'Squid Game,' 'Panchayat' topped Google's OTT searches in 2025
What's the story
As 2025 draws to a close, Google India has unveiled its "Year in Search," highlighting the most popular searches across various categories. The list of top OTT shows includes a mix of reality shows, dramas, comedies, and spy thrillers that captured viewers' attention throughout the year. Let's take a closer look at these trending titles.
Top shows
'Squid Game' and 'Panchayat' lead the pack
The Korean survival thriller Squid Game, created by Hwang Dong-hyuk, topped the list. The show concluded its third season on Netflix in 2025, revealing the fate of player 456 (Lee Jung-jae). The second spot was claimed by Panchayat, a rural comedy show starring Jitendra Kumar, Raghubir Yadav, and Neena Gupta. The series returned for a fourth season in 2025 and has been renewed for a fifth season by Amazon Prime Video.
Popular reality shows
'Bigg Boss' and 'The Bads of Bollywood' make waves
The 19th season of Bigg Boss, hosted by Salman Khan, also made it to the list. The show is set to have its grand finale on Sunday with contestants like Amaal Mallik, Farrhana Bhatt, Gaurav Khanna, Malti Chahar, Pranit More, and Tanya Mittal competing for the top prize. Aryan Khan's debut as a writer-director in The Ba***ds of Bollywood took over the OTT world with its meta storyline and star-studded cameos, including his father Shah Rukh Khan.
Ongoing series
'Paatal Lok' and 'Special Ops' continue to captivate audiences
Jaideep Ahlawat returned as police officer Hathiram Chowdhary in the drama Paatal Lok after five years. The critically acclaimed show saw Hathiram and ACP Ansari (Ishwak Singh) travel to Nagaland for a murder investigation. Meanwhile, Kay Kay Menon's character Himmat Singh in Special Ops has become iconic since its launch on JioHotstar in March 2020. The latest adventure sees him facing off against a man known as the Collector (Tahir Raj Bhasin).
Final entry
'When Life Gives You Tangerines' completes the list
Rounding off the list is the beloved K-drama When Life Gives You Tangerines, which aired on Netflix. The show tells the impossible-to-resist love story of Ae-sun (IU) and Gwan-sik (Park Bo-gum) over six decades from their daughter's perspective.