5. Sacred Games
Netflix’s first Indian Original series Sacred Games was an adaptation of Vikram Chandra’s epic novel of the same name.
Part-thriller, part-gangster tale, Sacred Games concentrates on police detective Sartaj Singh (Saif Ali Khan) who is racing against time to stop a catastrophic nuclear explosion which threatens to wipe out Mumbai.
However, the attack is inexplicably linked to Gopalmath godfather Ganesh Gaitonde (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) with viewers slowly learning how the mob boss’ rise to power is connected.
Sacred Games weaves in religion, politics and history into this sprawling and engaging story.
Where to watch: Netflix
Other shows worth giving a try include Breaking Bad spin-off Better Call Saul and La Reina del Sur, the Spanish version of Queen of the South which is closer to the source material than the American remake.
Mirzapur from Amazon Prime Video is another gangster series featuring the production of illegal firearms in India with all the hallmarks of the genre including dodgy cops, mercurial godfathers and deadly shootouts.
Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk, Queen of the South co-showrunner Dailyn Rodriguez reflected on the appeal of the genre.
She said: “I think they all have something in common that I think people respond to. I think Peaky Blinders is also one of those shows, Gomorrah. I think it’s people who come from nothing, sort of have to work outside the system.
“Ozark is a little bit different because he’s an educated guy who sort of falls into it. I think the people that surround him come from nothing and have to resort to crime violence to get out of their circumstances. I think people respond to that part of it.
“There’s always been a fascination with the gangsters. In the 20s it was bootleggers and the mob, there’s always been this fascination about people who have to work outside the system to gain their fortunes.”
Queen of the South season 4 is streaming on Netflix now