Jaideep Ahlawat’s show ‘Paatal Lok’ (2020) is used as a benchmark in Indian web series. This was one of the best police procedural shows of India which gave many memorable characters to the public. The second season of ‘Paatal Lok’ has arrived after a long wait of five years. But the new season of the show makes every minute of this wait worth it.
There is a line in the trailer of ‘Paatal Lok 2’, when Hathiram Chaudhary (Jaideep Ahlawat) is being told that ‘We are street cricket boys and the World Cup is going on here.’ But Hathiram has not only come fully prepared to play in this World Cup, but he is also the ‘Man of the Series’.
Old players of the game taking to the new pitch
There was another dialogue in the trailer of Season 2 – ‘This system is like a boat, Chaudhary. Everyone knows that there is a hole in it and you are one of those who is trying to save this boat. There can be a long discussion on whether Inspector Hathiram Chaudhary is saving the boat? Or are the holes in the boat only people like Choudhary? Because they follow their heart, not the system.
One thing the first season had confirmed about Choudhary is that this tall man is actually very emotional at heart. This emotion is the key to start the vehicle of the second season. A woman, who had come with her seven-year-old child, is struggling to lodge a complaint at the Outer Jamnapar police station. There is no news of her husband Raghu Paswan, a daily wage worker. She is worried that if something happens to her husband, how will she raise the child. Then Hathiram Chaudhary’s eyes fall on the child and after seeing the child, he starts taking action on the matter.
In the first season, you saw Chaudhary’s junior, Imran Ansari (Ishwak Singh) preparing for an exam. The exam has been cleared and Ansari has now become a big police officer. In Nagaland House, Jonathan Thom, a senior leader of Nagaland Democratic Forum Party, was found with his throat slit. He had come to Delhi to be a part of a big summit, which is very important for the future development of Nagaland and to bring the people there on the path of progress. Ansari is leading the investigation into Thom’s murder and the strings of this case are linked to the decades-long violence in Nagaland.
On the other hand, Chaudhary also finds the connection of Raghu’s disappearance with Nagaland. The story also includes drugs, big families associated with the politics of Nagaland and disputes between different communities there. A girl, Rose Lijo (Marenla Imsong) is the center piece of this story and has connections to both the cases.
Chaudhary and Ansari, who reached Nagaland to solve this mystery, are now at a place where geography, politics, social science and mathematics, all are beyond their understanding. The key to understanding them is Nagaland Police officer Meghna Barua (Tilottama Shome) and her junior Isaac (Bendang Walling). Will these two, who hold Delhi responsible for Thom’s death, support Chaudhary and Ansari? Will Choudhary be able to find Raghu in this whole mystery? Will this mystery be solved or will Nagaland prove to be the underworld that swallows Chaudhary and Ansari? This is the point of the show.
How is ‘Paatal Lok 2’?
The first show was set in the environment of Delhi-Madhya Pradesh-Punjab, which is familiar to the Hindi audience. But Nagaland, sadly, is not that familiar a place for the Hindi audience. The political-social conflicts there are not discussed in the media in such a way that this story set there can be predicted. In such a situation, Hathiram Chaudhary’s simple way of thinking and his efforts to understand things create suspense in the story of ‘Paatal Lok 2’ which keeps you hooked to the story.
The biggest specialty of the show is that it does not forget its main story while bringing the conflict of Nagaland on screen. Nor does the show try to explain Nagaland issues to the audience in an overly simplistic manner or comment on them in an ‘outsider’ manner. There is no attempt here to address the discrimination faced by the North-East through a character giving a lecture.
But whenever characters set in Delhi are seen claiming to understand Nagaland from the outside, they are given a mild rebuke. For example, there is a scene in the show where a senior officer shows the map of North-East to Choudhary, who is upset over the troubles in Nagaland, and asks – ‘Do you know where Nagaland is in this?’ And Chaudhary is unable to answer. There are many characters set there to explore what problems are going on in Nagaland. Director Avinash Arun deserves special praise for this work.
Hathiram Chaudhary or Imran Ansari sympathize with local people and local issues and focus only on their case. There is a surprise in the eyes of both of them regarding the problems and complications of the new place, which is also visible to you as the audience.
Unlike the first season, in the second season Hathiram does not have much of his own family issues. Rather, this time there are many characters to show the conflicts and struggles of the personal lives of the policemen.
The writing of the characters is the life of this show
The biggest legacy of the first season of ‘Paatal Lok’ was its characters. Sudeep Sharma and the writing team had written such characters, whether good or bad, you want to know and understand them. This thing is also the highlight of the second season. There is a sharp shooter in the story, Daniel (Prashant Tamang), who directly reminds of Hollywood style mysterious characters.
Leading all the ongoing efforts for the development of Nagaland is Uncle Ken (Jaanu Barua), who reveals his cards at the end of the show and shocks. But you can’t see them in black and white. You will not be able to understand Thom’s rebellious son Ruben (LC Sekhoje) in the beginning, but he will also surprise you in the end. Her mother Asenla Thom (Rogel Mero) has many layers and the contrast of them all creates an amazing effect.
Rose’s story is the definition of despair in itself. But you will also remember one of her friends. His senior, Virk (Anurag Arora), who troubled Chaudhary in the last season, comes into the story from a new path and his character surprises you this time. Isaac’s character will make you emotional in the end. You will feel every character, whether small or big.
mine of great performance
To make characters memorable, two things are most important – good writing and strong acting. The writing of ‘Paatal Lok 2’ has been done well and the actors have played it with full enthusiasm. All the actors playing characters based in Nagaland have done a wonderful job and they all have the biggest role in keeping the show captivating. Powerful actors like Prashant, Walling, Rosell and Janu Barua have raised the level of the show.
Watching Tilottama Shome once again reminds you how little she is used despite what an excellent artist she is. You feel a connection with Ishwak Singh once again. But Jaideep Ahlawat in the role of Hathiram Choudhary, the ‘permanent resident of Hades’, will always remain an example of perfect casting and brilliant work. The less he speaks, the more effective his body language is. The way he swags Hathiram with his height and physique is amazing. Jaideep has made Hathiram a cult figure in just two seasons of the show.
Overall, the second season of ‘Paatal Lok’, despite the story set in a new area and a lot of new characters, takes the impact that the first season had created even higher. It is full of layers which keep the mind trapped. You constantly feel attached to Hathiram. The unseen locations of Nagaland give the perfect mood to the show.
Some people may feel the pace slowing down a bit in the middle of the show. But its deficiency is compensated by the speed, action and thrill of the story in the last 3 episodes and at the climax. Jaideep’s work in the finale episode is at a different level, which will always remain a great showpiece of his talent.
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