The show is sharper and better as it returns after 5 years, sticking to its combination of a police procedural, the inner lives of its denizens, and compulsions of the outer world.
When Hathi Ram Chaudhary says in his world-weary manner, ‘hum toh paatal lok ke permanent niwasi hain’, he’s not just addressing a character in the series. He’s plunging us into the nether-world again, and we dive right in, willingly.In the five years that have passed in the physical world, many things have changed, but many have remained the same. I’m happy to report that Paatal Lok redux, which sticks to its combination of a police procedural, the inner lives of its denizens, and compulsions of the outer world, is sharper and better.
The setting of Paatal Lok Season 2 is completely different. Both Imran Ansari (Ishwak Singh), who is now an Assistant Commissioner of Police tasked with looking into the sensational murder of a prominent and mysterious Nagaland businessman-politician, and Inspector Hathi Ram Chaudhary (Jaideep Ahlawat), who is jaded but as strong-willed as ever, venture deeply into a region of India they know little about.
Hathi Ram, who is still detained in the Outer Jamuna Paar police station, is brought on board by ACP Ansari because a missing person case she is working on seems to be related to the broader murder investigation. When the two arrive in Dimapur, they are immediately thrust into a whirlwind of difficulties that will test their abilities to the limit.
The delicate outing involves more than just identifying the offender. It also entails understanding and processing the complexities and quirks of a culture, society, and history that are very different from those they are used to.
With the help of co-writers Abhishek Banerjee (Season 1’s “Hathoda” Tyagi), Rahul Kanojia, and Tamal Sen, creator Sudip Sharma and director-cinematographer Avinash Arun Dhaware skillfully incorporate the discovery of Nagaland and its complications by two outsiders into the action-packed, gripping police procedural that eventually devolves into a can of worms that is just waiting to be disemboweled.
A number of questions concerning skewed development models developed behind closed doors by a small group of people with competing interests are raised by the brutal murder of Jonathan Thom (Kaguirong Gonmei), founder of the Nagaland Democratic Forum and the key to a proposed business summit in Delhi that promises to bring thousands of crores of rupees into the northeastern state.
A connection to the past is provided by Hathi Ram, Ansari, and a few other significant figures, such as the former’s former SHO Virk (Anurag Arora), who is currently working with the Delhi Police Narcotics cell, and his wife Renu (Gul Panag), who is occupied with caring for an orphaned five-year-old kid.
But the case the shady inspector works on, initially in response to a specific directive from superiors and subsequently out of pure personal interest, is completely unrelated to the conspiracy he uncovered the last time without receiving any formal recognition for it. The plot develops as a clear break from the previous season rather than as a continuation of it.
The show’s substance and spirit are significantly impacted by the shift in place and, to some extent, personnel. Tillotama Shome plays Kohima Superintendent of Police Meghna Barua, a notable addition.
One may argue that Season 2 lacks the social breadth and psychological jolt of a stuck-in-a-rut policeman’s confrontation with the intersection of Delhi’s dark netherworld, populated by men and women with little to lose, and its influential swish set. However, the Nagaland chapter, which was skillfully and effectively written, is by no means weak. Entering a place that is rarely, if ever, accurately and sympathetically portrayed by Hindi film and television producers is a risk worth taking. It’s worthwhile.
There is enough space in the script for a wide range of significant and supporting characters who round out the twisted image created by a governmental system and law enforcement apparatus that suppresses individuality, splits families, deprives children of hope, and leaves them fuming with rage.
Asenla Thom (Rozelle Mero), Jonathan’s conflicted widow; Grace Reddy (Theyie Keditsu), wife of the extremely ambitious special adviser to the government Kapil Reddy (Nagesh Kukunoor); Esther Shipong (Mengu Suokhrie), supervisor at a rehabilitation center; and Rose Lizo (Merenla Insong), enmeshed in a cycle of tumultuous relationships, blatant exploitation, and drug addiction, are all destined to pay for the transgressions of men.
Then there are the guys themselves, under the leadership of Reddy, a driven Hyderabadi who has settled in Nagaland. The focus is also on Reuben (LC Sekhose), the violent and obstinate son of the deceased Jonathan.
The murder of a Naga politician and the abduction of a Bihari migrant are two separate incidents that cross paths and bring Hathi Ram and Ansari together. The two problems are difficult to resolve and have a negative impact on Hathi Ram’s important lives. He is compelled to disregard caution because he feels guilty.
Inspector Hathi Ram Chaudhary thoroughly engrosses Jaideep Ahlawat, making it impossible to distinguish between the actor and the role.
Once again, Ishwak Singh gives an outstanding performance. Although Tillotama Shome’s character is rather underwritten, it doesn’t stop her in the least.
The cast members who are selected from the Northeast are Paatal Lok Season 2’s greatest asset. They enable the performance to smoothly blend several languages, including Assamese, Nagamese, Hindi, and English, adding diversity and authenticity.
They make the story come to life and give the unsettling, universally relatable drama of retaliation and self-aggrandizement more color and nuance.
The new season has to put every little aspect and component into service to meet the high standards set in Paatal Lok. It’s a marvel in and of itself that the squad comes so close to reproducing the caliber of the first season.
Beyond the Cinema's 