A complex experience filled with twists and nuanced social commentary (I go into spoiler territory at the end, so come back after you have watched the show, if you haven't already).
"Ye ek nahi 3 duniya hai, sabse upar swarg lok jaha devta rehte hai, beech mein hai dharti lok jaha aadmi rehte hai aur sabse neeche pataal lok, jaha keede rehte hai."
This short but apt description of the divisions in society given by Inspector Haathi Ram Chaudhary in the opening minutes of the show sets the stage for the journey that we are gonna take through the 9 episodes the series has to offer.
Pataal Lok produced by Clean Slate Films as their first series project can oftentimes come off as unimaginably gory but, at the same time opens our eyes to much more horrific acts that have been committed throughout the country's history. In fact, it would not be incorrect to say that the series has been slightly censored in terms of what the creators wanted the audience to see, keeping in mind the small appetite for the “real-life” we have as humans.
Synopsis:
The story takes us through the police investigation of the attempted murder on the revered journalist and TV anchor, Sanjeev Mehra. Why was he the target? Why were 4 people assigned to kill him? Was this an inside job? All these questions will be posed and the series will often challenge you, to use your brain, almost inviting you to solve the case along with the protagonist. The twists and turns the story takes and the ultimate answer might surprise you, leaving you with more questions than answers. But that is the beauty of the show in my opinion.
How's the story?
The story does not delve into the questions of right and wrong but, makes every attempt to narrow the gap between them. Every character, especially the antagonist's backstories have been fleshed out, leaving your moral balance disturbed on who to root for.
The episodes end on a cliffhanger, urging you to keep on binging to find out what happens next. The length of the show is almost perfect with its nine-episode duration. It didn’t seem to drag at any point nor did it feel like it could’ve been more fleshed out. Every episode added to the story and the world and did not feel as mere padding.
How are the performances?
Most impressive was the performance of Jaideep Ahlawat as the hardened cop, Hathi Ram Choudhary who is going into 14 years of his police service, where all his peers have moved on in their careers, he seemingly hasn't progressed a bit. This case brings the opportunity for a promotion. So he starts chasing after every lead like a moth to a flame, resulting in an intriguing game of 'who done it?'
His performance sells this character to you, the years of service in the force, and the fatigue that comes along with it is evident in his eyes. The use of slangs and the various accents are some of the best parts of his character and the show.
He has a rebellious teenage son whose relationship with his father is...difficult, to say the least. Along with his professional life, his personal life is also brought into the light as he struggles to strike a balance between the two.
The supporting characters are all very solid, with Abhishek Banerjee delivering a stellar performance with his character 'Hathoda Tyagi'. His expressionless face, calm demeanor, and haunting eyes, hammers into our brains (pun intended) that he is a deranged, stone-cold killer and you should run for your life if he ever gets after you.
Neeraj Kabi is perfect in his role as the proud, arrogant, and attention-seeking journalist Sanjeev Mehra. We start the show feeling sympathetic towards the character as a victim, but as the story moves forward we begin to realize the ulterior motives behind his every action.
The story and characters are layered, there is no righteous hero or an evil villain; everyone has their own reasons for doing what they do.
A little about the cinematography
The cinematography accentuates the bleakness of the world with its depressing greenish-blue tones. The world of Pataal Lok is a hellish place, with no hope for recovery and that hopelessness translates well into the cinematograph.
Let’s talk about the ending (SPOILERS!)
When we reach the last episode, Hathiram is captured by Gwalla Gujjar and explains how Masterji, Bajpayee, Gwala, and Tyagi are connected. Bajpayee was among the few people that Masterji trusted. His brother-in-law Gwala, wants to get into politics but, could not do it as long as Mastrerji was around. After Masterji's death, Gwala decides to contest in the elections and beat Bajpayee, by making sure that Bajpayee never learns of Donullia's death.
However, Bajpayee learns of his scheme through a close associate named Firangi who is double-crossing Gwala. He realizes that Gwala can send Tyagi to have him murdered and decides to make a plan to have Tyagi killed in an encounter. Bajpayee thinks that the best way to do this is to have him framed for a crime. When the DCP is made aware of the assassination plan and is about to kill Tyagi, the presence of a media van stops them in their tracks. Earlier, when Tyagi is waiting to kill Sanjeev Mehra, he looks at his wife playing with a dog and starts to question himself. His masterji’s sayings ring true in his ears, “ when a man loves dog, he is a good man. When a dog loves man, he is a good man.” and he calls off the assassination. He waits for the approval of his master, before doing the deed. When he’s unable to make contact, his resolve gets shaken.
Gwalla lets Hathiram go and instruct him to give masterji’s rudraksha to Tyagi.
When Tyagi realizes that his guru, who he had always looked up to and yearned for his approval is gone, he loses his will to live and in an intense showdown between him and Hathiram, shoots himself in the mouth.
After being reinstated into the force, Hathiram confronts the DCP, saying that he was given his job back just so he doesn’t leak the sensitive information that he posses. The government covers up the whole thing, the 4 assassins are still blamed to be jihadi terrorists and Sanjeev Mehra walks away as the hero who survived.
From the outside, the system seems rotten but if you take a closer look; it is a well-oiled machine. Every part knows its job, and the one that doesn’t is simply replaced. The truth behind these lines, said by the DCP haunts me more than any of the gory scenes shown here.
Concluding thoughts
The presence of dogs throughout this show has been pretty significant, seemingly, one of the common factors among the loks. Even though dogs are often used as a derogatory term to insult someone and often compared with the people of Pataal Lok. But, ironically it was a dog that saved Sanjeev Mehra’s life, who is a swarg lok dweller in this context.
Animals Blurred the class divide proposed by the show. When humans were tearing through themselves without remorse, it was the animals who brought sanity into their lives. An impulsive murderer like Tyagi experienced calmness when he was in the company of dogs.
What I appreciate here is the subtle and nuanced storytelling which was used to put this message across throughout the show, from the very beginning. It doesn’t seem forced, instead they let the world tell the story.
The show underwent some controversy on religious grounds. In my personal viewing experience, I did not feel there was any propaganda involved and all the scenes were meant to serve the story and the characters instead of going on a tangent.
Pataal Lok was one of the best Indian series I’ve seen, and I am eagerly waiting for the next season if there is gonna be one.
If you enjoyed this review, click here to check out my take on one of the best films ever made, Forrest Gump.
Pataal Lok Trailer:
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