Home Reviews Paatal Lok season 2 review: Jaideep Ahlawat’s solid acting chops anchor a...

Paatal Lok season 2 review: Jaideep Ahlawat’s solid acting chops anchor a brilliantly written, riveting series that should not be missed!

Created by Sudip Sen, the Amazon Prime Video series also stars Ishwak Singh, Tillotama Shome, and Gul Panag among others in key roles.

Rating
Jaideep Ahlawat, Paatal Lok season 2, Paatal Lok 2, Paataal Lok 2, Amazon Prime Video, Paatal Lok season 2 review
Jaideep Ahlawat as Hathi Ram Chaudhary in Paatal Lok S2 (Image via YouTube/Screengrab)

Inspector Hathiram Chaudhary from Outer Jamna Paar Police Station aka Paatal Lok ka permanent niwasi (a permanent resident of the netherworld) is back after five years with a new case that he must investigate, initially because of his job, but later because of some intensely personal reasons. Much like season one that hit Amazon Prime Video back in 2020, creator Sudip Sharma attempts to strike a balance between personal and political motives in the second season as well. However, does season two rise to the brilliance of the first season?

Story:
The plot doesn’t begin right where season one left off. It is set in motion with the gruesome murder of Jonathan Thom – a businessman-turned-politician from Nagaland, who was in Delhi for the Nagaland Business Summit that aims to bring in investment and opportunities worth at least 20,000 crore for Nagaland. This investment is supposed to be the harbinger of hope for the residents of the often-ignored north-eastern state. Imran Ansari (Ishwak Singh), now an ACP, is tasked with the investigation of the high-profile case and its investigation. On the other hand, we meet a dejected Hathi Ram Chaudhary (Jaideep Ahlawat) at his police station where he takes up a case that involves a migrant worker form Bihar who goes missing.

It soon comes to light that the two cases are intrinsically linked, bringing Hathi Ram and Imran together for further investigation. They land up in the unfamiliar terrain of Nagaland, where they meet the local police officer Meghna Barua (Tillotama Shome) who is to help them investigate the case. However, the task isn’t going to be easy as they’re met with distrust and resistance by the locals, including the state police officials. Will Hathi Ram be able to get to the bottom of the matter and nab the culprits? The eight-episode series attempts to answer that and many more questions, while tackling issues like class divide, how honesty suffers in a well-oiled corrupt system, how those with the ‘haves’ mainly control everything around them and more.

Review:
It’s not just a mammoth task, but also a grave responsibility, when one has to make the subsequent season(s) of a widely acclaimed, universally appreciated first season of a show like Paatal Lok. Creator Sudip Sharma with the help of his team of writers including Abhishek Banerjee, Tamal Sen, and Rahul Kanojia not only takes up this challenge, but also hits it out of the park in making season two as engaging and indulgent as the first one. Since we’re already aware of the key characters, their traits and interpersonal dynamics, the narrative goes on to show us what happens when the power dynamics are reversed. For example, Imran, who once reported to Hathi Ram as a new recruit in the Police force, is now his super senior officer after clearing the IPS exams.

The screenplay organically shifts its setting from Delhi to Nagaland, without it appearing to be erratic or forced. With a new high-profile case come a new set of challenges that include an unknown territory, language barrier, deceptive and mostly non-cooperative locals and police officials, unrest and insurgency in the state, greedy businessmen, corrupt and selfish politicians, drug dealers, rebellious youth among others. There’s a lot that the narrative tries to tackle, keeping the gruesome murder of Thom in the centre. It would have been quite easy for the screenplay to go haywire but kudos to the writers for cleverly treading the tight ropes and effectively balancing the various plot points. They deftly raise the stakes by seamlessly introducing one conflict after the other, and eventually, tie them together neatly. In the last couple of episodes, there seem to be a few mini-climaxes. Just when you’d think that a mystery has been solved, the narrative goes on further, to unravel another secret and by the time the series ends, every single question has been answered (a couple of them too conveniently, though).

The director-cinematographer Avinash Arun lends a distinct authenticity to the frames. The way he’s handled multiple subplots with their complications, treating each with equal importance and sensitivity, while never losing focus of the bigger picture, is quite commendable. After beginning with a languid exposition, the narrative picks up pace and turns into a compelling thriller, building a complex web of secrets and lies, that will demand your attention and intelligence. It’s not everyday that you get to witness such an engaging, intriguing, and masterfully created police procedural that seems too close to reality and instantly hits home.

However, there are times when certain plot points seem too convenient to push the narrative forward. For example, Hathi Ram’s photographic memory presents a flashback at the most opportune moments, the subplot involving an orphanage in Nagaland doesn’t find a satisfactory inclusion, the death of a beloved character comes as an abrupt shocker, Hathi Ram’s former boss Virk (Anurag Arora) having a sudden change of heart with the change in his department.

Jaideep Ahlawat once again steps into the skin of his character which, by now it’s safe to mention, is tailor-made for him beyond doubts. It won’t be wrong to say that the actor was born to play Hathi Ram Chaudhary. He brings a certain ease in the way he plays the part, almost making it seem like his second skin. It’s so satisfying to watch a cop-series where the cops are depicted in a more realistic manner, rather than being hyper masculine as has been mostly the case with Indian films. Hathi Ram is no Singham or Sooryavanshi what with his paunch, his ailing foot that acts on its own and troubles him while he’s in the middle of life-and-death chases, his breath that falls short quite frequently, his battles with personal demons etc. When he falls rolling down a slant roof on his feet, he doesn’t get a perfect landing and stand upright like your favourite action-heroes, but actually falls to the ground, screaming in pain, like anybody else would. And that is precisely why you end up rooting for him. Jaideep never misses a single beat of his character, making him quite relatable, and capably anchoring the entire series on his acting chops.

Ishwak Singh as Imran Ansari is a study in understated perfection. He is quite impressive in his role. Though, the tables have turned and the power dynamics have changed with him being Hathi Ram’s boss, Ishwak’s portrayal of Imran’s new stature and designation is rooted and empathetic. He shines in his sequences with Jaideep, clearly showcasing a beautiful camaraderie. There are several scenes between the duo which will bring a smile to your face and also break your heart. Tillotama Shome’s part as Meghna Barua seems to be a bit underwritten but she makes the most of the material handed to her, nailing the Nagamese accent for most parts. Nagesh Kukunoor plays Kapil Reddy – an adviser to the Ministry presiding over the Nagaland Business Summit, with the style and substance required to portray his conniving, selfish character.

Filmmaker Jahnu Barua as one of the Naga leaders is quite effective in a brief but important role. Gul Panag is sincere and subtle as Hathiram’s wife Renu. Nikita Grover reprising her role of the lady constable Manju Verma is quite likeable. All the actors playing different characters from Nagaland – deserve a special mention for their authentic portrayal. The music by Naren Chandavarkar and Benedict Taylor effortlessly complements the goings-on onscreen and the production design is top-notch.

Verdict:
Paatal Lok season 2 serves as a competent and worthy sequel to the immensely loved web series that first premiered in 2020. While the stakes are quite high in this season, with the makers taking up a bigger challenge of venturing into the (almost) unknown territory by setting the show in Nagaland, the risk definitely pays off because a taught screenplay and some though-provoking dialogues. Add to that, the brilliant acting chops of Jaideep Ahlawat and Ishwak Singh, and we have a riveting series that should not be missed.

Paatal Lok season 2
Watch On: Amazon Prime Video
Director: Avinash Arun
Creator: Sudip Sharma
Writers: Abhishek Banerjee, Tamal Sen, Rahul Kanojia
Cast: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Gul Panag, Tillotama Shome, Nagesh Kukunoor, Jahnu Barua
Rating: 3.5 stars