Leadership lessons don’t always come through boardroom discussions and work experiences. We often tend to overlook the unexpected sources of information, such as the silver screen and OTT content. Sometimes, characters navigating pressure, power, teamwork, ambition, and burnout tell us relatable workplace stories. India’s films and web series have increasingly mirrored the realities of modern work, often more honestly than corporate presentations.
Even some fictional stories reflect that a lot of workplace experiences are shaped as much by emotion as by strategy.
With that perspective, ThePeoplesBoard has compiled a list of films and OTT releases of 2025 which one can draw workplace and leadership lessons:
- Dhurandhar (December)
Neither Hamza (Ranveer Singh) nor Rahman Dakait (Akshaye Khanna), rather it’s Donga (Naveen Kaushik), who didn’t just catch attention, but also gathered love and sympathy with his selfless act of saving his ‘boss’ Rahman’s life by going out of the way.
Similarly, impact doesn’t always come from the loudest performer or the most powerful leader. Often, it’s the Donga, the dependable team member who steps up without title, credit, or spotlight, whose quiet loyalty, courage, and sense of responsibility end up holding teams together when it matters most.
Workplace reference: Impact at work isn’t always driven by visibility or authority. But sometimes, it also comes from the quiet, dependable team member who steps up selflessly when it matters most.
- Family Man 3 (November)
The latest season of Family Man is all about trusting teammates with the most vulnerable information. It indicates that access to certain data and information should be restricted to people in specific roles and seniority.
Srikant Tiwari (Manoj Bajpayee), JK (Sharib Hashmi) and their entire team found that all their phones were being tapped. On this note, who can listen, view, store, or act on employee data must be explicitly defined, and not assumed.
Since the very first season of the series, Srikant has struggled to maintain a work-life balance. So much so that he and his wife, Suchi (Priyamani), end up filing a mutual divorce. This shows that top performers burn out, too, and to help them maintain consistency in performance, HR and managers must be empathetic.
Workplace reference: Trusting teams with sensitive information requires clear role-based access for better data security, and sustainable performance depends on empathetic leadership and respect for work–life boundaries.
- Delhi Crime 3 (November)
Delhi Crime is all about teamwork under a good leader. The latest season is about how, under the strong leadership of DIG Vartika Chaturvedi (Shefali Shah), an entire team of competent officers comes together to rescue a group of young girls. It shows that even within the team a clarity on the roles and functions, clear role ownership and accountability are essential during complex projects or organisational change.
In addition to the teamwork, Vartika gives a lesson on how to manage immense work pressure with calmness. Even in crisis, she listens, absorbs pressure, and responds thoughtfully. This shows that even under high-stress environments, teams look for steadiness, not volume. Leaders who stay calm help others think clearly.
Workplace reference: Delhi Crime highlights how clear role ownership, accountability, and calm, composed leadership enable teams to perform effectively under extreme pressure—proving that in crises, steadiness matters more than authority or noise.
- Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari (October)
When Vikram (Rohit Saraf) and Ananya (Sanya Malhotra) called off their wedding with each other to pursue their respective love interests, their parents were left in shock. However, Sunny (Varun Dhawan) tried to convince Vikram’s parents to accept his choice, Tulsi (Jahnvi Kapoor) as their daughter-in-law, irrespective of her father’s bank balance.
Similarly, a resume doesn’t always determine the true potential of a job-hunting candidate. A resume certainly enlists a person’s accomplishments, but definitely not the final determinant of how a person would perform in a role. Thus, hiring decisions, much like family choices, need to look beyond surface credentials. True potential often emerges only when individuals are given the space to grow, prove themselves, and be evaluated on performance rather than assumptions.
Workplace reference: Hiring should look beyond resumes and pedigree—true potential reveals itself through opportunity, growth, and performance, not assumptions based on background or credentials.
- Jolly LLB 3 (September)
The film is a depiction of the fact that a healthy competition will certainly exist within any organisation or individual teams, yet there is no alternative to teamwork when it comes to project management.
Despite their differences and competition, the two Jollys (Akshay Kumar and Arshad Warsi) eventually stand united against the odds. This reflects that collaboration, even between competing peers, can amplify impact. In the workplace, this reflects how cross-team unity and shared accountability often deliver stronger outcomes than individual brilliance alone.
Workplace reference: While healthy competition is natural, collaboration and shared accountability are essential for success, because teamwork, even among rivals, delivers outcomes that individual brilliance alone cannot.
- Special Ops 2 (July)
Himmat Singh (Kay Kay Menon) is hardly seen going out to the fields to execute operations. But his calm and composed nature, integrated with his strong connections and network, helps him manage his team spread across the world from a cubicle.
This indicates that impact isn’t always about being on the front lines. In today’s workplaces, leaders often manage distributed teams, multiple time zones, and complex networks without direct, constant visibility. A leader’s calm, trust-driven approach and ability to leverage relationships and information demonstrate how effective leadership now depends more on coordination, clarity, and confidence than physical presence.
Workplace reference: The story underlines that impact doesn’t require constant visibility on the ground. Rather, calm decision-making, trust in teams, and people coordination and information across distances matter more than physical presence.
- Panchayat 4 (June)
From embracing a new work culture to team bonding, the entire series teaches a lot of workplace lessons. However, the biggest lesson comes in the latest season of Panchayat. As Pradhan (Raghuveer Yadav) loses the election, his family and Sachivji (Jitendra Kumar) stand strong like a rock by his side.
Challenging phases can take a heavy emotional and mental toll. But when a team stays connected, supportive, and aligned, navigating uncertainty becomes far more manageable. That shared understanding builds resilience and helps teams move forward together, even in the toughest moments.
Workplace reference: A team that extends emotional support to the team members, during failure or transition, builds resilience, trust, and the confidence to recover and move forward stronger.
- Raid 2 (May)
Ethical leadership often comes with discomfort, delay, or isolation. Raid 2 is a depiction of this. The struggles of Amay Patnaik (Ajay Devgan) mirror many professionals who choose process over popularity and integrity over instant approval.
It isn’t about reacting loudly or rushing decisions when under pressure. It’s about staying composed, trusting the process, and making choices that hold up even when scrutiny and stress peak. The film shows that sometimes, under an immense workload and short deadlines, relying on the process, having patience, and self-control, turn out to be the key remedies, rather than rushing.
Workplace reference: Choosing integrity, patience, and process over speed and approval helps leaders make decisions that endure scrutiny, even when workloads are high and timelines are tight.
- The Diplomat (March)
The Diplomat, starring John Abraham in the lead role as JP Singh, is purely a leadership lesson. It talks about crisis management and the risks involved with it. Singh’s calm yet strategic fight to help an Indian girl forcefully held in Pakistan by her spouse, despite severe threats by her in-laws, shows that leadership under pressure requires composed thoughts instead of rushing into decisions.
Workplace reference: During pressure moments, the ability to stay calm, stay strategic, communicate effectively, and bring diverse stakeholders together defines resilient leadership.
- Chhaava (February)
The film Chhaava is just about leadership. Chatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj (Vicky Kaushal) is seen leading a team of brave warriors to protect his motherland from the clutches of his enemies.
The film beautifully depicts that leadership isn’t just about sole authority. It is also about trust and companionship with the team. Sambhaji Maharaj’s friendship with his court poet Chandogamatya (Vineet Kumar Singh) is a reflection of faith in the team members.
It shows that good leadership isn’t just about planning and strategising, but also about listening, intellectual partnership, and staying grounded in purpose. In today’s organisations, the most effective leaders are those who combine decisiveness with humility and surround themselves with voices that keep them honest.
Workplace reference: Chhaava highlights that true authority is built on trust, intellectual partnership, and humility, where leaders listen to their teams, value diverse perspectives, and stay grounded in a shared mission rather than ruling by command alone.
