Well I am no critic, but this is that one series which made me fell the need to pour out my thoughts. Brilliantly layered and created by a team of equally brilliant minds, Pataal Lok web series 2020 is raw and intense, yet gut-wrenching with dark realities. Written by Sudip Sharma and, directed and created by other creative heads, Prosit Roy, Hardik Mehta, Sagar Haveli and Navdip Singh, makes the show edgy and hyped for the right reasons.
With a simple message to be good, for those who are good will love dogs and those who dogs love are good, PAATAL LOK will take you from a corrupt civil system to a holy dacoit lifestyle.
IMDb Rating: 7.5/10
Available On: Amazon Prime
Star Cast:
- Jaideep Ahlawat – Hathi Ram Chaudhary
- Abhishek Banerjee – Vishal Tyogi / Hathoda Tyogi
- Neeraj Kabi – Sanjeev Mehra
- Ishwak Singh – Imran Ansari
- Jagjeet Sandhu – Tope Singh
- Aasif Khan – Kabir M
- Niharika Lyra Dutt – Sara Matthews
- Swastika Mukherjee – Dolly Mehra
- Gul Panag – Renu Chaudhary
- Bodhisattva Sharma – Siddharth Chaudhury
- Mairembam Singh – Mary Lyngdoh / Cheeni
Synopsis:
Inspired by the concepts of swarg (heaven), dharti (earth) and paatal (hell), PAATAL LOK is a psychedelic crime thriller. As the title of the series hint, PAATAL LOK gives a view to the real dirty and dingy India, where there is no place for the good ones.
When four suspects get caught in an attempt to murder case by the Delhi Police, the higher authorities decide the case should be taken and investigated by the simple, yet cynical police officer Hathi Ram Chaudhary (Jaideep Ahlawat) of Outer Jamuna Paar thana in New Delhi. Chaudhary being a man of moderate means, find this case to be extremely important for his promotion and designation, since the attempt to murder was of a high-profile journalist. With the aid of his trusted colleague, Ansari, the cops delve deeper into the case, which gradually turns into a dark, mystery thriller, raising a number of questions for the cops and the authorities.
Intuitions kick in Chaudhary to investigate more about the past of the suspects, which lead him to certain shocking revelations, and the dreaded realm of the underworld, the Paatalok, as well as to a selfish and manipulative India. In pursuit of certain leads, Chaudhary discovers shocking insights which in due course help him to realise his responsibilities as a cop as well as a husband and father. He realises the case is in fact so crucial, that it determines the meaning of life itself.
Review:
With a brilliant cast of Neeraj Kabi, Jaideep Ahlawat and Abhishek Banerjee, this show will take you on a rollercoaster ride which is truly Indian; the real face of this country is smacked right at you, its existing caste conflicts, communal disharmony, classism and gender politics, bigotry, atrocities against the weak and poor involved with the polished upper world, the wine drinking posh aunties, the Indian mythology in the contemporary world.
A complete justice has been delivered by Jaideep Ahlawat in his role as a mediocre yet disillusioned cop, a brilliant performance by Banerjee as the ruthless mercenary, Hathoda Tyagi, while Neeraj Kabi who has famed with his roles in Talvar and Sacred Games among other, has delivered the typical Indian egoistic male journalist role perfectly. While the twist and turns in every episode which would be distracting at times, it would be worth of all these with the ultimate end. In such a plethora of contents, I am in awe of even the minute details being presented to the audience perfectly, be it the scary dacoits of Chitrakoot or the unapologetic upper caste rapists in Punjab, or even the envious relationship shared by Chaudhary with his SHO.
Layered with family issues, transphobia, casteism, and a political and civil system which is gone down the drain, PAATAL LOK encompasses a complete view of the dark heart of India, which makes the show more believable.
It is a must watch for all adults, all those who feel vulnerable yet come out strong after a violent storm, for those unashamed of their sexuality or their religion or caste, for the educated minds still bound and silent to the discrimination prevalent very much in India.
PAATAL LOK does not let you decide who is good or bad, or whom to support since the beginning, it is a story made such that one would need to choose between bad and less bad. With a solid and excellent end, this show is worth all your time. Still unsure about watching, check out the best dialogues of Paatal Lok Web Series.
Watch Trailer:
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