Hotstar TV Guide

As you are here reading this post, I assume you know and have Hotstar membership and are looking for good shows to watch.

Those of you who don't know what Hotstar is, then it's a App like like Netflix but targeted towards the Indian market.

So I am here to tell you about some of the TV shows that you should watch on Hotstar.

Before we began I want to make a few things clear:
This is a list of shows I personally like and your taste may differ.
This post is not sponsored by Hotstar and my own recommendation from being a long time user.
Lastly, Hotstar catalog can change over time but at the time of writing this they are available.


With that out of the way, let's just dive into it and start with pretty obvious picks.

Game of Thrones   
Ah yes, Game of Thrones, the show because of which most of the people downloaded Hotstar in the first place.
It is a modern classic and watching it legally just make you feel better and help make the show a success that it is.
There is not much to say about Game of Thrones that you may not already know.

Westworld
Another obvious one, don't worry we will get to less known later, but what could be a contender to Game of Thrones but Westworld.
Westworld dives deep into philosophy and deep ideas while delivering great action,
The show really draws you in to it's world and soon you realize you do feel that those actors on your screen are robots.
Ok Hosts, not robots but if you watch the show you will get the idea.

How I Met Your Mother
It's good to watch some sitcom once in a while and HIMYM is always a classic despite it not so well received finale. It is still heartwarming and has a lot of charm with some of the best characters in recent memory.

Friends
Another classic that doesn't need no introduction, it just something you can easily binge on the weekends. The classic sitcom of 6 friends living in New York that gave gave us the idea of living 'the american dream' ourselves.

Prison Break
Diving into action side of thing we have prison break which a a good amount of mystery, conspiracy and action. With each season taking the protagonists from difficult situations, its a must watch.

American Horror Story
AHS is a hit or miss depending on your preference and the season you are watching.
American Horror Story is anthology series with one season comprising of a single story arc. Some of the season are better praised than the others, however most of the seasons do deliver good on the Horror element.
Best thing about it is you can jump into any season with watching the previous.

Rome
If you like Game of Thrones you will like Rome that focus on Julius Caesar time and his rise and fall in a epic historical drama. Definitely a good good to pick up if you like historic setting with the fantasy element.

Billions
There is a good chance that you may not of heard of this one and frankly it is not for everyone.
The show deals with the world of hedge funds and legal framework of the world of finance and the shady under workings of the big money game.
The real charm of the show are the two leading men of the show Bobby Axelrod the hard edge hedge fund manager with humble beginnings, a self made man who fought his way to the top.
The other is Chuck Rhoades ruthless district attorney who despite from being a privileged family background hates wealthy criminals who try to buy their way out of justice.
Many of times you are not sure who to cheer for as both men commit things in their rivalry that is immoral. Do give it a try many you will like it.

Silicon Valley
So this is a show which should be on everyone's to watch list and is a kind of a show which good comedy should be. While humor is good and doesn't seemed forced with background laughter that most sitcom are guilty of it also has insight to the world of tech business.
The startup culture of the Silicon Valley and the inner working of the technology industry. What more intriguing is that the show feels intelligent and you will learn a few things about today's tech development.
Where most of the shows on starting a business focus more on drama than on actually business, this show actually tells you what the characters are doing what they do and how they are doing it. That just makes the show believable as it does feel that the characters are actually developers who can build what they are trying to built.
But it doesn't shy away from touching on the emotions as well, the characters are relatable because they are geeky and not stereotyped.

Arrowverse Shows
So I am combining all the Arrowverse shows as one listing as The Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow and Supergirl are connected and well known enough that if you are watching one then you probably know of the others as well.
If you like DC and superheroes in general you should definitely watch these shows.

Ballers
While the biggest selling point of this show is The Rock Dwayne Johnson who gives an excellent performance, but the show is more than just star power. The show a well drawn out plot and an interesting premise, focusing on NFL and the sport of American football also known as Gridiron.
Those of you who are fans of The Rock know that we was once a football player himself but had to leave the sport due to personnel tragedy. He really channels those emotions on the show and is a must watch whether you are a Dwayne Johnson fan or not.

Small Wonder
It is no wonder that I would list this show on my must watch show on Hotstar and even on must watch show in lifetime. Most of this can be nostalgia as I grew up watching this show as a kid, about a robotics engineer who builds a robotic girl and raise her in his home.
It is a good show from the good old days with warm and fuzzy feelings and clean humor, I would recommend it to the new comers as well as the showed has aged well.
Best thing you can watch it without a premium membership.

My Name is Earl
This is also a good comedy show that deals with an interesting premise of a guy named Earl who has been bad things in life and feels that karma is getting to him so he tries to correct his past mistakes.
It has some good humor and good performance by the whole cast, definitely give it a try.
Best thing you can watch it without a premium membership.

Malgudi Days
So what can be said about Malgudi Days, it is a classic that adapts the stories written by R. K. Narayan. You may have seen this series on TV when Doordarshan had a larger viewership.
Watch it not just for nostalgia but the stories as well, some of them are really well written, my personal favorite being Engine trouble in which the protogonist wins a steamroller in a lucky draw and the problems that follow from this.
Best thing you can watch it without a premium membership.

CinePlay
Ok so I am cheating here a bit as CinePlay is not a show but collection of Hotstar Originals movies.
However they can be clubbed so I am listing it here.
I haven't seen all of them but there are many good movies to choose from and my favorite one is Rahenge sadaa gardish mein taare and I highly recommend it.
Rahenge sadaa gardish mein taare is made to feel old timey India of the 50s and deal with the movie makers and stars of that era. It is not hard to miss the reference of the legendary Guru Dutt as it is mostly based on his life and that alone should be enough for you to watch it.
Best thing you can watch most of them without a premium membership.


There were others shows that I could have mentioned on this list but didn't as I haven't personally seen many of their episodes to give a full judgement.
But later when I have seen enough of them I will do a second list.