India, Dec. 27 -- OTT's beginnings in India were heralded by YouTube, led by independent creative platforms that created what we today would call microdramas. These shows, largely single-season outings, laid the foundation for the OTT boom in India. Think Pitchers or Tripling or even Permanent Roommates. Then Netflix and Amazon Prime Video arrived in India, and it all exploded. But even as shows began returning with seasons 2, 3, and 4, there were often complaints that quality was diminishing each time.

There was the infamous Sacred Games season 2, for instance, which many felt was a sharp enough dip to end arguably the best web series in India. The sustenance of quality in shows like Made in Heaven, Delhi Crime, Gullak, or The Family Ma...