House of Dragon (Season 3, HBO)

If you’re looking for one show to watch, make it House of the Dragon. HBO’s epic fantasy series has returned for its third season and the long-simmering Targaryen civil war, the Dance of the Dragons, has finally erupted into the devastating conflict fans have been waiting for.

Picking up after Rhaenyra Targaryen’s dramatic capture of King’s Landing, Season 3 shifts from succession politics to the brutal realities of holding power. Emma D’Arcy, who plays Rhaenyra, delivers one of the show’s strongest performances yet as a queen discovering that winning the Iron Throne is only the beginning.

This victory has come at a great cost to both her and her former bestie, Alicent Hightower, the queen dowager. In fact, seeing their relationship and bond survive, no matter how fractured, despite the violence and loss they have both suffered, I’m inclined to believe this series is as much about friendship as it is about dragons, the corrupting nature of power and legacy.

From a brutal war for the Iron Throne to a haunting murder investigation and the rise of an underground gambling empire in Bombay, three series to watch out for deliver high-stakes drama, unforgettable performances and compelling storytelling

Coming back to the series: three episodes into the third series and Daemon Targaryen remains as unpredictable as ever. Aemond Targaryen and the Greens regroup for revenge, while new players, including Prince Daeron Targaryen and powerful Hightower forces, enter the fray, ensuring that no victory comes without devastating consequences.

While spectacular dragon battles remain a major draw, beginning with the breathtaking Battle of the Gullet, the series has matured into something even more compelling: a character-driven political drama about ambition, grief, betrayal and the impossible burden of leadership. Every alliance feels fragile, every conversation carries the weight of war and every victory comes at a terrible cost.

With new episodes dropping every Monday, House of the Dragon has recaptured the addictive, water-cooler energy that made Game of Thrones a global phenomenon. Whether you’re in it for the dragons, the palace intrigue or the Shakespearean family drama, Season 3 is proving that the battle for Westeros has never been more gripping.

Raakh (Amazon Prime Video)

If you’re in the mood for a gripping crime thriller, Raakh on Amazon Prime Video deserves a spot at the top of your watchlist.

Set against the backdrop of 1978 Delhi, the eight-part series is inspired by the infamous Ranga-Billa case that horrified India and forever changed conversations around child safety. Rather than sensationalising the crime, Raakh unfolds as a haunting police procedural that examines grief, justice and the psychological toll of violence on everyone it touches.

At the heart of the story is Ali Fazal (Mirzapur), who delivers one of the strongest performances of his career as Sub-Inspector Jayprakash ‘JP’ Jatav, a young police officer unexpectedly thrust into the investigation after two siblings, Suman and Sahil Arora, disappear on their way home.

As the desperate search turns into a nationwide manhunt, JP must navigate bureaucratic hurdles, public outrage and his own emotional limitations while confronting two chilling killers whose motives remain as disturbing as their crimes.

The series also features moving performances from Sonali Bendre (completely unrecognisable after all that plastic surgery) and Aamir Bashir as the children’s grief-stricken parents, grounding the story in devastating human emotion rather than spectacle.

Directed by Prosit Roy, Raakh is sombre, atmospheric and well-paced, allowing its characters and moral dilemmas to linger long after each episode ends. It’s less interested in shocking viewers than in exploring how a single crime can fracture families, communities and institutions. If you appreciated the layered storytelling of Paatal Lok or Delhi Crime, Raakh is a chilling, emotionally resonant watch that stays with you long after the credits roll.

Matka King (Amazon Prime Video)

If you’re looking for a gripping binge, Matka King on Amazon Prime Video is well worth your time.

Set in the smoky underbelly of 1960s Bombay, the period crime drama charts the rise of Brij Bhatti, a humble cotton trader who transforms a simple betting system into the city’s biggest underground gambling empire. Inspired by the origins of the real-life matka phenomenon, the series is as much about class, ambition and power as it is about crime.

For context, the matka phenomenon began in 1950s Bombay as a betting game based on cotton prices from the New York Cotton Exchange. When those rates stopped being published, the game evolved into a lottery-style numbers system, where slips were drawn from an earthen pot or matka.

By the 1960s and 1970s, it had exploded into a multimillion-dollar underground gambling empire, attracting everyone from mill workers and businessmen to Bollywood personalities, while becoming deeply linked to the city’s underworld, politics and popular culture. That is the fascinating world that forms the backdrop of Matka King.

Coming to the series: at the centre of it all is Vijay Varma, who delivers another commanding performance after acclaimed turns in Darlings, Jaane Jaan and Mirzapur. As Brij, Varma effortlessly captures the transformation of an ordinary man driven by a desire for respect into a calculating kingpin navigating politicians, rival gangsters and the city’s criminal elite. It’s a layered performance that never lets you forget the humanity beneath the ambition, even as the stakes grow higher… and deadlier.

Directed by Nagraj Popatrao Manjule, the series recreates a rapidly changing Bombay, where textile mills, organised crime and political influence collide. Alongside strong performances from Sai Tamhankar, Kritika Kamra and Gulshan Grover, Matka King delivers stylish production design, compelling world-building and enough twists to keep you hooked across all eight episodes.

It’s no surprise the series quickly became one of Amazon Prime Video’s biggest global launches within its first week.

The writer is a journalist, an award-winning documentary filmmaker and a radio correspondent. She can be reached at syed.madeeha@gmail.com

Published in Dawn, ICON, July 19th, 2026