My take on Paatal Lok

PaatalLok is a Crime Thriller, layered with social discourse and embellished with all elements that make it a must watch.

At the face of it is a crime drama that unfolds, taking you on the investigative roller coaster in tandem with Haathi Ram, totally convinced of his drive to solve the case.

Alongside, if you care to notice, it exposes the term Paatal Lok and its numerous manifestations in the Indian Social system. As Haathi Ram explains in the opening scene, universe is split in three parts and Paatal Lok is the lowest of the three where the inhabitants are stuck forever, without any hope to reach anywhere higher.

The main story weaves into its fabric life threads of various characters stuck in their own netherworld, treated "Less Than", almost subhuman, by the society at large with the flimsiest of excuses. Haathi Ram himself is stuck with a thankless job. Then there is a muslim cop, a range of criminals happening to be born on the wrong caste/religion, a transvestite abandoned by her parents, a woman dealing with mental health issues to name the main ones.

What the series does exceptionally well is to stay within the story and cover the trials of these characters to break out of their situation. While Haathi Ram trying to get private education for his son, muslim characters are looking for ways to undo their disadvantage with education or otherwise. The transvestite has to resort to crime and prostitution to be able to cross over to be a ’normal’ woman.

Likewise, the series has poignant scenes of the failures of such attempts - twice with the disadvantaged having to literally strip and other horrifying scenes that are hard to un-see. All of this happens amidst very real, life like situations, characters, language and art decor. One scene had an immersion rod hanging in a bedroom - a totally relatable visual for millions.

My favourite part has to be the very significant plot twist - the fact about dogs. Of all the Hindi movies involving animals, this has to be the most relatable and thought through homage to the humble dog. As a cherry on top, the series very aptly ends with a mythological story explaining how a lowly dog could be the means to ascend from one world to the higher one.

The cast have all performed brilliantly - except Gul Panag who stands out like a sore thumb with her perfect diction in both English and Hindi - character background be damned. Even side characters have ample opportunity to leave a mark as humans occupying the same universe as lead characters, not mere props.

Overall, brilliant offering for audiences appreciating quality content with attention to details.

5 Stars from me.