Prime Video's 'Chaar Yaar' Leads Indian Streaming Slate as Regional Availability Stays Uneven

Set in early-2000s Mumbai, 'Chaar Yaar' follows four middle-class friends played by Purav Jha, Naman Jain, Saqib Ayub and Prayrak Mehta. A single decision goes wrong and pulls them into a gang war involving mobsters and local law enforcement, and the series tracks their attempt to survive while preserving their friendship. All eight episodes were released at once. TechRadar's guide says new Prime Video customers can watch through a 30-day free trial.

Two Hindi films are also available on JioHotstar in India. 'Aryabhatt Ka Zero' is a social drama that uses humor and satire to follow Brahmagupta Srivastav, known as Baggu, as he tries to discover his worth after losing a romantic interest to a well-settled officer. The film stars Himansh Kohli, Sonnalli Seygall, Ravi Kishan and Alka Amin, and was released in theaters on Aug. 7, 2026. Despite its title, it is not a biopic of Aryabhatt.

'Kinare Kinare' is the Hindi-dubbed version of the 2026 Telugu romantic comedy-drama 'Godari Gattupaina.' Set in villages along the Godavari River, it follows Raju, an auto driver, who falls for Maya, a college student, and must win over her tradition-minded father. Sumanth Prabhas and Nidhi Pradeep lead the cast, with Jagapathi Babu as Maya's father. The original Telugu film, plus Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi versions, streams on Prime Video in India, while the Hindi version is on JioHotstar.

Sony LIV and JioHotstar are carrying 'Maa Inti Bangaaram,' a Telugu action-comedy drama starring Samantha Ruth Prabhu and directed by B. V. Nandini Reddy. The story centers on Alluri Swarna, a newly married woman who enters a traditional Telugu family and must confront a violent past. Set in the 1980s, the film mixes family drama, humor and action. TechRadar reports that it became the first female-led solo Telugu film to cross 100 crore rupees worldwide, grossing about 69.43 crore rupees in India and more than 27 crore rupees overseas. Sony LIV offers the film in India and elsewhere in a Hindi-dubbed version only, while JioHotstar carries it in Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam, Tamil and Kannada in India.

Zee5 began streaming the Marathi courtroom drama 'Kon Yashwant Pansare' on Oct. 16, 2026. The seven-episode series is adapted from the Tamil series 'Sattamum Needhiyam' and had an 8.5 rating on IMDb at the time of writing, according to TechRadar. Bharat Jadhav plays Yashwant Pansare, a former defense lawyer who returns to practice after a suspicious death, and Pushkar Shrotri plays a rival lawyer. Zee5 carries the series in India, the US, the UK and Australia.

On Star Plus and JioHotstar in India, 'India Ke Top 1%' is the local adaptation of 'The 1% Club,' hosted by Anil Kapoor. The quiz show tests logic, common sense and mental agility rather than memory. One hundred contestants play 13 rounds, with a prize pot that can reach 1 crore rupees. The first episode aired on Sept. 19, 2026, and 10 episodes had been released at the time of the guide, which cited sources saying the first season could run for 26 episodes. Bijal Shah was the first winner, taking home 94 lakh rupees. New episodes are released at 8 p.m. IST on Saturdays and Sundays. The show is also on Hotstar in Canada and the UK, but not in the US or Australia, according to the guide.

The guides show that access is uneven. 'Kinare Kinare' and 'Aryabhatt Ka Zero' are not available in the US, UK or Canada even though JioHotstar operates in those markets, while 'India Ke Top 1%' is absent from the US and Australia. 'Maa Inti Bangaaram' reaches the US through Sony LIV via Sling TV and the UK, Canada and Australia through YuppTV's Hindi add-on. TechRadar recommends using a VPN such as NordVPN to connect to a home-country server when traveling, and notes that users should comply with broadcaster terms and conditions. The guides state that VPN services should not be used for illegal or malicious purposes and that pirated content is not endorsed.

In India, JioHotstar's ad-supported mobile plan starts at 149 rupees per quarter or 499 rupees per year, while Sony LIV's mobile-only yearly plan starts at 599 rupees and its premium yearly plan at 999 rupees, according to the guides. Zee5's Marathi-only plan costs 129 rupees per month or 599 rupees per year, and its all-access plus sports plan costs 399 rupees for three months or 1,699 rupees per year.