Top 10 Lowest-Rated Indian Web Series You May Want to Skip

Paurashpur was marketed as India’s answer to Game of Thrones—a medieval fantasy drama filled with palace politics, war, and betrayal. What viewers got instead was an awkward blend of tacky eroticism, hammy acting, and CGI that felt straight out of a 2005 video game. Despite a star-studded cast and extravagant sets, the show lacked soul and substance. Viewers quickly called it a disaster, criticizing the forced nudity and inconsistent writing. Even the attempt at empowering themes about gender and power got lost in shallow execution.

• Critic rating: 2–2.5/5

• Key issues: Shallow plot, weak characters, over-sexualized narrative

With Kajal Aggarwal’s OTT debut and horror master Venkat Prabhu at the helm, Live Telecast had potential. Unfortunately, it never managed to deliver anything beyond cliché jump scares and cardboard cut-out characters. The story revolves around a TV crew stuck in a haunted house, but the tension never builds, and the writing feels like a lazy patchwork of older horror tropes. The tone switches awkwardly from comedy to horror, and instead of feeling thrilling, it feels like a haunted house ride gone wrong.

• Critic rating: Largely negative

• Key issues: Predictable scares, poor pacing, bad character development

Bullets was hyped as an action-packed thrill ride with glam stars like Sunny Leone and Karishma Tanna leading the charge. But beneath the glossy visuals was a hollow mess of poor editing, confusing plotlines, and generic dialogue. The action felt uncoordinated, the stakes were nonexistent, and the direction lacked any real focus. Critics described it as “all style, zero substance.” What was intended to be a female-led high-octane show turned into a laughable and chaotic watch that few audiences finished willingly.

• Critic rating: 1/5

• Key issues: Incoherent story, subpar performances, bad editing

Set in the tribal hinterlands of India, Aar Ya Paar aimed to blend cultural authenticity with a revenge-thriller narrative. Instead, it delivered a surface-level tale with stereotypes and clunky storytelling. The show follows a tribal warrior out for vengeance against the system that oppressed his people. But instead of nuanced representation, we got shallow character arcs, a tired script, and visuals that did little justice to the landscapes or the people portrayed. Even its good intentions couldn’t save it from weak execution.

• Critic rating: ~2/5

• Key issues: Surface-level storytelling, cultural insensitivity, weak plot

This horror-comedy by Varun Thakur tried to parody old-school Ramsay Brothers' horror flicks. The idea was fun—make a web series that mocks all the cheesy horror tropes of the '80s and '90s. But where it should have leaned into satire, it often felt confused about whether to be scary, funny, or nostalgic. The acting was overdone, jokes were often repetitive, and by the end, viewers were left wondering if they’d just watched a spoof of a spoof. It missed the sweet spot between parody and plot.

• Critic rating: Mixed to negative

• Key issues: Unbalanced tone, weak parody execution, inconsistent laughs

Showtime promised a spicy peek behind the scenes of Bollywood—rivalries, scandals, power struggles—but all it delivered was a melodramatic mess. The show tries to be a media industry satire with commentary on nepotism, but its execution is flat. Despite its topical theme and familiar faces, the storytelling lacks grip, and the dialogue feels overwritten. The drama is so forced that it almost feels like a parody. With such juicy subject matter, it’s a shame that Showtime turned out so bland.

• Critic rating: ~2.5/5

• Key issues: Shallow narrative, slow pace, overwritten drama

Produced by Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment and starring Emraan Hashmi, Bard of Blood had all the right ingredients for a gripping spy thriller. But instead of a tight, edge-of-the-seat story, it unraveled into a slow-paced drag with underdeveloped characters and unnecessary subplots. The dialogue was clunky, and the suspense fizzled out too early. What could’ve been India’s answer to Jack Ryan or Bodyguard ended up being a textbook example of how not to do espionage storytelling.

• Critic rating: ~2/5

• Key issues: Lack of urgency, wooden performances, predictable twists

This horror-comedy tried to revive the Bisht Please vibe with Sumeet Vyas in the lead. While it had moments of quirky charm, the storytelling often felt like it was stretched to fill time. The scares weren’t scary, and the humor lacked punch. Despite its short format, the show feels repetitive and lacks a strong central conflict. The blending of horror and workplace satire could’ve been clever, but the lazy execution and flat characters meant it never quite got off the ground.

• Critic rating: Below average

• Key issues: Weak jokes, no real scares, poor writing

Starring Swara Bhasker, Rasbhari was marketed as a bold social commentary wrapped in teenage fantasy. But it quickly earned notoriety for its awkward storytelling and questionable themes. The show tries to explore repression, desire, and hypocrisy in small towns, but does so with a tone-deaf and at times creepy narrative. Viewers criticized it for objectifying women under the guise of progressive content. Instead of sparking a conversation, it left many viewers squirming.

• IMDb rating: ~2.8/10

• Key issues: Problematic themes, inconsistent tone, unrelatable characters

Though originally TV serials, some of the worst-rated shows on IMDb come from these melodrama-heavy daily soaps that also got digital releases. Known for bizarre plotlines—think kitchen appliances turning evil, characters turning into flies—these shows have been widely mocked. Their transition to OTT platforms hasn't improved reception. If anything, they serve as meme-fodder rather than meaningful entertainment. These entries highlight the gap between mass-market TV and evolving digital audiences.

• IMDb rating: 1.5–2/10

• Key issues: Unrealistic plots, cringe content, laughable twists