Paatal Lok 2 review: Jaideep Ahlawat returns as Hathi Ram Chaudhary after five years with the second season of Paatal Lok. While the rawness and murkiness are restrained, the season ventures into some risky territory. Read the full review here.
In Short
- Jaideep Ahlawat returns as Hathi Ram Chaudhary in Paatal Lok 2
- The series is streaming on Prime Video
- The series also stars Ishwak Singh and Tillotama Shome in key roles
It has been almost five years since a bunch of viewers, locked in their houses, were introduced to Paatal Lok and the brilliance of Jaideep Ahlawat. It was the time when OTT shows had more spunk and rawness. In Paatal Lok season 2, the makers (creator Sudip Sharma and director Avinash Arun) seem to be showing some restraint, and much of the gore has been carefully cut down. The shock value remains, with a very detailed view of a decapitated, headless body greeting you in the very first few minutes (that’s all the spoiler, I promise).
Just like the OG season, murders keep happening with people falling dead like it’s no big deal, and the problems get even more tangled before Hathi Ram, with his hathi-like memory, finally untangles the mystery, one layer at a time. If you have loved the first season and watched it religiously, you’ll know what the story will be like—the lines between Swarg Lok and Paatal Lok will always be blurred for people of the Dharti Lok. If season one focuses on the class divide in the Hindi heartland, the second season takes action to Nagaland, where a partial lok, equally steeped in crime and greed, still exists.
However, the first season’s ruthlessness, rawness, and grit are missing. The narrative was too close in season one. The audiences were brought face-to-face with the netherworld they are aware of but often overlook. The series made us flinch and be uncomfortable when we realised that the murkiness of Paatal Lok exists around us and in us. Season 2 doesn’t hit that close to home, but it tackles something that has long been ignored in the mainstream.
With Nagaland as the setting, a brilliant insider-outsider debate is dealt with in nuance and given space to develop. With the understanding of the concept progressing with ‘village bumpkin’ like Hathi Ram, who isn’t aware where Nagaland is on the Indian map, the creators make sure that every member of the audience will get to understand the socio-political cracks in the seemingly perfect setting.
As a viewer, it is a welcome change to watch a northeastern state being shown on screen. Between the flying bullets, you glimpse the serene surroundings interspersed with lush greenery and mountains. Along with it is a north-eastern cast who adds to the authenticity—be it the fugitive Rose Lizo, played by Merenla Imsong or the restless Rueben Thom, whose passion is brought out with perfection by LC Shekhose or Jahnu Barua as Ken, who is ready to do whatever it takes to seal the deal at the Delhi Business Summit.
Jaideep Ahlawat positioned himself as one of the most talented actors in the first season, and he continues with his usual flair in the second. He is as flawless as Hathi Ram, and it is a treat to watch him back as the cop who won our hearts five years ago. Ishwak Singh is measured as Ansari. Tillotama Shome was the addition this season, and she was impeccable as SP Meghna Barua, a mother of six and a formidable cop, who has to make her space in the male-dominated field. Her track leaves you wanting for more. And then there’s Nagesh Kukunoor, as Kapil Reddy, who just creates magic in his limited screentime.
Paatal Lok season 2 is a significant departure from the first season. While it might lack several elements that the audience loved at first, it also adds more layers and nuance to several sensitive issues about the northeast (Nagaland, specifically). It bravely ventures into a zone that many would cower to approach. For that reason and many more in between, this one, most definitely deserves a watch
