Paatal Lok review: Jaieep Ahlawat is brilliant in this gripping series

MUMBAI: Platform - Amazon Prime

No of episodes – 9

Duration – 40 to 45 mins each 

After the amazing success of Four More Shots Please Season 2, Amazon Prime is back with a dark thriller titled Paatal Lok, which is directed by Avinash Arun and Prosit Roy and created by Sudip Sharma. The series features Jaideep Ahlawat, Neeraj Kabi, Gul Panag, Ishwak Singh, Abhishek Banerjee, Swastika Mukherjee, and Niharika Lyra Dutt.

The 9-episode series begins with a policeman named Hathiram Chaudhary (Jaideep Ahlawat), who is posted at Outer Jamunapar Police Station, Delhi. According to Hathiram's Watsup forward, there are three worlds in the world: Swarg Lok - where the gods resides, then comes, Dharti Lok - where we live, and at the very bottom is Paatal Lok – where resides all the insects and creeps.

In a special operation by Delhi Police, 4 gangsters accused of killing famous journalist Sanjeev Mehra (Neeraj Kabi) are arrested, and this high-profile case has made its way to Inspector Hathiram. This case is very important to him.

Each of the gangsters namely Hathoda Tyagi, Tope Singh, Chini, and Kabir M has his own history, which the series shows. They have secrets because of which they all are in the current situation. Hathoda Tyagi (Abhishek Banerjee) has a brutal history and is the most dangerous of all. He murders people with a hammer; hence the name.

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The interesting investigation gives a different direction to the story with each episode, and we only expect the unexpected.

Paatal Lok is created by NH10 writer Sudip Sharma and co-directed by Avinash Arun and Prosit Roy (Pari fame). The direction is superb. As the episodes progress, they capture you into 'Patal Lok'. Sudeep has a good grip on the local language, location, and colour. You will hear Punjabi in a Punjab scene. English in the high society of New Delhi, and Bundelkhandi in Chitrakoot, Uttar Pradesh.

The screenplay and storytelling are the highlights of the series and make it a gripping watch. Episode 3 is especially very disturbing.

The background music plays a very important role in a thriller, as it contributes to the storytelling. The background score in this series adds value to the scene and makes it more suspenseful.

In spite of the positives, a few factors pull the series down, one of them being the end, which disappoints to a great extent. Another important drawback is that it loses grip several times in between, but the gripping screenplay comes to the rescue before it is too late.

Regarding the performances, Jaideep Ahlawat as Inspector Hathi Ram Chaudhary shines in a never-seen-before avatar. The actor's expressions say a lot. On the other hand, Neeraj Kabi in a role of decorated journalist Sanjeev Mehra delivers his best performance till date. Abhishek Banerjee in the role of Hathoda Tyagi deserves a special mention. The audience will get scared of his character, and that’s the victory of his acting.

Swastika Mukherjee, Gul Panag, Niharika Lyra Dutt, and Ishwak Singh have given amazing performances.

Backed by Anushka Sharma's production house, Paatal Lok is completely worth your time. It is content driven and will keep you glued to your seats.

Team Tellychakkar goes with 3.5 stars for Paatal Lok. 

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