Paatal Lok Review: An Easy Binge Inside and Out!

Produced by Clean Slate Films for Amazon Prime Video, Paatal Lok, the new Neo-noir thriller stars Jaideep Ahlawat as the main protagonist with Neeraj Kabi, Abhishek Banerjee, Swastika Mukherjee, and Gul Panag as the strong supporting cast. Drifting around similar boundaries as Netflix’s Sacred Games and Prime Video’s Mirzapur, when it comes to the setting and the overall vibe, Paatal Lok impresses for the most part, especially with a tight narrative and well-established characters.

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Directed by Avinash Arun and Prosit Roy (Pari fame), the story of Paatal Lok unfolds in New Delhi with four hitmen leaving the town, on a rather disappointing note. However, their rushed crusade was shortlived when the police intervene, and the anonymous gang is taken into custody by a conspiracy to a murder charge, which appears pretty straightforward on the surface.

Subsequently, after being told that it’s a conclusive case to open and shut, Hathi Ram Chaudhary (Jaideep Ahlawat), takes care of the investigation side of things where he finds out that the well is much deeper contrary to his colleague’s depictions. And the remainder of the story displays how Hathi Ram tries to solve the jigsaw puzzle after being ragdolled left and right by his adversaries.

Narrated through nine episodes, Paatal Lok succeeds the most in regards to well-established characters. Commencing with the protagonist – Hathi Ram Chaudhary, as the series spends a good amount of time building his family and personal life. The immature difficulties his son faces at school, the inapt relationship with his wife, and the frustration he carries against himself for not getting promoted at his job or not being respected enough for his twenty-year experience. Showcasing the struggle and the trauma he goes through while solving this case, in turn, creates some sympathy towards his character, and as a viewer, I was able to cheer for his victory by the very end.

Consequently, the antagonists’ backstories and the motivation behind the planned murder are explained through brief stories that help set up their roles effectively. Most importantly, every character had a story arc, a happy ending, and a closure of some sort once and for all. Additionally, although multiple roles helped the narrative move along at an adequate pace, a handful of others, by and large, felt insignificant and didn’t seem appealing.

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Besides the characters, Paatal Lok also makes an impression with its masterful storytelling and top-notch writing. Building a complete show around a simple plot is no easy task, however, the ensemble of writers did a magnificent job setting up subplots, taking time in developing the tension, ending every episode on a cliffhanger, and allowing the viewer to decipher the jigsaw puzzle meticulously along with the protagonist. Furthermore, they’re also uber-successful in regards to the entire show being compelling from start to finish and left no stone unturned while concluding the narrative.

On the other side of the coin, Paatal Lok slightly disappoints on the storyline side of things as the show seemed to have huge potential, at least on the outside. During the first half and the initial episodes, the narrative gave me the impression of transpiring into something very big, however the payoff, although satisfactory, was simple and lacked the much-needed punch. Nevertheless, I respect the writer’s efforts in addressing multiple issues within our country as far as caste, race, and religious stigma go. They managed to fit in and showcase the dark side of India in a subtle way rather than being too preachy.

Besides the characters and the stellar writing, the performances from the entire cast were on-point and remarkable through and through. Beginning with Jaideep Ahlawat, who fits the bill immaculately of an agitated senior police officer who is waiting for a breakthrough case. His demeanor, body language, and attitude matched his mental stability and the war he’s fighting against himself, and Ahlawat made sure he doesn’t disappoint when it comes to his performance.

Neeraj Kabi also played his part exceptionally as a cocky editor in chief of a news channel who also has a lot going on in his life both professionally and personally. Yet another splendid performance comes from Abhishek Banerjee who gave me the impression of staring through an empty void with his wooden face and completely frigid behavior.

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Overall, Paatal Lok, by and large, ticks all the boxes required for a captivating investigative thriller. The writing, character, and the performances fabulously complement the narrative, and the entire setting and the no-nonsense dialogue fits the vibe perfectly. Regardless of the storyline not ending on a high note, this show still manages to keep you on the edge-of-your-seat the entire time and is an easy binge inside and out. Watch ‘Paatal Lok’ on Amazon Prime here.

Rating – 3.5/5 | Grade – B+

Images via Amazon Prime Video

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