Paatal Lok. Deconstructed.

Cast: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Abhishek Banerjee, Neeraj Kabi, Gul Panag

Writer/Creator: Sudip Sharma

Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy.

Deconstruct meter: 7/10

The amount of work that has gone into making this 9-episode gritty and heart-rending tale is clearly visible in almost every frame. It is a simple tale based in India’s fabled and favorite bad land: Northern Central India. Bundelkhand.

The screenplay is a braided criss-cross of several small incidents presented to show back stories of characters highlighting the proceedings. Talking about characters; there are aplenty and it is imperative to give in completely to understand the nitty-gritties. The action shifts swiftly in every episode with a pre-opening-credits back story and post-opening-credits main course. At certain points, it becomes a little confusing to keep track because the number of characters is too many and the narrative confuses the viewer. But it also helps the viewer understand the psyche of the characters better. It hits you like wine. Nice and slow. There comes a point when you actually feel for the supposed bad guys in the series.

Paatal Lok is a story about a hapless Police inspector seeking remembrance by solving a high-profile case. Hathi Ram Chaudhary, Delhi Police. And absolutely nobody else could have done what Jaideep Ahlawat has done with Hathi Ram. The incredibly talented Ahlawat delivers a substantial performance effortlessly. I am glad that he got an opportunity to lead the show. Full marks to the makers to trust him to be the protagonist. Ahlawat nails this role to the T. The Haryanvi dialect might come naturally to him and it fits the milieu just right. Apart from that, his mannerism, body language and the way he carries himself is exemplary. From small little things like the discomfort caused by running when one is not used to it or the general submissiveness in the Indian bureaucracy; all of it, it is just spot on. He is a powerhouse of talent.

Apart from Ahlawat, a few other prominent faces constitute the ensemble. Abhishek Banerjee plays Vishal ‘Hathoda’ Tyagi. A henchman with a twisted horoscope. As expected, he nails it with his brooding eyes and fierce body language. Neeraj Kabi puts in an earnest performance as Sanjeev Mehra, an ace journalist. Very Tarun Tejpal-isque. I see him getting a bit typecast here. Gul Panag plays Hathi Ram’s doting and equally dominant housewife and Ishwak Singh plays a new recruit to the force having aspirations to join the IPS. All of it works really well, like a nicely oiled machine.

The series uses a lot of material from Hindu spiritual literature to great effect. Horoscopes, Swarg Lok, Paatal Lok, Dharti Lok, prevalent casteism, media and the Indian circus. The whole shebang. Using all of that and the current Politico-social scenario in our country, the show keeps throwing the viewer in very unpleasant situations now and then. The visuals having the backdrop of Bundelkhand and DILLI combined with brutish dialogue make it visceral and uncomfortable to watch at times. It lifts the screenplay well though. It is only ironic that the mystery unfolds in Chitrakoot; A prominent town in Hindu mythology for its bond with Lord Rama.

A few scenes are extremely outlandish and out of sync; an attempt to create edgy moments while there are none. Barring those, the screenplay combined with gritty fast paced direction works well. The performances and crisp cinematography uplift the show. The nexus of politicians-goons-businessmen is highlighted subtly and the geography of Bundelkhand only helps. There is a little surprise for Anup Jalota fans as he makes his presence felt through his small act as a politician.

What I did not like about the show is that it makes a big deal out of a very straight forward premise. The story is simple and the screenplay twists it unnecessarily just for the sake of creating substantial suspense. Instead, a bit more of Hathi Ram and his antics would add an element of unforced humor to the project.

As a 9-episode show, it does justice to the material. Credit goes to Anushka Sharma to green lit this project. It is tailor made for Jaideep Ahlawat. His screen presence is tremendous and he is always a joy to watch. Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy, Sudip Sharma and Anushka Sharma have belted out a winner. Watch it for Hathi Ram if you are not a fan of the crime genre in general.

Paatal Lok. Streaming on Amazon Prime video.