There was a time — especially between 2020 and 2023 — when web series dominated India’s entertainment landscape. From Sacred Games and Mirzapur to Panchayat and The Family Man, audiences were glued to OTT platforms. Every new release sparked online debates, fan theories, and massive social media buzz. But that wave of excitement seems to have cooled down in the past year or two.

Today, even when big titles like Panchayat Season 3 or Special Ops 2 drop, the conversations are surprisingly muted. The same audience that once binge-watched for hours now seems disinterested or fatigued. Part of the reason could be oversaturation — too many series, too little innovation. Another factor is the declining attention span; audiences no longer have the patience for eight- or ten-hour-long narratives when quick, short-form content is just a scroll away.

Additionally, the return of theatrical cinema after the pandemic has shifted audience excitement back to the big screen. Films now generate the kind of buzz web series once enjoyed.

The web era isn’t over, but its golden phase of collective craze and conversation might be. The next big shift will depend on whether creators can reinvent storytelling for a changed, impatient audience.