Sikhera (Mohit Raina) arrives at the core of the problem, as a result of a promotion.
The show is set in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, and offers the right amount of action and thrill to keep you engaged.
This gritty and hard-hitting MX Original Series perfectly depicts the discipline and determination of a selfless police offer, whose courage serves as the shield of the town.While cop dramas with an aberrant plotline are always fun to watch, this series brings in an inspirational touch as it is loosely based on reality.
Poison
One of ZEE5’s biggest production till date, Poison is the story of a man named Ranveer who is on a killing spree. The path of brutality brings Ranveer to Goa, where he ends up buying a bar and befriends police officer Vikram’s family.
The bar sets him against Goa’s mafia, and the dreaded don named Antonio Verghese. Poison is jam-packed with several characters and storylines and that works as a catalyst in keeping the audiences hooked.
Some several twists and turns will keep the binge-watchers hooked, and make them finish the series in a short period of time. The show marks the digital debut of Arbaaz Khan who portrays Antonio Verghese and stars Riya Sen, Freddy Daruwala and Tanuj Virwani (as Ranveer) as part of an ensemble cast.
Conclusion
While the third season of Mirzapur may take quite some time in being released, these alternatives are just the right choices for you, providing you with all the elements that you expect from Mirzapur.
So just sit back and run through this list that features thrilling and action-packed series to keep you hooked for the near future.With these releases, India has proven to be a strong competitor against shows that have gained fame outside the world for their storylines.
Indian web series are leaping over hurdles to provide their viewers with an experience that justifies the investment that is being put forth by the customers. There is no doubt about the fact that in a few years India would be one of the top content creators in the world.
