A hellish delight

Nonika Singh

A murder attempt, four accused in the dock, a simpleton cop investigating the conspiracy, the elements are familiar. Only Paatal Lok is not just another thriller but a socio-political comment, which forces you to look at the world, firm and square, in the eye. And you don’t blink at all. For it builds a maze in which you are drawn and caught off guard more than once. If the basic plot, conspiracy to kill a high profile television journalist, Sanjeev Mehra, is intriguing, equally exciting are its subplots. Hathoda Tyagi, Tope Singh and more; who exactly are these men and a ‘woman’? Are they government stooges, or henchmen of a media baron who wants the editor, Sanjeev Mehra, (Neeraj Kabi excellent as always) out? Like all good thrillers, it leaves behind enough clues for viewers to connect the dots, yet keeps them on the edge. From one dark alley you move to another and just when you let one discomfiting issue sink in, another one crops up.

Indeed, the series streaming on Amazon Prime opens up far too many fronts. The issues at hand run the whole gamut and often you lose patience too. From caste oppression to paedophilia to gang rape to religious bigotry to even plight of transgender; there isn’t a single concern that remains untouched. Yet amidst the moral depravity that the web series dares to crack open, emerges an engaging story that weaves all these threads into a whole.

Well directed, ably enacted (most actors, especially Jaideep Ahlawat, seem to be born for the part) and backed by some sterling writing, narratives within the narrative gel. The strands and individual stories of each character have a context and a backstory. Actors get into the skin of the characters and with their deviousness under your skin too. If Hathoda Tyagi (menacing and vulnerable Abhishek Banerjee) has his tale of vigilante justice, Tope Singh’s (Jagjeet Sandhu) plightcomes riding on caste discrimination. Why even the moral compass, the cop Hathi Ram Chaudhary (Ahlawat) too has his share of dilemmas. The series sinks its teeth deeper and deeper into its core subject; Machiavellian machinations of powers that remind one how the powerful can change the narrative. Simultaneously, the hold on storytelling remains firm. Donalia, Jawala, Bajpayee, Robin Hood type dacoit, avarice-ridden politician; the scene gets crowded and the mystery deepens. Who wants to see Mehra dead? Or is he part of some larger more sinister plan?

As and when Hathi Ram aided by Imran Ansari (competent Ishwak Singh), uncovers it all, you may not be entirely convinced by the turn of events. But the manner in which he spills the beans; the Yuddhistra tale which he recounts, is like a delectable icing.

Paatal Lok, the title, is not just a metaphor but a story in itself. Those who lord on ‘dharti’ will not only ensure the lowliest remain at the bottom rung but also send them packing into the deep morass. Creator and writer Sudip Sharma does not shy away from calling out the mighty, all of which are complicit cogs in what the top cop calls, “well-oiled machinery.” Yes some of the layers are complex enough to appeal to the intelligent mind, but are simultaneously elementary enough to be grasped easily.

Watch it not just for the grime of crime, but to understand our world peopled with humans, animals and animal-lovers better. Among many other things, the series drives home the point how a dog could still be man’s best friend! Hmm… there goes our teaser for you. The best part is, it does not leave you on tenterhooks for another season.