'Paatal Lok' review: On solid ground in the netherworld

'Hurry up and decide if you want to shoot or not, man, my junior with the umbrella is off duty today.' Photos: Handout

One thing my makan buddies and I agree on, if not always on the choice of eatery or the taste/quality of its offerings, is that the term "hidden gem" has been overused to the netherworld and back by reviewers on social media.

Hidden? The joint is usually right there in plain view, only we choose not to notice it.

Prime Video's Hindi thriller series Paatal Lok (Netherworld) qualifies as a hidden gem then, in my case. It was always right there on the listings each day, but I just ... chose not to click.

Until earlier this year, when a different makan kaki recommended it highly (we both love Mirzapur on the same platform), so I gave it a shot.

And WOW.

The first season, which came out in 2020, revolves around journeyman police inspector Hathiram Chaudhary (Jaideep Ahlawat, the sadistic henchman from Kamal Haasan's Vishwaroopam films), who lands the case of a botched assassination attempt on prominent journalist Sanjeev Mehra (Neeraj Kabi).

With his "token" junior Imran Ansari (Ishwak Singh), Hathiram plunges straight into a rabbit hole of political double-dealing, social ills, tight-lipped suspects, uncooperative witnesses and dismissive superiors – some of whom give our hero the distinct impression that he was assigned this case because they were sure he'd bungle things and leave the hidden truths buried.

'Just think of my appearance here as a metaphor for how life beats us up sometimes. In my case, all the time.'

But Hathiram is nothing if not dogged, to the point of straining relations with his long-suffering wife Renu (Gul Panag) and her idiot brother; all this while courting disciplinary action from on high.

I was struck by how Paatal Lok's first season cleverly subverts our expectations and impressions of nearly every significant character – most of all Hathiram, who comes across initially as a boorish, impatient lout but by the end, proves to have huge reserves of compassion, as well as an iron grip on his principles and integrity.

As for the rest, whether it's the unspeaking hitman Hathoda Tyagi (Abhishek Banerjee, the Stree movies), or Sanjeev, or his ambitious and flirtatious junior Sara (Niharika Lyra Dutt), or Hathiram's immediate superior (and former trainee) Virk "The Wuss" (Anurag Arora) who drops a sobering truth bomb late in the second season, your perception of them will probably shift – sometimes gradually, often jarringly – before it's all over.

Then again, trouble in the "Netherworld" (as Hathiram regards this hellish existence) is never really over, is it?

So, with the (emotional) wounds still fresh from the Sanjeev Mehra case, Season Two (which just dropped in January) thrusts Hathiram right into another shocking case. Only now, having fallen even further out of favour with his superiors, he can only start on its fringes.

The mystery here: who beheaded a visiting leader from north-eastern Nagaland state in his plush Delhi hotel room, in the middle of crucial talks with the federal authorities?

For the viewer, the riddle is how this killing connects to Hathiram's actual case: investigating an odd-job worker's disappearance at the imploring of the man's wife, who shows up at the station with her quiet, sad-eyed child in tow.

The dynamics of the situation have changed, with Ansari promoted over him – the story of Hathiram's career, it seems – and assigned the high-profile Nagaland case. But trust our man Hathiram to make an undeniable (and painful) case for why he should get involved.

'Imagine, just one season ago, you were sitting down and I was standing dutifully next to you.'

Once again, Paatal Lok's creator/co-writer Sudip Sharma and his collaborators weave a compelling web of intrigue that draws you in and refuses to loosen its grip until the final episode's credits roll.

Aside from the gritty, real-world locations and sharp plotting, Paatal Lok benefits from terrific performances all around.

Ahlawat's everyman demeanour, his stoic handling of Hathiram's unending troubles, and the character's penchant for stubbornly clinging to principle at the expense of his career make this protagonist one of the most (I'd like to say inspirational, but let's settle on) three-dimensional and instantly relatable characters. Ever.

The bloody murders aside, we can see our own struggles mirrored in his and as such, his triumphs become ours, too.

The supporting performers are no less deserving of accolades for the way they slip right into and fully inhabit their roles.

While the two big cases of these initial seasons are complex, Paatal Lok reminds us that often, all those layers of complication are just human devices that can be undone by the simplest, even unconscious deeds.

It's a fascinating mix of hard-boiled crime, conspiracy, cover-ups, harsh circumstances and even serendipitous outcomes that is highly deserving of more instalments.

Hathiram is too interesting and unbowed a character to remain in the netherworld of streaming limbo for too long.

Both seasons of Paatal Lok are available to stream on Prime Video.