Amazon Prime’s Paatal Lok has often been compared to Sacred Games, and deservedly so. It’s as much a crime thriller as a nuanced and somber study of India’s downtrodden hinterlands, illuminating the injustices and hypocrisies in both Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.
Haathiram (Jaideep Ahalawat) is a down-on-his-luck cop stationed in a neglected neighborhood who lands a big case when he’s handed four young suspects allegedly involved in the killing of a journalist, Sanjeev Mehra (Neeraj Kabi). The more he investigates, however, the more it becomes apparent that nothing is as it seems. Each of the four suspects have a tortured or shady past that led them to their capture.
Adapted from Tarun Tejpal’s novel The Story of My Assassins, the story tackles a myriad of issues, from casteism to beggar syndicates and transgender discrimination, among others. Produced by Anushka Sharma and created by her NH10 collaborator Sudip Sharma, Paatal Lok has classic noir sensibilities, portraying nuanced characters who are beset by various vices and their roles in the wheels of civilization. Hell is everywhere, from the urban metropolis of New Delhi to the rural outskirts of Chitrakoot.
Paatal Lok is a more understated tale than Sacred Games, and the story benefits from it.
Jaideep Ahalawat anchors the series with a fleshed out portrayal of a determined investigator trying to delve to the bottom of this mystery. Haathiram shifts from dry wit to frustration to violence with ease. His face is lined, suggesting a life lived full of setbacks and regrets, and his frustration with his teenage rebellious son is an extension of how he feels about his stillborn career.
Other performances, such as Abhishek Banerjee’s Hathoda Tyagi, are also compelling, showing an intensity and aptitude for violence that is belied by his expressionless rage.
There are a couple of subplots that provide more context to the narrative, such as the Muslim officer, Ansari, trying to pass the recruitement exam for IPS, often being regarded as a representative of his ‘community’, and the jaded journalist Sanjeev Mehra and his fragile relationship with his wife, who suffers from anxiety. Then there’s Haathiram’s well-meaning wife, who gets swindled by her conman brother, and Haathiram’s son, who falls in with the wrong crowd and steals a gun from a gang member.
Paatal Lok may very well be the best Indian web series yet, though it’s more subdued than it’s Netflix counterpart, Sacred Games. It takes many inspiration from David Fincher’s work, especially Mindhunter. It doesn’t shy away from depicting flaws within the police, unlike Delhi Crime, and the way it ends, like a classic whodunnit being solved, gives some closure to the narrative while leaving other threads unresolved. It’s a fitting allegory for a nation in flux, trying to find its footing in a changing world while holding onto remnants of its past.