Paatal Lok

Paatal Lok is an Indian Hindi-language crime thriller web television series which premiered on Amazon Prime Video on 15 May 2020.[1] It is produced by Clean Slate Films, and stars Jaideep Ahlawat, Gul Panag, Neeraj Kabi, Swastika Mukherjee, Ishwak Singh, and Abhishek Banerjee. The teaser was released on 27 April while the trailer was out on 5 May.[2][3][4] Loosely based on Tarun Tejpal's 2010 novel The Story of My Assassins, the series is about a disillusioned cop who lands the case of an assassination attempt gone wrong.[5] The HuffPost India and The Indian Express ranked Paatal Lok as the best Hindi Film/Series of 2020.

Paatal Lok
Promotional poster
GenreCrime Thriller
Created bySudip Sharma
Based onThe Story of My Assassins
by Tarun Tejpal
Written bySudip Sharma
Sagar Haveli
Hardik Mehta
Gunjit Chopra
Directed byAvinash Arun
Prosit Roy
Starring
Composer(s)Naren Chandavarkar
Benedict Taylor
Country of originIndia
Original language(s)Hindi
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes9
Production
Producer(s)Anushka Sharma
Karnesh Sharma
Production location(s)India
CinematographyAvinash Arun
Saurabh Goswami
Editor(s)Sanyukta Kaza
Running time43-53 Minutes
Production company(s)Clean Slate Films
Release
Original networkAmazon Video
Original release15 May 2020 (2020-05-15)

Production

Paatal Lok is a police-based investigative thriller inspired by the traditional concepts of Svarga, Dharti and Paatal (heaven, earth and the hell), as metaphors for the different classes of India and the four estates.[6][7] Sudip Sharma began writing Paatal Lok in the beginning of 2017. For Sharma it was his maiden attempt at writing in long-form. The writing team also consisted of Hardik Mehta, Gunjit Chopra, Sagar Haveli who were also beginners in writing a series.[8] Sharma wrote the first and last three episodes, while the remaining five were written by the other writers. All the writers did field research visiting places in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh in 2017.[8] The show has two directors, Prosit Roy and Avinash Arun Dhaware, both directing different portions of the series.[8] The series has been shot in 110 cities in India.[9]

Styles and themes

Mythological Tropes
See also: Yudhishthira's Dog Test

Socio-economic divisions in India are metaphorically compared with the mythological Indian concepts of Svarga, Dharti and Paatal (heaven, earth and the hell). Delhi is used as the story-telling playground where Lutyens Delhi is heaven, Vasant Vihar and Noida is the earth while Jamna Paar in East Delhi is hell.[10] The climax of the story is also based on the mythological fable of Yudhisthira's dog from the Mahabharata.[11][12]

Didactic themes

The show gives an insight into various forms of discrimination in India, including dislike against Muslims through the character of Ishwak Singh as Imran Ansari. Religion and caste are also visible in the show.[11] Cheeni's story brings out the issues of child abuse and discrimination against transgenders.[12] Hathoda Tyagi's background gives insight into the abysmal state of women safety in rural India.[12]

Synopsis

Inspector Hathi Ram Chaudhary is a washed out Delhi cop who has nothing interesting to look forward to in his less than ordinary career. But that is until the day a high profile case lands on his table, a case too big and important for his designation.[13] The case turns into a dark mystery that leads inspector into a cynical, darker realm of underworld (Paatal Lok).[14] Hathi Ram’s instinct tells him to investigate into the lives of the suspects. He discovers startling truths and insights that eventually help him rediscover his responsibilities as a cop, his place in life and the larger scheme of things itself.[15]

Cast and characters

Episodes
No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
1"Bridges"Avinash Arun, Prosit RoySudip SharmaMay 15, 2020 (2020-05-15)
In Delhi, Deputy Commissioner of Police Vishram Bhagat arrests four youngsters, Vishal Tyagi, Tope Singh, Mary Lyngdoh, and Kabir M. after a dramatic chase through the streets and charges them with conspiracy to murder Sanjeev Mehra, a high-profile journalist who is editor-in-chief at his own national news channel. The investigation is handed to journeyman policeman Hathi Ram Chaudhary and his rookie partner Imran Ansari. They believe Tope Singh is the ringleader and try to build links between the four arrested. Mehra is engaged in a power struggle with his bosses who attempt to force him out of the channel. He has a frayed relationship with his wife Dolly, who suffers from crippling anxiety. While running background checks on the arrested, the cops find that Tyagi is a notorious felon and murderer who has never been caught before. They bring this information to Mehra, but fail to find any link or motive explaining the planned attack.
2"Lost and Found"Avinash Arun, Prosit RoySagar Haveli, Hardik Mehta, Gunjit ChopraMay 15, 2020 (2020-05-15)
Investigation reveals that the four arrested were contacted independently and brought together to execute the murder as part of a bigger plan. The cops find that Tyagi was desperate to talk to one "Master Ji" prior to getting arrested and may have been planning to call off the attack. Chaudhary's team tries to extract information from the suspects using a variety of methods, but gains little. Acting on a lead, Ansari tracks down Taariq, a mechanic who recruited Kabir for the job, but Taariq gives him the slip and escapes. Chaudhary is convinced that he must travel to Chitrakoot, the village where Tyagi went to school, to uncover his past. Mehra starts an affair with Sara Mathews, an investigative journalist at the news channel. Later he is called into the police station to identify the suspects, but is unable to do so, though making eye contact with Tyagi has a profound effect on him. A search along the Yamuna river nets the phone that Tope Singh had tossed away prior to being arrested.
3"A history of violence"Avinash Arun, Prosit RoySagar Haveli, Hardik Mehta, Gunjit ChopraMay 15, 2020 (2020-05-15)
In the past, a school-going Tyagi murders three classmates with a hammer as revenge for them sexually assaulting his sisters. In the present, Ansari goes to rural Punjab to trace Tope Singh's origins and finds that he was embroiled in caste-based conflicts and forced to escape the village to save his life. In Chitrakoot, Chaudhary learns of Tyagi's history and the school incident, though Tyagi has not contacted his remaining family in years. Local journalist Amitosh offers Chaudhary cryptic information, which uncovers the name of local businessman and politician Gwala Gujjar. Meanwhile, Mehra runs his own investigation into Tyagi and has Sara obtain background information, which Mehra then broadcasts on primetime TV, causing an unwanted media frenzy for Delhi Police, who had intended to keep the names of the suspects under wraps.
4"Sleepless in Seelampur"Avinash Arun, Prosit RoySagar Haveli, Hardik Mehta, Gunjit ChopraMay 15, 2020 (2020-05-15)
Mehra blackmails his bosses to prevent them from removing him, and starts working with a former enemy to affect a takeover at the channel. Forensics teams are able to extract data from Tope Singh's recovered phone, revealing surveillance videos of Mehra and personal photos with a girl named Chanda. It is discovered that Mary is actually transgender, and her real name is Cheeni; she is moved to the men's cells. Chaudhary and Ansari visit Mukesh Talreja, the Delhi businessman who recruited Cheeni for the job, but come away empty handed. Meanwhile, Taariq's body washes up at the docks; he's been strangled to death. Ansari passes the IAS exam, but draws a frigid reaction from Chaudhary. The information from the Mary/Cheeni fiasco leaks out to the media and causes further embarrassment for Delhi Police, Chuadhary is suspended as a result and the investigation is handed off to the CBI.
5"Of fathers and sons"Avinash Arun, Prosit RoySagar Haveli, Hardik Mehta, Gunjit ChopraMay 15, 2020 (2020-05-15)
Chaudhary implores Bhagat to investigate the greater conspiracy, but Bhagat gently reminds him that he is suspended and sends him home. Dolly discovers that Sanjeev is having an affair and is heartbroken. Chaudhary's rebellious son Siddharth pulls a gun he has stolen from a small-time goon on a classmate after being bullied, as a result Chaudhary is summoned to the school. Chaudhary is in a drunken stupor as he deals with his suspension, but Ansari covers for him; the two men reconcile afterwards. The CBI investigation uncovers a larger plot by ISI to eliminate prominent journalists and bring about political instability in India. They brief Mehra with this information, but he calls out the ISI on his primetime show, forcing the CBI's hand. At a press conference, the CBI claim that Kabir is a Pakistani operative and offer Jihadi literature found at his residence as proof. Ansari is suspicious, as he knows that Kabir cannot read Urdu. Sara is also suspicious, she manages to get hold of Chaudhary's case notebook and starts digging.
6"The past is prologue"Avinash Arun, Prosit RoySagar Haveli, Hardik Mehta, Gunjit ChopraMay 15, 2020 (2020-05-15)
Not buying into the CBI's terrorist theory, Chaudhary and Ansari begin an independent investigation, with aid from Sara. When they dig into Kabir's past, they find that his family was a victim of communal riots and his brother was killed by a mob; however, Kabir's surviving relatives deny that he is radicalized or has any Jihadi links. Cheeni's childhood friend contacts Chaudhary and fills him in to her backstory: she is an orphaned vagrant who was molested as a child but was working hard to save enough money to escape the grind. Raju, the goon whose gun Siddharth stole, is under pressure from his boss and beats up Siddharth. When Chaudhary gets wind of this, he returns the gun to the gangster but savagely beats the entire gang, promising them that he'll kill them if they approach his son again. In prison, Kabir is attacked by another inmate, which Chaudhary suspects is an inside job. Sara posits that Bajpayee, a Chitrakoot politician with links to Gwala Gujjar is the ringleader behind the plot, and the CBI's terrorist theory is hogwash. While looking through old newspaper clippings, Chaudhary finds a photo that links Tyagi's high school coach to Bajpayee, information that the Coach withheld from Chaudhary when they last met.
7"Badlands"Avinash Arun, Prosit RoySudip SharmaMay 15, 2020 (2020-05-15)
Back in Chitrakoot, Chaudhary tracks down the high school coach, who reveals that Bajpayee and Gwala are part of a shadowy organization run by the fearsome, reclusive overlord Donullia, who controls the politics and economy of the area, and runs a parallel government from his jungle hideout. The coach had been a policeman, and later an informant for Donullia, and brought Tyagi to him after he had committed the school murders. Over time, Tyagi became a trusted hitman for Donullia, who is the "Master Ji' he was attempting to contact earlier. Donullia and Tyagi share a strong love for canines and the philosophy "If a man loves a dog, he's a good man." However, the coach has lost touch with both Donullia and Tyagi, and is clueless as to why they might target Mehra. Meanwhile, the newfound focus on Mehra has brought success to his news channel, and Sara begins to see that he's not an idealistic journalist but rather an egotistical man only interested in furthering himself and his channel. Bhagat calls Chaudhary to warn him that his continuing investigation will lead to a charge of insubordination, but Chaudhary is desperate to prove his worth to himself and his family, and ignores the warning.
8"Black Widow"Avinash Arun, Prosit RoySudip SharmaMay 15, 2020 (2020-05-15)
Chaudhary tracks down Chanda, Tope Singh's ex-girlfriend, who is now with involved with Shukla, who is the personal assistant to Bajpayee. She reveals she was accidentally caught up in Shukla's attempts to recruit Tope Singh for the job due to their shared history, though she is clueless about the motive behind the plot. Working on a new theory, Chaudhary requests Bhagat's phone records, though he tries to shield Ansari from this as it would kill his career prospects. Amitosh informs Chaudhary that there is a rift between Gwala and Bajpayee, and Gwala plans to contest the upcoming elections against Bajpayee. Chaudhary breaks into the archives to confirm another theory but he is kidnapped by Donullia's henchmen after finding the documents. Ansari receives Bhagat's phone records and is able to confirm another theory - the target was not Mehra, it was the four suspects in the car. Bhagat was to kill them in a fake police "encounter," but was prevented by the lucky arrival of a media van.
9"Swarg ka Dwaar"Avinash Arun, Prosit RoySudip SharmaMay 15, 2020 (2020-05-15)
Chaudhary is taken to Donullia's jungle hideout, where he confronts Gwala with the truth: Donullia has been dead for a while but this has been kept secret. Gwala wants to enter politics against Bajpayee, who is aware of Donullia's death and who fears the wrath of Tyagi, Donullia's most feared hitman. Bajpayee engineered the plot to have Tyagi encountered by Bhagat, recruiting Kabir, Cheeni, and Tope Singh to add legitimacy and dissolve suspicion. The police and the CBI played their part in the cover up, cooking up the non-existent terrorist plot. Gwala debates eliminating Chaudhary as he knows too much, but sees another political opportunity and lets him go. With additional dirt on Bajpayee, Gwala gains himself a position of higher influence by joining hands with Bajpayee. Bhagat informs Chaudhary that his suspension is revoked as a reward for keeping the delicate Gwala-Bajpayee-Donullia system intact, as this is a system that works for the people of the area. As Tyagi is being taken to the court, Chaudhary informs him of Donullia's death, and a distraught Tyagi steals a gun from a policeman and commits suicide. When Chaudhary informs Mehra that he was not the intended target, but rather a random name used in a cover-up, it is a serious blow to Mehra's ego. He chooses to spin the story that Tyagi killed himself to avoid giving testimony, still propagating the terrorist theory.

Reception

Paatal Lok opened to rave reviews and was critically acclaimed with many calling it the best hindi show till date in India. The day the series was released, Anurag Kashyap tweeted that Paatal Lok is "the best crime thriller to come out of this country,"[21] adding that "It comes from the understanding of Real India. The dark heart of India, the communal and casteist India".[21] Filmstars Manoj Bajpayee and Alia Bhatt both took to Twitter to praise the show and the acting.[22][23] Saibal Chatterjee gave the series 4 stars and writing in his NDTV review "Is Paatal Lok Amazon Prime's Sacred Games? No. It is more."[24] Jaideep Ahlawat, Neeraj Kabi and Swastika Mukherjee were praised for their performances.[24] Namrata Joshi of The Hindu writes that the performances are "powerful all around",[25] adding that on display are "the pent up prejudices against Muslims, the dehumanisation of the lower castes and the rage and angst of the have-nots against the haves."[25] In a review in the Film Companion, Anupama Chopra praises Anushka Sharma for producing Paatal Lok and wrote "Paatal Lok is a tightly knit thriller [...] our perception of the characters shifts as the story unravels so that it becomes impossible to decide the good, bad and ugly".[26]

Controversies

The series created a controversy over a racist sexist slur in the second episode of Paatal Lok.[27] Indra Hang Subba, a Member of Parliament from Sikkim, wrote to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting about the matter.[28] A complaint was filed by "All Arunachal Pradesh Gorkha Youth Association (AAPGYA)" to the National Human Rights Commission while a legal notice was also sent by the Lawyers Guild.[29][30] Bharatiya Janata Party legislator Nand Kishore Gurjar filed a complaint related to "unauthorised use of his likeness" in the show as well as accused the show of being "anti-national" in numerous ways.[31]

References
  1. Xalxo, Jessica (27 April 2020). "'Paatal Lok': See First Teaser for New Lawless Series". Rolling Stones India. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
  2. "Paatal Lok teaser: Anushka Sharma's web series promises to be a gritty affair". The Indian Express. 28 April 2020. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
  3. "'Hell breaks loose' in Anushka Sharma production for Amazon Prime". The New Indian Express. 28 April 2020. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
  4. "'Paatal Lok' new poster: Anushka Sharma's recent update gives more insights about upcoming web series". DNA India. 4 May 2020. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
  5. "Paatal Lok: Based On His Book, But Nothing To Do With Tarun Tejpal". Mid Day. 13 May 2020. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  6. "Anushka Sharma's Amazon Prime series 'Paatal Lok' to premiere on May 15". The Hindu. PTI. 24 April 2020. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 4 May 2020.CS1 maint: others (link)
  7. Rawat, Divya (29 April 2020). "Anushka Sharma's Shares Teaser Of Upcoming Web Series Paatal Lok". SheThePeople TV. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
  8. Das, Poulomi (22 May 2020). "Paatal Lok: How Sudip Sharma created the Amazon Prime series no one can stop talking about- Entertainment News, Firstpost". Firstpost. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
  9. "Paatal Lok: Anushka Sharma, Abhishek Banerjee, Jaideep Ahlawat hold a virtual celebration amid lockdown". Hindustan Times. 16 May 2020. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  10. Banerjee, Dyotana (23 May 2020). "Caste, Class and Populist Political Anxieties in 'Paatal Lok'". The Wire. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
  11. Gupta, Shubhra (17 May 2020). "Paatal Lok review: An intelligently written, engrossing series". The Indian Express. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
  12. Sharma, Dhruv (16 May 2020). "Paatal Lok Ending, Explained". The Cinemaholic. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
  13. "Anushka Sharma's "Paatal Lok" to release on May 15". outlookindia. 24 April 2020. Archived from the original on 28 April 2020. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  14. ""Paatal Lok" cast, plot and everything you need to know". toplistspedia. 4 May 2020. Archived from the original on 8 May 2020. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  15. "Paatal Lok Release Date: Anushka Sharma-Produced Series Out in May on Amazon Prime Video". gadgets.ndtv. 24 April 2020. Archived from the original on 6 May 2020. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  16. Kanyal, Jyoti (14 May 2020). "Jaideep Ahlawat on playing the lead in Paatal Lok: It's a huge responsibility, you represent a team". India Today. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
  17. "Paatal Lok: Anushka Sharma shares new teaser for her grimy and violent new Amazon series, trailer out May 5". Hindustan Times. 27 April 2020. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
  18. Gani, Abdul (25 May 2020). "Two Northeast actors make a mark in much-talked-about 'Paatal Lok' on Amazon Prime Video". Telegraph India. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
  19. Sharma, Dhruv (16 May 2020). "Who is Masterji in Paatal Lok?". The Cinemaholic. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
  20. "Anurag Arora: I've refused many cop characters". Outlook India. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  21. Mukherjee, Nairita (15 May 2020). "Paatal Lok review by Anurag Kashyap: The best crime thriller to come out of this country". India Today. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  22. "'Fan Girling Hard': Alia Bhatt Is All Praise for 'Paatal Lok'". The Quint. 24 May 2020. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
  23. Chaubey, Pranita (24 May 2020). ""Fan Girl" Alia Bhatt Said This After Watching Raazi Co-Star Jaideep Ahlawat's Performance In Paatal Lok". NDTV. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
  24. Chatterjee, Saibal (15 May 2020). "Paatal Lok Review: Is This Prime's Sacred Games? No, It Is More". NDTV. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  25. Joshi, Namrata (15 May 2020). "'Paatal Lok' review: Powerful performances in consonance with the pulse of the series, make this a gripping watch". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  26. Chopra, Anupama (15 May 2020). "Paatal Lok Review: The Type Of Storytelling That Streaming Platforms Were Made For". Film Companion. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  27. "Patal lok Controversy: Sikkim Congress chief demands apology from Anushka Sharma". Gangtok: The Northeast Today. 20 May 2020. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  28. "Pataal Lok Webseries Case : Sikkim MP Writes To Ministry of IB for Action". The Voice of Sikkim. 24 May 2020. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
  29. "Notice to Anushka Sharma for alleged racist slur in Paatal Lok". Hindustan Times. 24 May 2020. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
  30. "Complaint against Anushka Sharma over 'sexist slur' in Paatal Lok". Tribune India News Service. 24 May 2020. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
  31. "Paatal Lok: BJP MLA files complaint against Anushka Sharma for using his image without permission, calls show 'anti-national'". Hindustan Times. 25 May 2020. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
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