Latest news with #KeralaCrimeFiles2
News18
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- News18
Panchayat Surpasses Squid Game 3 To Become Most-Watched OTT Series In India
Last Updated: Panchayat Season 4, starring Jitendra Kumar and Neena Gupta, took the top spot with a record-breaking debut, while global favourite Squid Game Season 3 followed close behind. Indian audiences had a packed OTT weekend as streaming platforms saw a surge in viewership across languages. From Hindi and Malayalam to Korean, data released for the last weekend of June reveals viewers spent their weekend enjoying OTT shows with their families and friends. From political satire and legal drama to survival thrillers and true-crime storytelling, audiences had plenty of options to binge-watch. As per a report by Times Now, Panchayat Season 4, starring Jitendra Kumar and Neena Gupta, took the top spot with a record-breaking debut, while global favourite Squid Game Season 3 followed close behind. Other original shows like Criminal Justice 4, The Great Indian Kapil Show season 3 and Kerala Crime Files 2 also bagged positions in the top five. Panchayat 4 The fourth season of the beloved rural drama Panchayat is the most-watched OTT original of 2025 so far. Premiered on Prime Video, the show dominates the list, clocking in 8.8 million views. The new season sees Phulera's politics heating up as Manju Devi and Kranti Devi lock horns in a high-stakes panchayat election. Directed by Deepak Kumar Mishra and Akshat Vijaywargiya and produced by TVF, the show continues its streak of blending humour and emotional storytelling. Squid Game Season 3 The final chapter of Netflix's global Korean sensation comes second with 4.8 million views in India. While responses were mixed, viewers stayed hooked by the high-octane storyline revealing how Hwang In-ho became the Front Man and exploring the fate of everyone inside the game. Lee Jung-Jae reprises his role, with creator Hwang Dong-Hyuk raising the stakes one last time with the most intense games. Criminal Justice: A Family Matter Next on the list is Criminal Justice: A Family Matter. Premiered on JioHotstar in May with just three episodes, the courtroom drama continues to draw audiences weekly. This season, led once again by Pankaj Tripathi, recorded 4.5 million views. Produced by Applause Entertainment and BBC Studios India, the show also features Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, Shweta Basu Prasad, Asha Negi, Surveen Chawla, Mita Vashisht, Barkha Singh, and Khushboo Atre in key roles. The Great Indian Kapil Show 3 The third season of The Great Indian Kapil Show made its way into the top five with 3.8 million views. The second episode featuring the cast of Metro…In Dino was among the most-watched, delivering strong laughs and bringing the reality series into the race. Kerala Crime Files 2 Rounding off the top five is Kerala Crime Files 2, the grounded and realistic Malayalam thriller that offers a gritty portrayal of police investigations. The second season, which premiered on June 20, starred Arjun Radhakrishnan as SI Noble and Indrans as CPO Ambili Raju, along with Harisree Ashokan, Lal, Aju Varghese, Sirajudheen Nazar, Navas Vallikkunnu, Sanju Sanichen, and Shibla Fara. It pulled in 3.4 million views, reflecting the rising popularity of regional content on OTT platforms. First Published:
New Indian Express
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Hesham Abdul Wahab Interview: 'Kerala Crime Files 2 has opened bigger doors for me'
In cinema, we often see actors talking about stereotyping since this tendency to be boxed into a particular kind of role hampers their desire to be versatile. Interestingly, these concerns extend to technicians as well. One such person is Hesham Abdul Wahab. The composer, who often operates in the feel-good space, is currently ecstatic about breaking the shackles with Kerala Crime Files 2 (KCF 2), an investigative thriller series. "I've always loved the thriller genre and enjoyed working on them. I've worked on films like Chuzhal, Ini Utharam, and the first season of KCF. The reception for the new season has been highly encouraging, and I consider it a validation of all my efforts. It's a massive confidence booster as I feel I don't have to prove my versatility anymore," says Hesham with glee. As the JioHotstar series continues to garner a largely positive response, we discuss with Hesham the added scope for music in the second season, its emotional layers, and his career in general. Excerpts
Pink Villa
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Kerala Crime Files 2 Ending Explained: Who was responsible for Ambili Raju's disappearance in Aju Varghese starrer web series?
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers. Kerala Crime Files is a Malayalam-language crime drama web series that is available for streaming on JioHotstar. The first season of the show, titled Kerala Crime Files - Shiju, Parayil Veedu, Neendakara, was released on June 23, 2023. Nearly 2 years after the 1st season, the second season of the series titled Kerala Crime Files 2 - The Search for CPO Ambili Raju is here. The subsequent season began streaming on the OTT platform from June 20, 2025. Kerala Crime Files 2 features the tale of SI Noble, a newly assigned police officer who is assigned to a remote police station in rural Thiruvananthapuram. Accompanied by Officer Kurian Avaran and the team, the SI comes across a mysterious case. In a turn of events, Civil Police Officer (CPO) Ambili Raju goes missing shortly after being transferred. The policeman is known for having suspicious ties with questionable people. As the investigation intensifies, SI Noble and the rest of the team realize how CPO Ambili had quite a reputation among the people. While being noted to have a personality with integrity, the man is known to be dominant and makes people he helps feel indebted towards him. Owing to his ties with criminals, he is linked to a criminal case with the Bengaluru police demanding a bribe of Rs 20 lakh from him to remove his name. In hopes of finding the money, Ambili and a criminal, Ayyappan, try to procure an antique ring. However, things take a turn when a dog called Terry accidentally swallows it. Now, Ambili and Ayyappan need to end the dog's life and take out the ring from its body. Despite the latter's hesitation, they do it, but soon, both of them go missing. Spoiler Alert As SI Noble, along with the rest of the team, investigates the case, they find out that Jaismon, the son of a petty thief, was responsible for Ambili and Ayyappan gone missing. Soon, we are shown that Jaismon was a dog trainer who had an immense love for dogs. The man had planned to adopt Terry from the shelter, but before he could, Ambili and Ayyappan ended the dog's life. After learning the truth, Jaismon kills them both and feeds their lifeless bodies to stray dogs.
Hindustan Times
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Music director Hesham Abdul Wahab: 'Kerala Crime Files 2 shows that I can't be bracketed in any one genre'
Hesham Abdul Wahab, a music director who gained recognition for his compositions in several South Indian films, is currently soaking in praise for his work on the Malayalam web series Kerala Crime Files Season 2. In an exclusive chat with OTTplay, the musician discussed his approach to selecting projects in multiple languages and how the sequel to Malayalam's first online series is significant to his career. Hesham Abdul Wahab, Kerala Crime Files 2 Watch Malayalam's best thrillers such as Marco, Identity and more on OTTplay Premium The young music director made it clear that he is consistently pleased with the work he produces. "I will always be appreciative of the opportunity to contribute to these projects. I think it's impossible to categorise any musician under a specific genre, and Kerala Crime Files 2 demonstrates this point for me," he stated. When it comes to hearing screenplays and deciding which projects to work on, Hesham said that it all comes down to picking the correct ones. "Sometimes I get excited by the writing, and other times I'm inspired to choose a project by the director and production company. For instance, I worked in the recent Telugu film, 8 Vasantalu, produced by Mythri Movie Makers, who gave me my Telugu debut with Kushi," he added. Hesham is now working on two films: one in Malayalam, directed by Ahammed Khabeer, and one in Telugu, starring Anand Devarakonda. He continued by saying that he is taking one step at a time in order to concentrate on spending time with his family and himself. 'Hi Nanna is always special to me' According to the musician, Hi Nanna, a Telugu movie, will always hold a special place in his life and profession. "Making the film as beautiful as possible was the one goal that the entire team was focused on,' remarked. He added that Shouryuv, Hi Nanna's director, had allowed him ample creative freedom. Hesham went on to say that the compositions were far better than he had anticipated. He also expressed his joy with the film's soundtrack receiving more recognition following its OTT debut. Also Read: Music director Hesham Abdul Wahab: 'I wanted to make a statement through Kerala Crime Files 2' | Exclusive
Hindustan Times
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Kerala Crime Files 2 director Ahammed Khabeer: Bahul Ramesh is adamant about…
Kerala Crime Files 2, the latest web series in Malayalam, is receiving positive feedback from viewers. The main reason for the favourable reviews for the sequel to Malayalam's first web series is its compelling story. Its director, Ahammed Khabeer, talked about his collaboration with script writer Bahul Ramesh in an interview with OTTplay. Ahammed Khabeer and Bahul Ramesh Watch Malayalam's best thrillers such as Rekhachithram, Anjaam Pathiraa and more on OTTplay Premium The director, who became popular for directing June and Madhuram, said he had known Bahul for a long time. He claimed that Bahul's love of films is admirable and unlike any of us. Ahammed went on to say that the Kishkinda Kandam-fame screenwriter tries everything in his power to make his films as engaging as possible. "Ashiq Aimar, the writer of the first season, was preoccupied with his marriage at the time we were talking about the sequel," Ahammed stated, adding that Bahul had made it worthwhile when they approached him. "Script is the king at the end of the day and he was adamant about not making any compromise while penning it," the filmmaker said. He continued by stating that their main goal was to produce a project that was both plausible and debated in other languages in addition to Malayalam. KCF 2 garnering rave feedback from viewers In addition to the exceptional performances by the cast, the subplots of this web series are so intricately interwoven that the audiences are left intrigued from the first episode itself. In particular, Harisree Ashokan, Indrans, Sirajudheen Nazar, Arjun Radhakrishnan, Lal and Aju Varghese are receiving recognition for their impressive act in Kerala Crime Files 2, which is streaming on JioHotstar.. The plot centres on a police unit led by SI Noble who looks into the case of CPO Ambili Raju's mysterious disappearance. The case becomes increasingly complicated as the inquiry goes on. The main focus of the web series is the crime's gruesome details and police procedures. Kerala Crime Files 2 is a fantastic choice if you want to watch something gripping this weekend. Also Read: Kerala Crime Files 2 review: Ahammed Khabeer delivers a sequel that is a fitting testament to its genre
